Jay Carney hypocrisy: Attacked Bush's 2001 'Heartland Tour,' Defends Obama's 2011 Midwest Job-Creation Tour

From Newsbusters:

Jay Carney, meet Jay Carney.

In 2001, the then-Time magazine reporter wrote a snarky piece criticizing President George W. Bush's month-long vacation that was billed as a "Home to the Heartland" tour. But almost exactly 10 years later Carney, now the Obama White House's press secretary, is defending President Barack Obama's Midwest job-creation tour and vacation at Martha's Vineyard.

"I don't think Americans out there would begrudge that notion that the President would spend some time with his family," claimed Carney at a recent press briefing.

But that's exactly what he, as a private citizen working for Time, did in 2001 with a Republican in the White House, even though the unemployment rate the month before Obama's vacation (9.1 percent) was almost double what it was the month before Bush's (4.6 percent.).

Referring to one stop in the tour where Bush assisted in building a trail at the Rocky Mountain National Park, Carney chided: "Bush didn't actually help build that trail so much as he posed for the cameras as he simulated the act of helping build the trail."

Fast forward to August 2011, when Carney complained "the air of cynicism is quite thick" in the briefing room after reporters questioned Obama's upcoming road trip, adding, "The idea that the President of the United States should not venture forth into the country is ridiculous."

Never mind that years earlier the former Time reporter lamented Bush's "cynical attempt" to shape public opinion with a cross-country bus tour...

"It's the newsreels and photographs showing... President [Bush] as a regular guy who cares about the poor and cares about the environment...," Carney wrote. "Classic examples of that much maligned but ever-reliable staple of political activity: the 'photo-op'."

Carney added with air of cynicism that was quite thick: "I'm not going to feign shock at the fact that this President is using photo ops in an attempt — some might say a 'cynical attempt' — to influence public opinion. It would be news if he weren't doing just that."

The distinction between Bush's "Home to the Heartland" tour and Obama's "Job Creation" tour couldn't be any clearer. 1) The unemployment rate in August of 2001 was low. 2) Bush wasn't running for office. But now the unemployment rate has sky rocketed and Obama is embarking on a bus tour to 'talk' about jobs when he should be focusing his effort on 'creating' jobs.

But, unfortunately the 2012 elections are right around the corner, and Obama is in full campaign mode. Hence, talking about jobs on the campaign trail [the bus tour], is more important to him than actual job creation.

And yes, I admit, the air of cynicism emanating from my keyboard is quite thick, but rightly so......

Related Video: Chris Matthews & Jay Carney on Obama's 'Job Creation' Bus Tour