More in the cross-post on the MRC's NewsBusters blog.
In an interview aired on Monday's NBC Today, President Obama discovered that speaking to an actual journalist was a bit tougher than having YouTube celebrities lob softballs at him. In the exchange – conducted prior to the Super Bowl on Sunday – co-host Savannah Guthrie grilled the President over his handling of the war on terrorism: "You said in your State of the Union that American leadership is helping to stop the advance of ISIS in Syria and Iraq. But your critics say that is delusional, that in fact they've gained more territory since the air strikes have begun."
Obama defensively replied: "That's not accurate. In Iraq what we've seen is the Iraqi security forces and Kurdish forces continue to push back against ISIL. And those same critics that you suggest I imagine would have us redeploy tens of thousands of U.S. troops-" Guthrie interrupted: "But isn't that kind of a straw man? You often say that-" He testily shot back: "Hold on, Savannah, let me – it's not a straw man. Let me finish what I'm saying."