Obama hits back at 'tea party' rant

The White House apparently noticed yesterday when a CNBC analyst's impassioned critique of President Obama's mortgage-rescue plan became an Internet phenomenon. At the presidential press briefing today, press secretary Robert Gibbs eagerly responded to a reporter's question about Rick Santelli's rant. Gibbs says Santelli should drink decaf coffee.

Spokesman says CNBC analyst should switch to drinking decaf © 2009 WorldNetDaily The White House apparently noticed yesterday when a CNBC analyst's impassioned critique of President Obama's mortgage-rescue plan became an Internet phenomenon. At the presidential press briefing today, press secretary Robert Gibbs eagerly responded to a reporter's question about Rick Santelli's rant amid sympathetic, angry traders at the CME Group in Chicago. "I've watched Mr. Santelli on cable the past 24 hours or so," Gibbs said, according to an account by the newssite Politico. "I'm not entirely sure where Mr. Santelli lives or in what house he lives, but the American people are struggling every day to meet their mortgages, stay in their jobs, pay their bills, send their kids to school. "I think we left a few months ago the adage that if it was good for a derivatives trader that it was good for Main Street," the White House spokesman continued. "I think the verdict is in on that." Santelli later responded to Gibbs in an MSNBC interview, pointing out his complaint was based more on philosophical differences than on details of the plan. Gibbs contended Santelli "has argued, I think quite wrongly, that this plan won't help everyone." "This plan helps people who have been playing by the rules. ... I would encourage him to read the president's plan. ... I'd be more than happy to have him come here to read it. I'd be happy to buy him a cup of coffee – decaf," Gibbs said with a smile in an obvious reference to Santelli's passion.

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