Jaw, meet floor.

Via TPM:

White House press secretary Jay Carney on Tuesday again referred questions about the collection of Associated Press phone records to the Department of Justice, stating that President Barack Obama remained a “strong defender of the First Amendment.”

“The president is a strong defender of the first amendment,” Carney told reporters at a White House press conference. “And a firm believer in the need for the press to be unfettered in its ability to conduct investigative reporting and facilitate a free flow of information. He also of course recognizes the need for the Justice Department to investigate alleged criminal activity without undue influence.”