Off the record Obama tweet calling Kanye West a “jackass” gets yanked.

In an off the record interview with CNBC, an ABC reporter, Terry Moran tweeted:”Pres. Obama just called Kanye West a “jackass” for his outburst at VMAs when Taylor Swift won. Now THAT’S presidential.” The tweet was quickly deleted. However, Twitter caches all tweets and doesn’t delete deleted tweets from said cache immediately. Now, many will look at the issue on the surface — that is, that a tweet supposedly quoting the President of the United States was yanked probably due to decency concerns or whatnot. However, it goes much deeper. The interview that this tweet was supposedly stemming from was an “off the record…behind closed doors” type of ordeal. The tweet made public a very private event. This isn’t the first time tweeting individuals have found themselves in hot water or situations because of potentially sensitive information becoming public. Of course, Kanye West is a jackass and completely talentless, though that’s besides the point. The real point is the fact that whether by force from ABC, CNBC, or some government branch, the tweet was taken down.

Why? Was any harm done? A talentless “musician” was called out for a complete lack of judgement a night earlier. Hardly an affront to national security if you ask me. Still, another instance of apparent censoring shows its face. From NFL players and referees to various other areas of professional careers, Twitter is quickly becoming a problem. And now, Presidential reporters could be the latest to come under fire for using the popular micro-blogging service. ABC has since apologized though it puzzles me as to why or what. Ok, an apology for tweeting a quote taken from an off the record, behind closed doors interview is grounds for an apology and against many rules set in place. But for any other reason I fail to see the need. In fact, having a person as important as the President of the United States calling you a “jackass” certainly carries some weight.

The crackdown on tweeting and spreading “inside” information is setting a very unsettling view of what the future holds. Again, while more serious consequences can come forth from such tweets, something as trivial as Obama calling a “musician” a jackass is hardly significant. Is censorship gaining a silent traction or is it just another instance of an extreme case getting blown out of proportion?

**Update**
Audio now up:
Obama’s Kanye West Jackass remark
Source: Mashable