David Axelrod: "Witchcraft" Caused Presidential Seal to Fall

On CBS's "The Late Show with David Letterman" last night, White House senior adviser David Axelrod explained what he thought had caused the presidential seal to fall from the podium during a speech by President Obama on Tuesday night: "Witchcraft."

"I've been giving this a lot of thought," Axelrod joked to host David Letterman, during an appearance on the show Wednesday night. "You know, we've been here almost two years, done five hundred speeches probably, never happened before, right? And I can only think of one thing: Witchcraft."

Axelrod was presumably referencing Delaware's Republican Senate nominee, Christine O'Donnell, who has recently come under fire for having made comments in the past about how she has "dabbled into witchcraft."

Axelrod also said he thought Fox News had contributed to the promotion of false notions that Mr. Obama was not born in America. "I find the whole thing very bewildering," he said, when asked by Letterman where he thought such rumors had been born.

"But there is that strain, and it's always been there in our politics.These are times of great change and stress, so you see some of those things come out. But it is no doubt promoted by our friends at Fox and others, and that's part of the politics we have to deal with."

Letterman and Axelrod also joked about real estate magnate Donald Trump's alleged prospective presidential campaign.

"It requires a big ego to run for president," Axelrod laughed. "I don't think he could handle that."

Axelrod threw another jab at Fox News when questioned about potential presidential candidacies by Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin, saying that "a lot of the names you hear, all [of those people] work for Fox News - so if they all run for president, there's going to be a lot of openings over there."

The Obama adviser did acknowledge to Letterman an affection for Sarah Palin, however. "She has a special kind of charisma," Axelrod said. "I have a soft spot for her, Dave, because I was at the Vice Presidential debate - and, you know, she winked at me."

Watch President Obama laughing off the seal's fall here:

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Lucy Madison is a political reporter for CBSNews.com. You can read more of her posts here. Follow Hotsheet on Facebook and Twitter.

[Valaen]

Mr. Axelrod is confusing witchcraft to Karma !

[revivalman]

Axelrod, Letterman, and all the other liberal buffoons may be joking and laughing now, but I betcha they'll all be crying after Nov 2nd.

[fxr60]

I would rather be a teenager curious about the witchcraft belief and going to one or two meetings as a 16-17 year old than a pot smoking, cocaine sniffing man in college and beyond that made president!!! Liberal don't won't to talk about that!!! Also, studied Saul Alinsky and his socialist agenda and purposely picked out the most radical professers to take classes from!!!

[fxr60]

I would rather be a teenager curious about the witchcraft belief and going to one or two meetings as a 16-17 year old than a pot smoking, cocaine sniffing man in college and beyond that made president!!! Liberal don't won't to talk about that!!! Also, studied Saul Alinsky and his socialist agenda and purposely picked out the most radical professers to take classes from!!!

[FoolKiller]

O'Donnell must be a good witch, since the Wicked Witch of the West (Pelosi) has sicced her flying monkeys on O'Donnell (and apparently taught them to type).

[mjlewis6]

Oh...and Nancy Reagan consulted her astrologer every two weeks during Reagan's TWO TERMS IN OFFICE in order to direct Chief of Staff Donald Regan WHEN the President could do bill signing, meet dignitaries.... etc. She was using her horoscope to direct affairs at the White House !!

Senator Christine Odonnell would be another Nancy, no less.

[mjlewis6]

I have seen ARROGANT and DEVIOUS Presidents....and two come to mind....Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush/Cheny, the latter having two heads and barely able to speak out of one. Mind you, those are Republicans.

Best Republican President....was Eisenhauer. Corporate America keeps looking for stooges to run interference as Republican Presidents. We need a real choice...and so far, there is no intelligent material in the Republican Party. All this hate-mongering and birther's idiocy is NOT politics or even principled party platforms to work with. Get a life and stop being USED by the party of privilege that is misleading everyone. The wealth of the nation is being ROBBED by those Patriotic corporations sowing dissention on the basest levels of the voters.

[jgg000101]

I guess the rat running in front of the podium wasn't a big enough omen.

[texasborndemo]

better watch out halloween is here already lmao

[tsigili]

That's amusing.

Really though, it should be taken as a sign of the fall of Obama.