In a way you have to hand it to Krystal Ball. The former Democratic congressional candidate-turned-MSNBC co-host is always hard at work spinning for the Obama administration, come what may. Appearing on Thursday's Politics Nation, the co-host of MSNBC’s The Cycle raved about President Obama’s May 23 national security speech, claiming the president is “reining in his own power,” a “remarkable and incredibly unusual” move.
Ball fawned over the president’s speech to host Al Sharpton, claiming he “put the steps in place” to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, before offering this proclamation about Obama’s executive power:
One thing that I want to underscore here that I think is really important is this is the president. The executive himself reining in his own power. It’s not coming from Congress. It’s not coming from the judiciary. And that is remarkable and incredibly unusual.
Apparently, Ball doesn’t think the IRS’s targeting of Tea Party groups and the Justice Department’s probe of the Associated Press and Fox News reporter James Rosen is a “remarkable” expansion of presidential power, much less a violation of the Constitution. Ball also apologized for the president on the Guantanamo Bay issue, suggesting his failure to follow through on a campaign promise was the fault of Congress:
I mean, not to go back through the history of all this – the president did make that a priority. He did try to close Guantanamo Bay and basically ran up against a political road block and decided his political capital would be better spent elsewhere.
Of course, Obama had a Democratic Congress the first two years of his presidency and most certainly could have devoted his time and energy to hashing out some plan to close Guantanamo Bay, he just chose not to. Perhaps by blaming Congress, however, Ball was banking on Sharpton's liberal audience erroneously thinking that Republicans have controlled the U.S. House of Representatives throughout Obama's entire time in office.
Rev. Sharpton, for his part, closed the segment with his usual benediction to the president and his policies, declaring: “Well, another great speech, change you can believe in.”
See the relevant transcript below:
MSNBC
PoliticsNation
05/24/13
6:52 p.m. Eastern
AL SHARPTON: When you look at the fact that, Krystal, the president has now addressed Guantanamo Bay – which some of us that supported him were disappointed in – and drones, which I've disagreed with, he's now moving closer to where even some of his own base has said we're with you but these things we're not with. I think that this gives a sense that maybe the president has not only ended the Bush era as we knew it in these policies but began to turn the corner where foreign policy and where we're dealing with questions of military and defense in this country is going to go.
KRYSTAL BALL: I think that's right and I think that the point on Guantanamo is really important. I mean, not to go back through the history of all this – the president did make that a priority. He did try to close Guantanamo Bay and basically ran up against a political road block and decided his political capital would be better spent elsewhere. In a second term, I think we're seeing more willingness to not just say we want to close Guantanamo Bay but really put the steps in place and put the pressure on. One thing that I want to underscore here that I think is really important is this is the president. The executive himself reining in his own power. It’s not coming from Congress. It’s not coming from the judiciary. And that is remarkable and incredibly unusual.
SHARPTON: Well, another great speech, change you can believe in. Congressman Murphy, Krystal ball, thank you both for your time tonight.
BALL: Thanks, Rev.
