It was the governor vs. the president. Republican Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer and President Barack Obama exchanged tense words Wednesday, right after he stepped off Air Force One in Phoenix — and the confrontation played out in front of the press.
During the intense conversation, both could be seen smirking but were clearly speaking over one another. At one point, Brewer shook her finger in Obama’s face.
"He was somewhat thin-skinned and a little tense to say the least," Brewer later told a Phoenix radio talk show. As for the pointing her figure at the president: "I was trying to be very calm. The picture is interesting, I don't remember doing that," she said.
The argument stemmed from Obama’s feelings about Brewer’s 2011 book, “Scorpions for Breakfast.” In it, she refers to the president as “patronizing” and claims he lectured to her as if she were a child during a 2010 meeting in the White House.
At the time of the meeting, the White House described their encounter as a "good meeting," and even Brewer said it was "very cordial." But, later, in her book, she accused Obama of being extremely "condescending."
Following the exchange between Brewer and Obama on Wednesday, the governor told reporters, “He was a little disturbed about my book.” When asked why, Brewer said the president did not appreciate how she portrayed him as not acting cordially.
Editor's Note: For the Truth About Brewer and Obama Click Here
"I said to him, you know, I have always respected the office of the president and that the book is what the book is," Brewer said.
On the tarmac, Brewer handed Obama an envelope with a handwritten invitation to return to Arizona on another occasion to meet her for lunch and to join her for a visit to the border.
That’s when Obama complained about her unfriendly remarks. "I said I was sorry he felt that way, but I didn't get my sentence finished," Brewer said. "Anyway, we're glad he's here. I'll regroup."
Obama and Brewer have faced off before. Last year, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit Brewer filed that accused the Obama administration of failing to enforce immigration laws or maintain control of her state's border with Mexico.
The White House offered a statement with their version of what transpired on the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport’s tarmac: "The governor handed the President a letter and said she was inviting him to meet with her. The President said he'd be glad to meet with her again, but did note that after their last meeting, a cordial discussion in the Oval Office, the governor inaccurately described the meeting in her book. The President looks forward to continuing taking steps to help Arizona's economy grow."
Editor's Note: For the Truth About Brewer and Obama Click Here
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