White House Coke/Pepsi Wars, Cont’d Before Congress

By Michael Scherer | @michaelscherer | March 11, 2009 | +

You can’t make a false statement in testimony before Congress. It’s a felony. Big deal. So Coca-Cola fans everywhere can take comfort in the fact that White House budget director Peter Orzsag was telling the truth when he confirmed Tuesday that he is a Diet Coke man. The Wall Street Journal reports: “Orszag acknowledged to members of the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday what close observers had long since figured out: he’s a serious Diet Coke fan.”

The actual back and forth, which tees off a lighthearted story I wrote a few weeks back, follows below. Voters will be relieved to know that the cola testimony formed but a small fraction of the hearing, which focused on the 2010 Health Care budget. Now to the tape:

Sen. TOM CARPER, D-Del.: We do — we need to find out what you’re drinking. And…

(CROSSTALK)

ORSZAG: I will — I hope this isn’t product placement, but this is Diet Coke. Apparently there’s a big controversy that has broken out between Diet Pepsi and Diet Coke and what members of the administration drink what, but that’s Diet Coke.

CARPER: Do you go back and forth or are you just a straight Diet Coke…

ORSZAG: No, I’m a Diet Coke guy.

ORSZAG: OK.

CARPER: All right. All right. I’m glad we got that on the record.

I have also been informed that Orszag gets caffeine from tea, both iced and hot, though this information did not come in sworn testimony.

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usesherbrain

As I sit here banging my head against my desk in an effort to get the stupid out, I offer these sage words of advice:
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There are some stories that are only funny/entertaining once.
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This was one of them.
sacredh

Caffeine Free Diet Coke for me. Too much caffeine and I become a glassy-eyed, foaming-at-the-mouth troll.
Hammerlock

The difference between Jon Stewart and MS?
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Jon Stewart admits he’s a fake journalist–even though he does some good journalism.
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Well, that and he’s actually funny.
Paul-no not that one

The contempt many of us feel for the media is DWARFED by the contempt they have for us.
Dee in Columbia MD

pnnto — truer words have not been spoken.
http://phd9.blogspot.com Paul Dirks

I’m still anxiously awaiting your detailed reporting on Obama’s White Sox/Cubs preference and what this says about the likelihood of evenhandedness in our approach to the Israeli/Palenstinian conflict.
http://policingwingnutwelfare.blogspot.com/ JJ

For some reason, this is even funnier embedded in Josh Marshall’s blog:
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http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2009/03/cramer_v_non-cramer.php
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Medium and messages and Neil Postman and all that…
stuartzechman

Didn’t Hillary lie about being a Yankees fan?
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How much well-sculpted arm should Michelle Obama show?
Aaron

This level of stupidity reminds me of this Justin Fox post:

The best moment was near the end when [CNBC talking head Mark] Haines, sounding exasperated, said something along the lines of, “We can’t have the sort of booming economy we’ve had if consumers only spend what they earn!”
http://smoothlikeremy.blogspot.com/ sgwhiteinfla

Sounds like a journalist engaging in petty soda politics. At a time of economic crisis, two wars overseas and the markets tanking you choose to write about Coke and Pepsi?! This wasn’t the change we were promised!!!
sacredh

Rush told me he prefers coke because it dissloves the oxys faster.
FlownOver

Readers will be relieved to know that there are actual reporters who covered the larger fraction of the hearing, which focused on the 2010 Health Care budget.

OK, MS, you’ve done your junk post. Now as soon as you do your imaginary controversy, false equivalence and/or Irrelephant talking point post, you can call it a day.

Better yet, call it a career.
plukasiak

perhaps the only think less attention-worthy than MS’s post is the knee-jerk response of commenters who should, by now, be used to this kind of trivialization by MS.
http://nicewhitelady.blogspot.com/ joyomama

sacredh — I used to drink Caffeine Free Diet Coke, but then I started to worry about what WAS in it.
dunedweller

MS, this is like the 4th time you’ve written a blog centered around soft drinks, what gives?
Traumatic childhood experience?
Fraternity hazing incident?
Oral fixation?
Art Pepper

We can treat these posts as open threads, right?
mccainfluffer

From a previous MS Post about Rush Limbaugh:

“At a time of unprecedented threats to the United States, a time of financial collapse, bank failures and record layoffs, at a time when the credit crisis has not been solved, and the stock market is in free fall, at a time of stagnating wars, rising terrorism in Pakistan and growing nuclear potential in Iran, the White House has done the easy thing. It has asked the American people to focus their attention not on solving the problems, but on a big-mouthed entertainer in Florida.”

My rewrite:

At a time of unprecedented threats to the United States, a time of financial collapse, bank failures and record layoffs, at a time when the credit crisis has not been solved, and the stock market is in free fall, at a time of stagnating wars, rising terrorism in Pakistan and growing nuclear potential in Iran, [Michael Scherer] has done the the {stupid] thing. [He] has asked the American people to focus their attention not on solving the problems, but on [soft drinks.]

Let me guess, unnamed Democratic strategists have forced you to write about this unimportant issues, right?
sacredh

joyomama: I worry a litle bit about the contents of what I consume, but my MIL lives with us so I don’t fear death anymore. I see it everyday on the phone.
rustyreturns

Obama scores big with voters, read it on MSNBC!
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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123672847973688515.html?mod=googlenews_wsj#articleTabs%3Darticle
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The golden one is now in deep kimshee it seems with the American voter.
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Change we can believe in alright. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
http://phd9.blogspot.com Paul Dirks

Racist Rusty twice links to the Wall Street Journal mistaking it for MSNBC.
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Few are surprised…..
rustyreturns

Oops, here ya go Dirks. Enjoy liberal lunatic.
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29493093
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And just an after thought to you Dirks. Go spread your lies and NAMBLA garbage on other web sites like Daily Kos and Huffington Post, your kind frequent those blogs.
kryptik1

Slow news day, MS?
FlownOver

I’d be willing to give up on the idea of universal health care if we can just get some effective mental health coverage for rustyclown.
Friar Tuck

my MIL lives with us so I don’t fear death anymore
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Stop, sacredh! Please! I’m running out of keyboards!
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Since this is now an open thread, check out this insanely great recording from Peter Green and the late and very under-rated Rory Gallagher:
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mccainfluffer

Friar Tuck,

Thanks for the link. Rory was very underrated indeed.
Cliff

We can treat these posts as open threads, right?
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Yeah, but I hate to give MS more comments than he deserves. When he gets three hundred comment threads it only encourages him.
sacredh

Cliff: On the other hand we can look at it like he started his thread and we decided to talk about something more interesting. Actually, anything else.