I don't know if Dick Durbin can back up his claim about a

[politicaljunkie41910]

Top House GOP Leader Told Obama 'I Cannot Even Stand To Look At You'

but I'm almost certain that I recall reading an article within the past month that a Congressman while visiting at the White House made a statement that he couldn't stand to be 10 feet from President Obama. I recall it because my first thought was that, "than you should have stayed home". Maybe Durbin got the facts in his statement wrong.

Does anyone here recall reading such an article? It would have been within the past month give or take a couple of weeks.

[politicaljunkie41910]

1. I've was trying to do my own search but I don't want to trigger a visit

from the secret service of end up on some NSA watch list.

[lamp_shade]

2. I think you're right. We shall see. Here's the dude that made the statement..

Kerry Bentivolio (R-MI) http://www.politico.com/story/2013/08/kerry-bentivolio-president-obama-impeachment-95739.html

[AlinPA]

3. Teabaggers/Republicans have said a lot worse things about President Obama, so it would

be nothing unusual for Boehner or Cantor (or whoever the GOP people were in the WH) to say what Durbin claims. IMO, the WH is trying to cool the partisan passions and are shrugging it off at the expense of Durbin.

[Enrique]

4. it would be very unusual

shocking, even. Not just for a congressman to say to a president, but for any person to say to another person. It reminds me of the infamous "i don't drink with you" thread here at DU.

[AlinPA]

5. It should be unusual or even shocking. But we are dealing with teabaggers/republicans

here.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

6. Why would Durbin lie about this, especially given the racism and hatred we've

witnessed with our own two eyes coming from the other side??

[CTyankee]

7. Yup. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy to go off on a tear without knowing what he's

talking about. Something IS "there," there, IMO. But it might be a slight misquote (altho the intention was exactly the same I am sure!).

[Ranchemp.]

9. Jay Carney was asked about this yesterday during the presser

and he emphatically denied the incident happened, so who's telling the truth here?

[CTyankee]

10. well, if he did emphatically deny, but if indeed it is a tangled misquote, I could see both sides.

I don't think either one is lying.

Durbin: "This is what I heard."

Carney: "Well, that's not what our source says HE heard."

[Ranchemp.]

11. Good point.

[CTyankee]

12. Yeah, it doesn't make sense otherwise. Durbin is a steady guy and probably upset at the guy

who said whatever it was. Carney heard a different rendering. It's too bad there was a back and forth between two allies.

[Myrina]

8. oh I'm sure there's a recording somewhere ....

[savalez]

13. Here's an article about it:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/24/harry-reid-pete-sessions_n_4156453.html