Well, there you have it. Optics, Schmoptics! White Press Press Secretary Josh Earnest declared on Monday that the “optics” of Obama refusing to visit the U.S.-Mexico border while he fundraises in Texas are of no concern to the administration. It’s absolutely shocking that anyone would ever accuse them, then, of being tone-deaf, right?

For a president who’s been so consumed over the past 6 years by what others think of him that he might as well be named “Barack Oboptics” — or “Baroptics”…or whatever — it’s rather interesting to hear that he suddenly doesn’t care about the message that he’s sending by ignoring something that his surrogates continue to assert is a huge “humanitarian crisis” right here in America. He’d much rather come up with new executive orders designed to skirt U.S. law than to actually have to go visit the border and see what’s happening down there on his watch. Plus, if anything goes further awry, he can always continue to simply blame Republicans for it.

The question of optics comes on the heels of USA Today reporter Susan Page calling the prioritization of fundraising over a border visit Obama’s “Katrina Moment”:

Does this mean we’ll be hearing Barack award a “Heckuva job, Jeh Johnny” next?