@barackobama ripping off Newt Gingrich’s new book Breakout.

You know, doing that sort of thing isn’t actually a bad plan: Newt Gingrich is a pretty good idea man. But you think that the President could have attributed his sources:

President Obama lifted the theme of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s new book “Breakout” during a video interview with the Wall Street Journal.

In the session, he said that the nation is “poised for a breakout” because the U.S. economy has improved at a faster pace than other nations. It was one of the most tweeted lines from the interview.

Regnery Publishing released Gingrich’s uniquely titled book “Breakout” two weeks ago. It is unknown if the president has read it.

Or, you know, plugged the book. I’m in the middle of Breakout myself; it’s a good read so far.  It wouldn’t have hurt the President to generate a little free goodwill, there.  After all, in a little over three years Barack Obama’s going to want people to flog the book that he’s undoubtedly planning to write, once he gets out of office…Via Instapundit.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

PS: To address the last point: I don’t think that the President read Gingrich’s book. Then again, I don’t think that Barack Obama generated his own talking points for that video interview, either: he had them generated for him by a staffer* based on Obama’s general requirements, and THAT staffer is the one who made the error of ripping off Gingrich. Obama’s error was in not being sufficiently aware of his surroundings to know that the book was even out.  I swear, there are rocks who have more intellectual curiosity than the President…

PPS: Full disclosure: Regnery Publishing is a subsidiary of Eagle Publishing, which also owns RedState.

PPPS: Make no mistake, this is hardly the worst thing Barack Obama’s ever done. It’s still kind of petty of him. And small.

*Which is what they are there for.