White House Bullying Chrysler Creditors?

A quick trip around Hannity's America...

Abuse of Power

There are more allegations that the White House strong-armed Chrysler's creditors into supporting its bankruptcy plan for the company.

BusinessInsider.com is reporting that "car czar" Steve Rattner's threats towards Perella Weinberg may have only been the tip of the iceberg. One creditor told them that the administration is "the most shocking 'end justifies the means' group they have ever encountered." Another said President Obama is "the most dangerous smooth talker on the planet," and argued that he has "a madman theory of the presidency in which the president is someone to be feared because he was willing to do anything to get his way."

What strikes me about all of this is that the Obama administration is tougher on the creditors of Chrysler than they are on dictators like Hugo Chavez and Daniel Ortega.

Supreme Search

The White House wordsmith Robert Gibbs had another eloquent moment behind the podium this week. This time he was pontificating on what qualifications an Obama Supreme Court nominee will have to have. Welcome back to Liberal Translation, my good pal Robert:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY : I think I laid out the qualifications, somebody that respects the rule of law and understands the role of tradition and precedent.

LIBERAL TRANSLATION: Preferably somebody who pays their taxes.

GIBBS: Somebody with a record of excellence and integrity.

LIBERAL TRANSLATION: I guess I'm out.

GIBBS: And someone who understands how laws and decisions affect people's daily lives.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are two lists, are you saying?

GIBBS: No, no. I don't — I honestly don't know if there's an A, B or C list.

LIBERAL TRANSLATION: Honestly, they don't tell me much of anything.

GIBBS: I don't — I think right now there's a collection underway for a pool of very qualified candidates to replace Justice Souter.

LIBERAL TRANSLATION: And that pool closely resembles the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Well, at least we know one person who is out of the running for the Supreme Court nod.

Love Fest

Breaking news from the press corps: They're losing three more of their own to the Obama administration!

At the outset of the president's term, several of these so-called objective journalists left their jobs to join the administration. Now, NewsBusters.org points out that a few more are following suit: senior CNN politics producer Sasha Johnson (that makes her the third CNN staffer to join the president's team); Chicago Tribune reporter Jill Zuckerman and veteran ABC News reporter Beverly Lumpkin.

That brings the total number of so-called mainstream media journalists who have rushed to join the Obama administration to ten.

Congratulations to the president, though, for recruiting more members for "Team Socialism."

President Poupon

As you all know, President Obama is a real man of the people. Tuesday, he dropped by a popular Virginia restaurant to grab a burger with his pal Joe. The Gateway Pundit blog pointed out that plain old ketchup didn't cut it for the president, who ordered his burger with a very special condiment:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: All right. I'm going to have a — just your basic cheddar cheeseburger, medium well. I just want mustard, no ketchup. If you've got like a spicy mustard or something like or Dijon mustard, something like that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Dijon mustard? I think the president watched a little bit too much television as a kid:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP: GREY POUPON COMMERCIAL)

ACTOR IAN RICHARDSON: Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon?

ACTOR PAUL EDDINGTON: You mean the mustard?

RICHARDSON: Yes, would you have any?

EDDINGTON: Would I or do I?

RICHARDSON: Both, actually.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

I hope you enjoyed that fancy burger, Mr. President.

— Watch "Hannity" weekdays at 9 p.m. ET on FOX News Channel