"I was clearly troubled," Mitchell said on "The Chris Matthews Show" this weekend. "Just using that phrase 'lazy' and attaching it to this president, to any president, but to this president had all sorts of resonance and unpleasant echos and I just want to give him the chance because he is the campaign co-chair. He's not just your average surrogate, this is John Sununu. And then, later that same day, he went on FOX and he was asked, 'You don't think there will be a better prepared on stage next week?' and he said, 'When you're not that bright, you can't get better prepared.'"