Carney: You're Just Making Up 'Battleground States' to Get Obama in Campaigning Trouble

White House spokesman Jay Carney defended President Obama’s recent multiple trips to swing states Ohio and Florida on official business, saying his itinerary can’t be dictated by what media have declared “battleground states.”

“Two very populous states; very important states,” Carney said. “And I’m sure he’ll be back to those states as well as others. We were recently in Oklahoma. I’m an eternal optimist, but I’m prepared to suggest that it’s unlikely that anyone would call that a battleground state.”

However, Obama was in Cushing, Okla., to push a campaign point — his new support for the southern portion of the Keystone XL pipeline.

“If you look at everyone in the news organizations and all their maps about what states are up for grabs and that kind of stuff, and say the president can’t go to those states, you’re basically saying he can’t go to half the country,” Carney said.

It was pointed out to the press secretary that no one is disputing whether or not Obama can travel to swing states — just whether they should be declared campaign trips.

“It is impossible for him to appropriately do his job and travel around the country and talk with the American people if he is guided by that kind of narrow view of what is a battleground state or a safe state for a Democrat or a safe state for a Republican,” Carney said. “He’s president of all the people, all of the United States, and will travel accordingly.”

Carney was pressed about the president using Air Force One to fly to locales that include one official visit and a campaign event thrown in, essentially sticking taxpayers with a campaign bill.

Carney said the DNC goes “absolutely by the book” in regards to paying for the president’s campaign travel.

“The suggestion that there is something wrong with the fact that the president says the same thing about what his vision is and what his policies are and what his beliefs are in front of official audiences, non-political audiences as he does in front of audiences who are his supporters I think is kind of ridiculous,” he said.

“The president is the president 24 hours a day and seven days a week, and he has to fly on Air Force One,” Carney added. “He has to have security and communication. There are elements of his job that are always with him, regardless of whether he’s in a campaign event or an official event. And costs are apportioned accordingly.”