CNN's Wolf Blitzer was apparently quite moved by President Obama's speech at Thursday's National Prayer Breakfast. Blitzer hailed it as a candid address and noted that the President spoke "very movingly" of his faith.
Of course, Obama's profession of his faith came shortly after his administration mandated religious-affiliated organizations to act against their church's teaching, a decision that caused great uproar. Blitzer did not mention that fact, but did cast Obama in a positive light as opposed to GOP candidate Mitt Romney. [Video below the break. Click here for audio.]
"He [Obama] also spoke about the Christian obligation to help the poor, amid the uproar Mitt Romney sparked by saying he's more concerned about the middle class than the very poor," Blitzer said.
Earlier in the afternoon, anchor Don Lemon expressed surprise at Obama's "candid" message after his faith has been criticized as of late. "So for a guy whose faith has been criticized, judged, and called into question, that was some pretty candid stuff," he surmised.
Lemon also noted Obama's "humbling" story of meeting evangelist Billy Graham, a term Blitzer used later to describe the same portion of Obama's speech. Were positive words like "candid" and "humbling" in the CNN talking points for the day concerning Obama's address?
A transcript of the segment, which aired on February 2 at 4:29 p.m. EST, is as follows:
WOLF BLITZER: President Obama opens up very movingly about his faith. You're going to hear him describe his spiritual journey, what he says has humbled him to his core.
(...)
BLITZER: President Obama talking openly and surprisingly candidly about his Christian faith at the National Annual Prayer Breakfast here in Washington today. The President shared that he prays regularly, and he described a humbling meeting with the Rev. Billy Graham. He also spoke about the Christian obligation to help the poor, amid the uproar Mitt Romney sparked by saying he's more concerned about the middle class than the very poor.
