In the spirit of this weekend's Academy Awards, today Robert Gibbs tossed his hat in the ring for Best Choreographed Response To A Cable News Personality.

At his afternoon briefing, the White House press secretary was asked about the viral "rant" by CNBC's Rick Santelli on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, criticizing the president's home foreclosure plan and calling for another "tea party." Gibbs was clearly prepared for the question, and responded with heavy sarcasm - at one point charging that Santelli didn't know what he was talking about.

"Every day when I come out here, I spend a little time reading, studying on the issues, asking people who are smarter than I am questions about those issues. I would encourage him to read the president's plan," Gibbs said. "I'd be more than happy to have him come here and read it. I'd be happy to buy him a cup of coffee - decaf."

After then moving on to another question, Gibbs seemed to soon realize he left out an important part of his planned response -- the prop. He interrupted the questioner, and held up for the cameras a printed copy of Obama's foreclosure plan.

"This is a copy of the president's home affordability plan. It's available on the White House web site, and I would encourage him: download it, hit print, and begin to read it," Gibbs said sternly.

It didn't stop there, either. He would pick up the line of attack several more times in the briefing.

"[I] think it's tremendously important that, for people who rant on cable television, to be responsible and understand what it is they're talking about," he said in response to a question from NBC's Chuck Todd. "I feel assured that Mr. Santelli doesn't know what he's talking about."

Today wasn't the first time that Gibbs has criticized the tone of cable chatter at odds with the president's views. But today was perhaps the most aggressive he's been in responding to specific criticism.

"An open debate is something that's obviously important," he said, repeating the quote that people are entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts. "I don't think anybody could sit in front of the TV and listen for an hour and not hear somebody that's making a case that ... they know just isn't true."

Gibbs did also include a subtle dig at lawmakers who voted against the stimulus bill, but have since publicly praised individual projects that the plan will fund, calling it "amusing" to see their press releases "and Twitter comments." "I think that the American people readily understand when this town gets dominated by games-playing rather than problem-solving," he said.