White House spokesman Robert Gibbs had some fun with the House Republicans’ detail-free budget alternative during his on-camera briefing with reporters today:
QUESTION: … House Republicans unveiled what they described today as their alternative to the president’s budget. I wonder if anyone here has had a chance to brief you on that on — if you’re aware that it doesn’t actually contain any numbers.
GIBBS: I did — I — it took me several minutes to read it. (LAUGHTER) I will note that … there’s one more picture of a windmill than there is of a chart of numbers. There’s — just for your knowledge, there’s exactly one picture of a windmill.
Gibbs isn’t telling the whole truth here. There are actually three charts in the House GOP plan, none of which deal with the House GOP plan — the charts reflect only external estimates of the Democratic budget.
What Gibbs should have said is that there are more pictures of cute kids (see p. 6, p. 17) and quotes from British people (see p.7) in the GOP plan than there are charts of numbers.
