President Obama at a campaign event at Iowa State University last week (David Greedy/Getty Images)
Consider him un-unforgiven? President Barack Obama shrugged off Clinton Eastwood's memorable Republican National Convention performance in part of a USA Today interview published Sunday, declaring: "I am a huge Clint Eastwood fan."
"He is a great actor, and an even better director," the president told the paper aboard Air Force One on Saturday. "I think the last few movies that he's made have been terrific."
Eastwood's 12-minute improvised riff at the convention in Tampa centered on a exchange in which he pretended to have a conversation with an invisible Obama, represented by an empty chair. Obama's campaign Twitter account hit back with a photo of Obama in a chair with a presidential plate. "This seat's taken," it said.
So was the president offended?
"One thing about being president or running for president — if you're easily offended, you should probably choose another profession," the president said.
Will the Democrats try to respond in kind at their convention in Charlotte, N.C.?
"I think we'll be playing this pretty straight," he said.
How does the Romney campaign feel about Eastwood's performance? They left it out of a two-and-a-half-minute mash-up video of the convention's greatest hits.