Comedy: White House Warns Gov. Paterson Not to Drag Obama into Race Issues

One of the perks of the presidency is that you get to pick and choose when to play the race card.

Speaking to a liberal talk-radio show this past Friday, Governor Paterson blamed his disastrous summer on racial bias in the media. He went on to explain that President Obama has failed (so far; knock on wood) to cripple our healthcare system because of white-dominated media's "orchestrated" scheme to beat down black politicians.

The President's staffers were not amused.

Obama's team delivered a pointed message to Paterson within hours of the morning broadcast, multiple sources said.

It came in a call from White House political director Patrick Gaspard, who has deep ties to the New York political scene, to Larry Schwartz, the governor's first deputy secretary.

Gaspard wanted to know "why [Paterson] was dragging the president into" his troubles, said one source.

But although Obama's aides were unhappy, the sources said, the conversation was not hostile. Gaspard is reported to have complimented Paterson on his governor's mansion and cordially expressed a desire that nothing bad happen to it.

I may have made that last part up.

posted by Gabriel Malor at 11:20 PM

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