April 15, 2011 12:35 PM

Obama laments lack of "cool phones" at the White House

By
Mark Knoller
Topics
White House ,
Campaign 2012

Maybe he watched too many episodes of "24" or "The West Wing," but President Obama complained last night about the phones in the Oval Office, portraying them as antiquated technology.

"I always thought I was gonna have like really cool phones and stuff," he said during a Q&A session with contributors to his re-election campaign.

"We can't get our phones to work." Acting out his exasperation, he said: "Come on, guys. I'm the president of the United States! Where's the fancy buttons and stuff and the big screen comes up? It doesn't happen."

Mr. Obama made the remarks at the 2nd of 3 fund-raisers last night in Chicago. He took questions from contributors after the press pool had left and may not have realized some reporters back at the White House could still hear his comments.

Obama: GOP tried to "sneak" agenda into budget

He said the White House is "like 30 years behind" when it comes to technology.

"Our IT purchasing is horrible," said the president referring to Information Technology throughout the government.

"It's true in the Pentagon. It's true in the agencies. It's true in the Department of Homeland Security," Mr. Obama said of outdated equipment.

But he did have some kind words to say about government workers.

"What's striking when you enter into the federal government is how generally smart and dedicated people are." He did opine that some employees "are slugs and not trying to do their job. But that's true of any large institution."

But generally speaking, he said he would put up federal workers against any workers in the private sector.

As for staffers at the White House, he said "they are as good as anybody else."

Below, listen to Obama's revealing remarks on the budget negotiations from the fundraiser last night:


Add a Comment See all 12 Comments
by doolrod April 20, 2011 11:23 AM EDT
They do have that type of technology. They just reserve it for people qualified to use it. Sorry, big guy.
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by simpleconservative April 17, 2011 3:26 AM EDT
Classic Obama, when the mighty rushing rivers of ignorance and arrogance combine, they form a torrent that erodes anything in the path. When he finally wakes up to the waste associated to anything government, he may realize trillions can be easily cut from the federal budget and the white house could still have "Cool phones."
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by EmtFF10 April 16, 2011 8:36 PM EDT
Our economy is crap, our Military is stretched to it's limits or close to it. And this moron of a president is complaining about "no cool phones" in the White House?? Please tell me this was just a joke!!!! Here is an idea for Obama, take your paycheck & go buy the damn phones! This way when you hopefully are out of office in 2012 you can take your phones with you!!!!
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by Lindag10 April 16, 2011 5:43 PM EDT
Obama just saw the tip of the iceberg with outdated communication equipment at the White House. The reality is that government communications equipment is the pits. I once worked for as a radio installer for the County in which I lived. I was putting 35 to 40 year old radio equipment in cop cars. When a new techinican was hired, he/she had to be taught how to repair the antiquated junk the police were relying on. They also loved to "piecemeal" which in one case meant they upgraded the radios, but kept the 40 year old sirens. I spent two months building interfaces (a connection) between two basically incompatible pieces of electronic equipment and also they worked together it was a "Mickey Mouse" way of doing things. This sort of thing goes on all the time in government and I can understand Obama's suprise when he discovered that the president of the United States had 30 year old obsolete communication equipment. Seems like most of the other posters don't get the message that the government hasn't kept up with technology. The catch phrase at the County where I worked was "do the best you can with what you have" whenever we requested equipment that WOULD do the job asked of it.
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by buildfences April 16, 2011 11:37 AM EDT
Maybe he should call China to bring in new IT! Because that's where those jobs went!
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by RobAla April 16, 2011 9:24 AM EDT
In President Obama's arrogant mind it is all about him. We still have unemployment near 9%, gas is on it's way to hit $5.00 a gallon, and the nation is racing toward economic collapse - but it is really all about "cool phones". If they don't work - well, he has been in office for more than 2 years - I would think he has had ample time to find a repairman. This man is a real piece of work.
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by documemts April 16, 2011 3:45 PM EDT
No sell phones in WH? Due to security.
by itsmemary April 15, 2011 6:49 PM EDT
I wouldn't gripe about the phones, hopefully you'll be out by 2012. Then you can have all the "cool phones" that you want. You're right, bean, he can't connect the dots. I don't even think he can see them. He is cunning,has antipathy toward all, is arrogant and narcisstic. I also think he is very dangerous.
Reply to this comment
by juryrocket April 15, 2011 1:35 PM EDT
I think Obama is the smartest, most brillyant, genyous prezdent ever. And I knowd this cuz the media keep telling me so. And I also knowed that Bush and Raygun are dum idiot moreons, cuz the media tells me that also. Media jurnolists is really smart and knowed the truth and knowed how to tell us what to think, so I knowed to listen to them. I luv Obama policies of spend and spend and spend and borrow and borrow and borrow and regulate and tax and regulate and print and print. I think that so genyous! Knowbody know how to spend and spend and borrow and borrow and print and regulate and regulate like the brillyant Obama. And even though it dont always make cents, no matter how much you think, it is no use cuz you is never gunna think more good than Obama. And if you dont agree with spend and spend and spend and print and regulate and tax and regulate, then you just a rasist. And you have violet redoric too!
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by inketolstoy April 15, 2011 1:57 PM EDT
I see you had to change your name again, Skyke.
by jeffinpa1234 April 15, 2011 1:09 PM EDT
and we thought he was concerned about cutting spending??????

When a family of 4 cannot afford things - they do without.

When a President talks about cutting the deficit and then want "cool phones" at the white house - his words and actions do not add up.

President Obama has no intention of cutting spending - sam as he never planned on transparancy on helath care!
Reply to this comment
by beanerecmo April 15, 2011 2:21 PM EDT
Re: "When a President talks about cutting the deficit and then want "cool phones" at the white house - his words and actions do not add up." It only clearly illustrates that he has no capability of connecting the dots even if they are numbered in sequence and are immediately adjacent to each other. He may be intelligent; he is not smart; he has no common sense (maybe uncommon sense), he is bitterly cunning, and has complete antipathy toward all.
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