Update : Full transcript added.
At the top of Tuesday's NBC "Today," co-host Ann Curry feigned shock as she excitedly proclaimed: "Say what?...A retired executive throws President Obama a rather surprising question during a town hall forum..." A clip was played of retired Google executive Doug Edwards teeing up the President by asking: "Would you please raise my taxes?" [Audio available here]
Moments later, fill-in co-host Lester Holt remarked to Curry: "You said, 'Say what?' I think the President was probably wondering the same thing. A guy gets up and says, 'Will you raise my taxes?'" Holt went on to gush: "Obviously the President wants to raise taxes on wealthier Americans as part of his deficit program, but what he heard there was music to his ears."
View video after the jump
As Mark Levin noted on his Monday radio show, Mr. Edwards was hardly an objective audience member, but rather someone who had donated $300,000 to Democratic candidates since 2000.
Following the fawning teases from Curry and Holt, chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd reported: "The President's gone Hollywood, for one night at least, headlining a fund-raiser Monday at the Hollywood House of Blues....raising money for his re-election campaign, hoping to pull in about $4 million from this three-state tour. But he's also sneaking in some campaigning for his new jobs plan. Both audiences are notably friendly."
After again playing the clip of Edwards requesting higher taxes, Todd explained: "Mr. Obama heard from people like retired Google executive Doug Edwards, who said he wanted more government spending on job training, education and infrastructure." A sound bite was included of the President replying: "I appreciate the fact that you recognize we're in this thing together."
Here is a full transcript of the September 27 segment:
7:00AM ET TEASE:
ANN CURRY: Good morning. Say what?
DOUG EDWARDS [RETIRED GOOGLE EXECUTIVE]: Would you please raise my taxes?
CURRY: A retired executive throws President Obama a rather surprising question during a town hall forum as speculation grows over the role New Jersey Governor Chris Christie could play in the future of the Republican Party.
7:01AM ET TEASE:
CURRY: That's right. And so we're going to hear the President's response just ahead. And we're also going to get more on these renewed calls for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to jump into the race. He's been insisting consistently that he would not run, he will not run, but would he consider being a running mate? We're going to talk about that straight ahead.
7:02AM ET SEGMENT:
CURRY: We begin with presidential politics. Chuck Todd is NBC's chief White House correspondent and political director and he joins us now. Chuck, good morning.
CHUCK TODD: Good morning, Ann. Well, all of the presidential candidates, including the incumbent, are scattered around the country raising money this week. But it's the travel schedule of one non-candidate, Republican Chris Christie, that's raising eyebrows this morning.
BARACK OBAMA: Hello, L.A.!
TODD: The President's gone Hollywood, for one night at least, headlining a fund-raiser Monday at the Hollywood House of Blues.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Mr. Obama Goes to Hollywood; President Raises Campaign Dollars for GOP Battle]
CROWD CHEERING: Four more years! Four more years!
TODD: $250 a person to get in, $10,000 to get a picture with the President.
OBAMA: If all of you are willing to press on with me, I promise you, I promise you we will remind the world why America is the greatest nation on earth.
TODD: Mostly the President is raising money for his re-election campaign, hoping to pull in about $4 million from this three-state tour. But he's also sneaking in some campaigning for his new jobs plan. Both audiences are notably friendly.
DOUG EDWARDS: Would you please raise my taxes?
TODD: Using the job networking site LinkedIn for town hall meeting, Mr. Obama heard from people like retired Google executive Doug Edwards, who said he wanted more government spending on job training, education and infrastructure.
OBAMA: I appreciate the fact that you recognize we're in this thing together.
TODD: While the President's away from Washington, one of his potential rivals, Rick Perry's coming to the capital today to raise money. Still regrouping from his poor debate performance, Perry's camp takes comfort in a new CNN poll still showing him ahead of Romney. But Republicans uneasy with both Perry and Romney have launched yet another effort to convince New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to run, although he continues to maintain he doesn't want to.
CHRIS CHRISTIE: If you don't feel that, you know, deeply in your heart that it is, then you have no business asking anybody for their money or their vote.
TODD: But Christie has a schedule this week that rifles any presidential candidate, hitting three key states, including a speech today at the Reagan Library. Nancy Reagan personally extended the invitation.
CHARLIE COOK: This is enormously flattering, it enhances his prestige, his position in the party. It certainly doesn't hurt his chances of being a – being picked as a running mate, and then finally, it elevates his stature down the road if he decides to run for president in 2016 or 2020.
TODD: Now there's a lot of tea leave reading going on right now with Chris Christie and whether he would jump in. Former New Jersey Governor Tom Caine, who's a close friend of Governor Christie, he says the Governor is rethinking it. And the title for Governor Christie's speech tonight at the Reagan Library, "Real American Exceptionalism." Lester, that's the kind of speech title that a presidential candidate might give.
HOLT: Alright, Chuck Todd, thanks.
