Gibbs: Obama misspoke about AARP

During the White House briefing today, Major Garrett asked Robert Gibbs about the comments President Obama made yesterday in regards to the AARP endorsing the health care plan - for the record - they have NOT!

QUESTION: OK. Yesterday, the president said the AARP endorsed a plan. As you're aware yesterday, the AARP said it hasn't addressed a plan. Where on the information or disinformation scale would the president's remark fall?

GIBBS: Well, the president said -- well, AARP has said they are certainly supportive and have been for years on comprehensive health reform. I don't think the president meant to imply anything untoward. I think he discussed the notion that AARP is supportive of legislation -- or, I'm sorry, an agreement that would -- that would fund filling the doughnut hole for seniors as part of Medicare Part D, as well as additional savings for comprehensive health care reform.

QUESTION: The president is doubtless aware AARP hasn't even endorsed the House pending committee legislation...

GIBBS: Which is what I just said.

QUESTION: ... or the Senate legislation. Right. So he's aware of that. So he wasn't trying to mislead anyone?

GIBBS: No. No.

QUESTION: He just misspoke?

GIBBS: Right.

QUESTION: Is that something that can happen in this debate?

GIBBS: That people can misspeak?

QUESTION: Right, without intentionally meaning to mislead.

GIBBS: Sure. I don't know if it's happened on certain subjects, but yes.

QUESTION: OK. So it's within the range of this whole discussion something can be wrong, but not necessarily intentional misinformation, is what I'm getting at?

GIBBS: Yes. I think most of -- I think most of what the president has addressed, though, has been in many ways intentional misinformation.

QUESTION: That he's been trying to correct...

(CROSSTALK)

GIBBS: Right.