Obama Congratulates Miami “Heats” At Florida Fundraiser [Video]

President Barack Obama, often touted as the basketball fan in chief, nevertheless referred to the NBA Champions as the Miami “Heats” during remarks at a election campaign fundraiser last night in that city.

CBS White House Correspondent Mark Knoller, who was covering the event, sent out this tweet:

Pres Obama congrats Miami “for having the world champion Miami Heats here in town.” He said “Heats.”

ABC News, calling it an “apparent slip of the tongue,” added this:

At the top of his remarks at the Jackie Gleason Theater in Miami Beach, Obama said his public recognition of dignitaries and special guests would be “incomplete if I did not congratulate the city of Miami for having the world champion Miami Heats here in town.”

Anyone in the public eye–especially a high-profile politician with an extensive speechmaking schedule–can get tongue tied occasionally or say weird things. It happens all the time.

But it is also fair to say that if some so-called out of touch Republican like former Gov. Mitt Romney made this gaffe, the mainstream media would be running wild with this story rather than downplaying it.

On Monday night, Obama struck out when he tried to joke about the BoSox-to-ChiSox Kevin Youkilis trade so maybe it would be best for the president to avoid sports references in his travels.

Watch the CBS 4 Miami report of the president’s appearance. The “Heats” part comes at about the 1:40 mark:

Barack Obama has now done more campaign fundraisers than any president in American history.