Obama punch drunk

Is Obama "punch drunk"? It's one of those little phrases that help to define a presidency. Me, no I don't think that Obama is punch drunk, nor drunk on anything else. It's just a phrase he used in an interview:

Obama is confronting a massive economic crisis, an outbreak of populist rage, and an inside-the-Beltway revolt against his budget plan. As far as the Washington media is concerned, he's very much on the ropes. But he was so calm -- even jolly -- in his "60 Minutes" interview broadcast last night that anchor Steve Kroft asked him about it straight out: "You're sitting here. And you are laughing. You are laughing about some of these problems. Are people gonna look at this and say, 'I mean, he's sitting there just making jokes about money.' How do you deal with, I mean, explain the...mood and your laughter?...Are you punch drunk?"

This becomes, this use by Obama of "punch drunk", the story itself:

The stark comments came during an interview on US network CBS's 60 Minutes in which the President was also intermittingly flashing his trademark smile and occasionally chuckling, prompting the interviewer to ask if he was "punch drunk".

"No, no," Mr Obama said. "There's got to be a little gallows humour to get you through the day."

Then again, there were those who didn't make that punch drunk the centerpiece of their report.

But you can see that others have been making hay with this story.

'Punch drunk'? What do you make of Obama's laughter? USA Today - USA Plug a search for "Obama + 'punch drunk' " into Google News this hour and you'll get nearly 2000 results. Kroft: "You're sitting here. ...

President Obama on '60 Minutes' KNX1070 - CA,USA "Are you punch drunk?" "No, no. There's gotta be a little gallows humor to get you through the day," Obama explained. "You know, sometimes my team talks ...

Obama grasps at 'flickers of hope' The Australian - Sydney,Australia ... prompting the interviewer to ask if he was "punch drunk". "No, no," Mr Obama said. "There's got to be a little gallows humour to get you through the day ...

Why Obama Is Still Smiling Washington Post Blogs - Washington,DC,USA Are you punch drunk?" Obama replied with another laugh: "No, no. There's gotta be a little gallows humor to get you through the day. ...

Obama Snubs French President; Seeks to Work With Predecessor AOL News Newsbloggers - Dulles,VA,USA On 60 Minutes,he was laughing and making light of our financial crisis, the reporter asked him if he was punch-drunk, to which O replied No..something abt ...

Another 1 Trillion Dollar Obama Bailout! KFMB - San Diego,CA,USA Are people going to look at this and say, ‘I mean, he's sitting there just making jokes about money-' "Are you punch-drunk?" Kroft said. Does Obama have a ...

LETTERS: Will lawmakers give back their pay raises? Las Vegas Review - Journal - Las Vegas,NV,USA Steve Croft (interviewer) even had to ask Obama if he was "punch drunk." Gawd this nation is in trouble. Joe wrote on March 23, 2009 07:44 AM: gopher,I am ...

Washington Times Brownie reincarnated Washington Times - Washington,DC,USA To recycle the words of Steve Kroft (as Obama did with the Bush-Brownie scenario), Mr. President, "are you punch drunk?" Do you have another point of view, ...

Monday Poll Question Information: Kroft to Obama, "Are you punch ... KAUZ - Wichita Falls,TX,USA WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama's budget would produce $9.3 trillion in deficits over the next decade, more than four times the deficits of ...

The Ed Morrissey Show: Kevin McCullough Hot Air - MD,USA What does Obama’s Special Olympics joke say about him? Is this similar to his DVD gift to Gordon Brown? Is Obama “punch drunk”? We’ll also talk about Kim ...