White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said there are no regrets over President Obama's statements last Thursday, when he declared that his policies will be "on the ballot" in November.
CBS White House correspondent Major Garrett asked Earnest if Obama's comments were "a mistake," citing a critique to that effect from former Obama advisor David Axelrod during Meet the Press on Sunday.
"The short answer is no," Earnest said. "What the president made clear is that his name is not on the ballot this fall. But the president does believe there is a clear choice for voters across the country between candidates who are supportive of policies that will benefit the middle class and candidates who are supportive of policies that will benefit those at the top in the hopes that the benefits will trickle down to the middle class."
Obama's comments have created anxiety among red-state Democrats hoping to distance themselves from Obama's policies ahead of the midterm elections. Still, according to the White House, Obama's policies are indeed on the ballot.
"The president is strongly supportive of those candidates--the vast majority of them are Democrats--who are supportive of the kinds of policies that benefit middle class families and that this president himself has long advocated," Earnest said.