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President Obama, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan actually agree on something: The Packers were robbed.
In a rare show of bipartisan unity, the three politicians all expressed frustration after the blown call at the end of Monday Night Football’s Green Bay Packers-Seattle Seahawks game and pressed for an end to the lockout with unionized referees.
The president “thinks there was a real problem with that call,” White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday. It’s “very distressing for every American football fan.”
During the last play, replacement officials incorrectly awarded Seattle with a touchdown, giving the Seahawks a victory with a final score of 14-12.
Obama, a huge sports buff, reminded the NFL via Twitter that fans “on both sides of the aisle” remain hopeful for an immediate resolution to the conflict:
NFL fans on both sides of the aisle hope the refs’ lockout is settled soon. -bo
Scott Walker, naturally a Packers fan as the governor of Wisconsin, slammed the bad call and demanded the return of the league’s unionized officials. Walker, the guy who let’s remember made union-busting famous for ending collective bargaining rights his his state, tweeted:
Ryan, a congressman from the swing state of Wisconsin, also complained about the ruling on the campaign trail. He asked an audience in Ohio, “Did you guys watch that Packer game last night? I mean, ha. Give me a break. It is time to get the real refs.” He then compared this sports fail to Obama’s record on the economy. “And you know what, it reminds me of President Obama and the economy,” he contended. “If you can’t get it right, it is time to get out.”
The NFL admitted the flub. In an official statement, the NFL conceded the referees should have ruled a pass interference on Golden Tate instead. However, the victory still stands.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 25, 2012
