President Barack Obama says the ribbing Clint Eastwood gave him at the Republican National Convention last week doesn't mean he won't watch his movies.
"I am a huge Clint Eastwood fan," the president said in an interview excerpt released today.
"He is a great actor, and an even better director," he continued. "I think the last few movies that he's made have been terrific."
USA Today asked the president about Eastwood's participation at the GOP convention while Obama was traveling to Iowa on Saturday. The interview will be fully released on the publication's website Monday and in print Tuesday.
Eastwood was a much-hyped mystery speaker at the three-day long event, rousing the crowd in a 12-minute oratory that included a satirical "interview" with Obama, in the form of an empty chair. The president said he didn't hold a grudge against the blunt performance, which some considered borderline vulgar.
"One thing about being president or running for president - if you're easily offended, you should probably choose another profession," the president said.
Obama said not to expect any similar acts at the upcoming Democratic convention this week in North Carolina.
Most of the president's surrogates on this morning's political talk shows largely reflected his stance, with few directly criticizing the Hollywood legend. On ABC's "This Week," senior adviser David Plouffe said, "We're all Clint Eastwood fans here in the Obama campaign."
Senior Republicans are quietly perplexed with the performance. And in a video montage of the convention released today Eastwood is noticeably left out of the clipreel.