CNN's Piers Morgan agreed with President Obama's statement that Americans have "been a little bit lazy" in getting foreign investors to come to America, and fellow prime-time host Erin Burnett downplayed the significance of the line on Thursday.
Morgan's take on the quote was that "America has gone a bit soft on its production line," and he vouched for it. Burnett, on the other hand, said the quote was taken out of context and that Obama wasn't hitting workers themselves, but those who were drawing foreign investors to come to America. [Video below the break. Click here for audio.]
What Burnett did not admit was that President Obama was still tossing blame at certain Americans for a slow economy which could doom his re-election bid in 2012.
Here is President Obama's statement from last Saturday at the APEC summit in Hawaii:
"A lot of things that make foreign investors see the U.S. as a great opportunity, our stability, our openness, our innovative free market culture. But, you know, we've been a little bit lazy, I think, over the last couple of decades. We've kind of taken for granted, well, people will want to come here. And we aren't out there hungry selling America."
[Video below.]
A transcript of the segments, which aired on November 17 at 9:44 p.m. and 7:16 p.m. EST, respectively, is as follows:
CNN
PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT
11/17/11
9:44 p.m. EST
PIERS MORGAN: What did you think of Barack Obama today? He said that America has gone a bit soft in its production line. It's not working as hard collectively as it used to. And as a result, the Far East is catching up and taking over. I agree with him.
CNN
ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT
11/17/11
7:16 p.m. EST
ERIN BURNETT: Well, want to turn to the President. Obviously he is in Asia right now. But a hot topic for Republican candidates this week has been the President's remarks in Hawaii during a business summit. Here's what he said.
(Video Clip)
President BARACK OBAMA: We've been a little bit lazy, I think, over the last couple of decades.
(End Video Clip)
BURNETT: Okay. So now some Republicans wasted no time pouncing on that. They put some ads together calling the President's words an insult. Take a look at Perry. We'll show you the Perry ad.
(Video Clip)
Texas Gov. RICK PERRY, Republican presidential candidate: That's what our President thinks wrong with America, that Americans are lazy? That's pathetic.
(End Video Clip)
BURNETT: Okay, now let me just – let's get some facts in here. The President wasn't really talking about American workers. He was talking about – well, that we haven't worked hard enough to sell America as a great place to invest. Here's the full sound bite of what the President said.
(Video Clip)
OBAMA: A lot of things that make foreign investors see the U.S. as a great opportunity, our stability, our openness, our innovative free market culture. But, you know, we've been a little bit lazy, I think, over the last couple of decades. We've kind of taken for granted, well, people will want to come here. And we aren't out there hungry selling America.
(End Video Clip)
BURNETT: It's a little bit different, isn't it, Maria?
MARIA CARDONA, Democratic strategist: It's very different, Erin.
