Patterico's Pontifications

2/28/2013

White House Threatens Lanny Davis

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 7:59 am



Breitbart.com:

Lanny Davis, who served under President Bill Clinton as special counsel to the White House, told Washington, D.C.’s WMAL this morning that the Obama White House had threatened the Washington Times over his column, warning that the Times would suffer limited access to White House officials and might have its White House credentials revoked. Davis, a centrist Democrat, is sometimes critical of the Obama administration’s policies.

This comes on the heels of Gene Sperling telling Bob Woodward in a nice friendly fashion that he would “regret” taking on the Adminstration’s claims regarding sequestration.

Video at the link. I would embed it, but it starts automatically. (Breitbart editors, please. No auto-starting videos.)

UPDATE: More reporters who have been reminded in a friendly fashion that it is best not to buck the official line, detailed here.

168 Responses to “White House Threatens Lanny Davis”

  1. And we just assumed the press was willingly going along all the time. Maybe it hasn’t been so willingly.

    Spartacus moment, shall we?

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  2. Now that the election is over, a few reporters are starting to think its time to do their jobs.

    Or perhaps, some reporters are thinking now is the time to get in some retribution for previous White House abuse.

    It would be pretty comical were it not that Obama’s lies will nonetheless be repeated sans comment by the bulk of the MSM.

    SPQR (768505)

  3. I think it’s possible to overstate the degree to which propaganda sluts need to be threatened to carry water for the fascists

    happyfeet (e08251)

  4. Self interest is a powerful motivation, and probably more common in DC than more noble motivations.
    If the “typical” newsperson gets the idea that even people like Woodward and Davis are getting their livelihood threatened, will they all cower, or hang together instead of hanging seperately?

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  5. It turns out that Bob Woodward has a gag reflex, after all !

    Elephant Stone (76799c)

  6. It was very brave of him to note this only after Woodward revealed that.

    JD (b63a52)

  7. Davis’s problems surfaced in the past week. Gotta get your mind right, whitey.

    Shadenfreude pipples:

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9898519/Victory-for-Victor-Meldrew-as-pessimistic-people-live-longer.html

    I’m 100% in Rico’s corner on auto-start videos. If not totally interested in a story I will abort the page immediamente.

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  8. The notable difference between Tricky Dick and Deep Throat is Nixon knew stuff.

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  9. So now you people are attempting to conflate the actions of an out of control White House staffer to THE White House. Ridiculous.

    Note the White House response: “This will never happen again!”

    You folks are indeed desperate as you strive to make mountains out of molehills.

    Perry (329aa5)

  10. I wish the Obama Administration would threaten Iran with the same verve that they threaten journalists.

    Elephant Stone (76799c)

  11. Perry – your willingness to drop to your knees to support Teh One is noted.

    JD (b63a52)

  12. Urban Amerikkkans, this is your future:

    http://news.sky.com/story/1058102/south-africa-man-dragged-behind-police-van

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  13. By what right can the White House restrict or revoke media credentials? These are people whose work is paid for by the taxpayer and who are ostensibly working on behalf of all Americans, so what exactly allows them to pick-and-choose which media outlets get credentialed? I can understand that they can’t literally provide a credential to every news agency who might ask for one simply because of limited resources and size restrictions in the name of security, but shouldn’t the journalism community be demanding that the White House not have the ability to use access as a way to ensure friendly coverage? I guess they’ll wait until the next Republican administration before invoking this.

    JVW (4826a9)

  14. Again JVW: “This will not happen again!”

    Perry (329aa5)

  15. Greetings:

    You know, a guy with about 13 years of Catholic education could get the idea that access is as important to the party of the first part as control is to the party of the second part. Thankfully, the country is in the best of hands.

    Forward !!!

    11B40 (a7c712)

  16. The White House is not responsible for any of the actions of the individuals that work there, nor is their pattern of behavior a tacit endorsement of the actions. Just like how a lowly civil servant went about releasing a bunch of illegal immigrants to save a few bucks. Clearly staffers are allowed to make immigration decision with national implications without the approval and endorsement of the powers that be.

    JD (b63a52)

  17. Again JVW: “This will not happen again!”

    Your willingness to accept their statement as true is funny.

    JD (b63a52)

  18. Perry, you are a laughable moron. This behavior is consistent with Obama’s behavior.

    SPQR (768505)

  19. In my opinionn, Bob Woodward’s skill as real reporter of real news is as mythical as then Senator Obama’s bi-partisicanship. Woodward has made a careor out inventing sources to attack republican presidents. In other words, he has been a loyal liberal foot soldier.

    This president simply can not tolerate criticism. His wisdom, honesty ang agenda must never be quesationed. I hope the Obama administration savaging of liberal hack, Woodward, is a sign of panice.

    David Lentz (39c95f)

  20. Scroll down for your favorite scene from ‘Scanners’.

    http://americanglob.com/2013/02/27/defend-the-king-liberal-claws-come-out-to-rip-bob-woodward/

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  21. Your second link doesn’t go where I think you mean it to go, Patrick. Rather it seems to go to an article debunking the Woodward “threat”.

    That said — and ignoring the fact that this story comes from the often-wrong Breitbart site — the idea that the White House shows favoritism to journalists who support it, and dis-favoritism to journalists who don’t, is nothing new. When Bush did it — when any politician does that — I didn’t think there was anything wrong with that. It’s part of the political game (it also happens in the business community as well), and has been for decades.

    Kman (5576bf)

  22. Perry, except it is continuing..this admin has no idea about anything
    fast and furious…. no idea
    benghazi….. no idea
    ice letting criminals out… no idea
    there are more but certainly you can see the it will not happen again meme is old and a lie

    freedomcosts (7c3015)

  23. Another liberal reporters comes forward: National Journal’s Ron Fournier.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  24. Again JVW: “This will not happen again!”

    Coming from the same people who were going to close Guantanamo and cut the deficit in half in the first four years, right Perry? But you’ll believe anything that Dear Leader and his minions tell you, won’t you?

    JVW (4826a9)

  25. Kman,

    Apparently Ron Fournier thinks the Obama White House is worse than prior administrations:

    Personally, I had a great relationship with Clinton’s communications team, less so with President Bush’s press shop, and now — for the first time in my career — I told a public servant to essentially buzz off.

    This can’t be what Obama wants. He must not know how thin-skinned and close-minded his staff can be to criticism. “I have the greatest respect and admiration for what you do,” Obama told reporters a year ago. “I know sometimes you like to give me a hard time, and I certainly like to return the favor, but I never forget that our country depends on you.”

    What’s interesting is how he’s still willing to give Obama a pass. I guess all those years of thinking Bush was a dummy in the White House has rubbed off, and now they think Obama is the resident dummy.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  26. That said — and ignoring the fact that this story comes from the often-wrong Breitbart site

    Which of Lanny Davis’ own words do you not believe?

    JD (b63a52)

  27. That said — and ignoring the fact that this story comes from the often-wrong Breitbart site — the idea that the White House shows favoritism to journalists who support it, and dis-favoritism to journalists who don’t, is nothing new.

    Kman, you silly suck-up, it’s not about “showing favoritism,” it’s about actually revoking credentials so that reporters and news outlets considered hostile to the regime are unable to do their jobs. And all of this accomplished using resources paid for by the taxpayer.

    JVW (4826a9)

  28. I suspect Obama is even more thin-skinned than his staff. Think of every place you’ve worked. Not only is the staff a reflection of the people in charge, but they also tend to develop his or her habits. If everyone ones the boss is going to get mad about something, the staff learns to get mad first to try to head it off.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  29. Perry, you’ll never get promoted from the fryer to the grill if you allow yourself to wallow in such idiocy.

    But I’ll tell you what, next time you’re wearing your Burger King uniform, go into the dining area of the store you work at, and start insulting one of the customers.
    And then when that customer complains to the store manager, try explaining to the manager and the customer that you’re a Burger King employee—so you don’t actually represent Burger King !

    Elephant Stone (76799c)

  30. “If everyone knows” not “everyone ones.”

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  31. “— and ignoring the fact that this story comes from the often-wrong Breitbart site —”

    Pure troll comedy.

    SPQR (768505)

  32. Kman,

    Last week, you were defending the anti-Semitic homophobe Chuck Hagel.
    Now you’re defending threats against respectable journalists by politicians’ staffers who have something to hide.

    Next week, you’ll be telling us that Brett Kimberlin is a man of peace, who would never, ever threaten anyone.

    Elephant Stone (76799c)

  33. Another liberal reporters comes forward: National Journal’s Ron Fournier.

    I know the Drudgereport has a link to Lanny Davis’s comments about receiving similar “you’ll regret it…” feedback from the current White House, so I hope that website does the same thing for the link to Fournier’s comments.

    If liberals realized that left-leaning ideology apparently makes many of its adherents just the opposite of what they fancy about themselves — and what blessings they think their philosophy bestows upon a place (ie, make it so humane, generous, tolerant, caring, beautiful, successful) — I wonder if they’d be less surprised how rotten things become when the left is in charge and predominant?

    Speaking of which…

    Urban Amerikkkans, this is your future:
    http://news.sky.com/story/1058102/south-africa-man-dragged-behind-police-van

    South Africa is a society dominated by the left, by a mentality that is pervasive throughout, for example, urban America or nations like Argentina (which is demographically very different from Africa) or Greece. As such, it today epitomizes a stable, prosperous, humane, generous, tolerant, wonderful, beautiful, successful, wonderful, heartfelt, caring, generous, beautiful, generous, stable, prosperous, civilized, caring, heartfelt, wonderful society.

    Mark (5283c8)

  34. Next week, you’ll be telling us that Brett Kimberlin is a man of peace, who would never, ever threaten anyone.

    been there, done that.

    JD (b63a52)

  35. 9. Indeed, conflating the Spokesmodel with one who brainstorms, tests scenarios, and forms policy is fantastical, magical thinking.

    He probably does know where the remote was last, tho.

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  36. Kman,

    On the Woodward thread, you said it’s obvious comments like “you will regret” aren’t threats. Liberal National Journal reporter and former editor Ron Fournier says they are intimidating:

    I changed the rules of our relationship, first, because it was a waste of my time (and the official’s government-funded salary) to engage in abusive conversations. Second, I didn’t want to condone behavior that might intimidate less-experienced reporters, a reaction I personally witnessed in journalists covering the Obama administration.

    Intimidate: “: to make timid or fearful : frighten; especially : to compel or deter by or as if by threats.”

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  37. Ron Fournier link.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  38. But look at the bright side, Kman. Tucker Carlson agrees with you, so you’ve got that going for you.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  39. I suspect Obama is even more thin-skinned than his staff.

    I think that’s a given. But notice how Bob Woodward still assumes that Obama is the grown-up-in-charge and therefore can’t possibly be aware of, much less approve of, the cruddy, disreputable aspects of the people in his administration. Then again, when Barry was listening to Jeremiah Wright for almost 20 years, he most certainly was dozing off in the pews and was totally oblivious to “goddamn America!”

    Mark (5283c8)

  40. Glenn Reynolds nails it: “I have to say, though, that Fournier’s “this can’t be what Obama wants” take, like Woodward’s similar line, has a sort of if the Tsar only knew flavor to it.”

    SPQR (768505)

  41. “When Bush did it”

    Kman – Can you provide some specific examples of Bush doing it, please?

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  42. 34. We are making a turn, not yet spinning the wheel, but are braking and ready to move the foot to the accelerator.

    Once the sequester is in place, the shutdown begun, the growth in funding for new schemes, for re-greasing the skids, for making the weeks extortion payment plus interest will all be impossible.

    Then we’ll see the less useful idiots run afoul of their masters. Since everything is illegal, little excuse will be needed.

    One man, one vote is insufficient cause to keep you around, Leftie.

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  43. Perry – Can you provide a list of White House staffers whose statements we should disbelieve on sight and those, like the one making the “This will not happen again!” statement, to whom we are to give immediate credence? It’s tough to know the players without a scorecard.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  44. Kman speaks the truth while the rest speculate or outright lie, like Breitbart more often than not.

    Perry (329aa5)

  45. It’s Perry and Kman against the DC media. Popcorn, please.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  46. Perry, you make accusations you can’t back up. And probably know are false.

    So its pretty clear who the liars are.

    SPQR (768505)

  47. What did Lanny Davis lie about, Perry?

    What did Ron Fournier lie about, Perry?

    JD (b63a52)

  48. Exactly, JD, which is why Perry’s assurance that the White House says it won’t happen again is laughable stupidity writ large.

    SPQR (768505)

  49. Kman speaks the truth while the rest speculate or outright lie, like Breitbart more often than not.

    The Kman-Perry Axis of Truth is truly a sight to behold.

    JVW (4826a9)

  50. “This will not happen again!”

    Because STFU

    JD (b63a52)

  51. From the thread on Woodward:

    62.This entire event illustrates how hypersensitive are those on the Right, Woodward included. …
    Comment by Perry (329aa5) — 2/28/2013 @ 7:11 am

    I submit to the jury that anyone who lumps Woodward in with the “Right” is not to be taken seriously. I think all of the regulars already think this, but I simply want to demonstrate to casual viewers that if Perry’s opinions are not respected, he has earned it.

    Yes, Woodward may have been more used by “Deep Throat” as a personal vendetta than crusading in a search for truth years ago, but he has never been known as a defender of conservatives.

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  52. Indeed, MD, Perry shows a breathless ignorance.

    SPQR (768505)

  53. Kman speaks the truth while the rest speculate or outright lie

    I’m reminded of news about the hierarchy of the Catholic church, going back decades, most notably about the former archbishop of LA, Roger Mahoney. A person — of mostly left-leaning orientation, btw — who apparently rationalized away contemptible acts of child molestation occurring under his watch. And don’t believe for one second that leftists in Obama’s White House aren’t capable of a similarly grotesque degree of rationalizing, rationalizing, excuse-making, excuse-making, justifying, justifying.

    I know if Obama were a staunch conservative who I mostly agreed with, I’d still be cringing about what’s going on right now and quite irritated with him.

    What bothers me the most about people like you or Mahoney, etc, is you all live under the illusion that you’re such decent, kind-hearted, humane, generous, tolerant, enlightened human beings.

    Mark (5283c8)

  54. Hey, Perry, what’s Obama’s taint taste like?

    Rob Crawford (04f50f)

  55. Shorter Kman / Perry: “If they said that, you misunderstood.”

    Pious Agnostic (6ff605)

  56. David Plouffe, the longtime political adviser to Obama, taunted Woodward on Twitter shortly after this column was published. “Watching Woodward last 2 days is like imagining my idol Mike Schmidt facing live pitching again,” he tweeted. “Perfection gained once is rarely repeated.”

    Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/woodward-at-war-88212_Page2.html#ixzz2MDYIIkoq

    This will never happen again.

    JD (b63a52)

  57. There is so much unique about Obama. After the Clintons, I though no one in the White House could so brazenly lie. I was wrong. And I thought no one after Nixon would be so thin skinned. I was wrong.

    SPQR (768505)

  58. off topic but related:
    Apparently today the one has said that if/when the sequester happens, most people will not notice it until later on…
    in other words- our attempt to capitalize on this isn’t working as we planned (that ^$%^$R*T* Woodward), and people will saee the world didn’t end, so we need to get ahead of it
    “Political surfing” it’s called (just made that up myself)

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  59. Perry wrote:

    So now you people are attempting to conflate the actions of an out of control White House staffer to THE White House. Ridiculous.

    Note the White House response: “This will never happen again!”

    Really? “This will never happen again” has already happened more than once; it’s a bit of a strain to make this seem like something out-of-control. Had this occurred six years ago, you’d have been telling everybody how President Bush was completely responsible.

    This wasn’t some blue-dress-wearing intern; Gene Sperling is the economic adviser to President Obama, someone who is supposed to be a professional, and know better. Of course, if you were the economic advisor to President Obama, and had four years of failed advice on your résumé, I suppose I can see how you’d have some degree of frustration.

    The Dana who knows that if he did that, he'd get fired. (3e4784)

  60. This will never happen again. And again. And again. And again.

    JD (b63a52)

  61. I know one formerly prolific blogger who, partly as a result of his working in DC in the Beltway “business”, has stopped writing in fear of repercussions.

    Someone should sue Teh One for acting in a manner that chills free speech.

    IGotBupkis, Legally Defined Cyberbully in All 57 States and some Canadian provinces (98ae1f)

  62. Perry – your willingness to drop to your knees to support Teh One is noted.

    JD, he was already on his knees with his head up Teh One’s ass.

    How much extra work is it to give the guy a reacharound at the same time…?

    I mean, REALLY.

    IGotBupkis, Legally Defined Cyberbully in All 57 States and some Canadian provinces (98ae1f)

  63. At some point, I expect one or both of these to become the Obama Administration’s official response to RegretGate:

    1. This wasn’t leadership’s fault; or

    2. What difference will it make?

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  64. Good one, JD.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  65. Is this okay for you, Kmart? Now, tell us what you find objectionable about Lanny Davis’ words, since they are available to you via the media outlet that originally reported this.

    JD, you can’t confuse the issues with FACTS!

    The man has a Mjolnir-sized AXE to grind, and that wheel, well, he’s got that sucker spun up to 11!

    Get to it, K-man! Turn that axe to mere dust! Some of the people here are with ya!!

    😛

    IGotBupkis, Legally Defined Cyberbully in All 57 States and some Canadian provinces (98ae1f)

  66. It’s not just Tucker Carlson defending Sperling and criticizing Woodward for saying he Sperling’s words were intimidating. But I thought Woodward make it clear that he wasn’t intimidated by what Sperling said, and his response proved it. Wooodward’s point is that younger, less experienced reporters might be intimidated — and Fournier said he knew some who had been.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  67. Of course, if you were the economic advisor to President Obama, and had four years of failed advice on your résumé, I suppose I can see how you’d have some degree of frustration.

    A typical partisan version of reality from Dana, a supporter of American plutocrats, who should know better by now.

    Kudos to WH staffers having kept their cool 99.99% of the time, considering the irresponsible and dysfunctional opposition with whom they’ve had to deal from day one of Obama, quite evident on this blog as well. ‘Tis all solutionless cynicism and negativity, which is why the Republican brand is held in such low esteem by the majority of our fellow Americans.

    Check it out.

    Perry (329aa5)

  68. Whether Sperling “meant” to be intimidating or not, what did Woodward say or write that was worthy of making them upset in the first place? The demonstrable truth for a change?

    These folks spin things fast.

    Meanwhile, I heard a clip of David Gergen on CNN say that Obama’s first responsibility was the safety of the country, and he was (at least sharing) responsibility for any sequester cuts that put US citizens at risk (such as releasing hundreds of people in ICE detention and not deploying air craft carriers)

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  69. Perry,
    Thank you for making it clear why the WH is so furious with Woodward. If the press actually tells the truth then more people would realize that obama has been president for more than 4 years, 2 holding both houses of Congress, and he is responsible for the state of the nation.

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  70. Even if Woodward thought it was meant to be intimidating to him, he would never admit to being intimidated- both to bolster his own image as well as the DC pseudo-politness, my dear colleague

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  71. A typical partisan version of reality from Dana, a supporter of American plutocrats, who should know better by now.

    LOL. You just put Jack Lew in as Sec Treas.

    JD (4f721c)

  72. Kudos to WH staffers having kept their cool 99.99% of the time, considering the irresponsible and dysfunctional opposition with whom they’ve had to deal from day one

    The MFM has been in the bag the whole time. Pay attention.

    JD (4f721c)

  73. “‘Tis all solutionless cynicism and negativity”

    Ear Leader’s perpetual campaign 3.0.

    He’s been responsible for one thing, and even that is only a second-hand admission:

    Calling the kill shot on an old, washed up porno fiend.

    From the 10th Tee. “Come on guys, can’t you see we’re murderin’ golfs here?”

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  74. Deep Throat is a total invention, a con-artiste, a peacock, a Jesse-hire.

    He has his lines handed to him. He’s the bag man.

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  75. Kman,

    How have the media been unfair to you in the past ?

    Elephant Stone (d28edc)

  76. ‘Tis all solutionless cynicism and negativity, which is why the Republican brand is held in such low esteem by the majority of our fellow Americans.

    Considering Argentinians’ response to their wonderful president (an ideological soul mate of Obama—although a wee bit more of an ultra-liberal) by returning her to office (and who has made reporting on the actual rate of inflation in Argentina illegal and punishable by a high fine), and the French people’s response to their wonderful Socialist president (although admittedly his current favorability rating is in the 30s), there’s plenty of “limousine liberalism” (or cognitive dissonance) out there.

    firstread.nbcnews.com: Despite those findings, a majority still supports Congress moving ahead with either the current cuts or a plan containing even more cuts as a way to reduce the deficit, suggesting the public’s general appetite for reducing spending.

    [A] combined 53 percent prefer that Congress move ahead with the current sequester cuts or a plan that contains even more cuts. Thirty-seven percent want a plan with fewer cuts.

    Mark (5283c8)

  77. Surpassing link, daley. And I oughta know, getting the link in there fully-formed is tough, let alone content selection.

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  78. Thanks gary.

    I think Barky needs to do another probing interview with Steve Kroft to set the record straight.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  79. 9. Comment by Perry (329aa5) — 2/28/2013 @ 8:36 am

    So now you people are attempting to conflate the actions of an out of control White House staffer to THE White House. Ridiculous.

    Ridiculous? It’s not even plausible that some people are out of control unless there are one or more resignations very soon.

    That doesn’t mean that Obama personally is devising this strategy.

    Note the White House response: “This will never happen again!”

    That would only mean that somebody decided this was a blunder, not that somebody went off on his own.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  80. No taint review, Perry?

    Embarrassed by it not being as fruity as you expected?

    Rob Crawford (04f50f)

  81. 84. Concur. The sooner the Dhimmi’s cut the WH off at the knees, the sooner there will be life after Ogabe.

    Well, life in a manner of speaking.

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  82. Perry wrote:

    Of course, if you were the economic advisor to President Obama, and had four years of failed advice on your résumé, I suppose I can see how you’d have some degree of frustration.

    A typical partisan version of reality from Dana, a supporter of American plutocrats, who should know better by now.

    Well, let’s see, the Administration has just revised the GDP figures for the fourth quarter, revised them upward to a whopping 0.1% annualized growth rate. I find it difficult to see how such constitutes a sterling economic policy for this Administration. But, perhaps your definition of economic success is somewhat different from mine.

    The economist Dana (3e4784)

  83. The press let itself get intimidated into not following up on the Weiner sockpuppets.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  84. JD wrote:

    A typical partisan version of reality from Dana, a supporter of American plutocrats, who should know better by now.

    LOL. You just put Jack Lew in as Sec Treas.

    We do have a photo of President Obama’s top economic advisers attending a formal dinner at the White House. From left to right: Gene Sperling, Alan Krueger and Jacob Lew.

    The Dana who isn't the photographer Dana (3e4784)

  85. 13. It would be very noticeable if press credentials were actually revoked, and the rest of the press might even walk out in sympathy – certainly write about it, so that’s one of the things that can’t be done. And hasn’t been domne.

    Except where people are very used to it already, like in China, but there’s a transition period that may last years.

    And then,, if crednetials are revoked, the publications can decide either to give in or to wrote without access, or to stop writing.

    Nobody’s going to stop writing about the president of the United States. You can’t stop coverage that way.

    The most that has happened is that Obama and company have declined to appear on Fox News Sunday interview programs. It’s doesn’t cause anybody to pull their punches.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  86. Perry, you are really that ignorant of the reality of President Goldman Sachs and his cabinet?

    SPQR (bdf6c1)

  87. In Perry’s claustrophobic low-income universe, it is good economic news when millions of more Americans are on food stamps than ever before.

    Elephant Stone (d28edc)

  88. “That doesn’t mean that Obama personally is devising this strategy.”

    Course not. Nobody fights dirty in Chicago and the campaigns of President Middle Finger Scratching Nose raised no ethical questions along his meteoric and undeserved rise to the top.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  89. 78. Comment by gary gulrud (dd7d4e) — 2/28/2013 @ 10:55 am

    Deep Throat is a total invention, a con-artiste, a peacock, a Jesse-hire.

    I used to think that “Deep Throat” was David Gergen – not necessarily the actual source- the actual source I thought was most likely John Dean for most of it – but the person Woodward told Bernstein and others was the source. That was because Friend of Bill Taylor Branch wrote in his column in Esquire in 1976 that John Dean hinted Deep Throat was David Gergen – and then later in 1982, wrote a whole book about his search for Deep Throat called “Lost Honor” in which he more or less settled on Alexander Haig as Deep Throat and lied about the Esquire column. So I thought maybe it was at risk of coming out in 1976 and John Dean and the other conspirators wanted to get ahead of the story.

    (This 1976 column is not available online I believe, and was also not indexed in the Reader’s Guide to Periodiocal Literature, except one general listing for all columns)

    I was made aware of the Esquire column by Ron Rosenbaum’s book “Travels with Dr.Death” and at that time you could look up the actual Esquire magazine in the Kings Highway branch of the Brooklyn Public Library before they wantonly threw out 30 years worth and more of bound periodiocals.

    If Deep Throat was Mark Felt, Woodward, it looks to me, lied in All the President’s Men because it says in a footnote that no disgruntled FBI agent had ever come to him or Bernstein, and that would seem to be a lie, unless you want to say that it is not a lie because Woodward went to Mark Felt and not the other way around, which is the way Woodward tells it.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  90. “That doesn’t mean that Obama personally is devising this strategy.”

    93. Comment by daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 2/28/2013 @ 11:48 am

    Course not. Nobody fights dirty in Chicago and the campaigns of President Middle Finger Scratching Nose raised no ethical questions along his meteoric and undeserved rise to the top.

    I mean, I wouldn’;t assume he wa sthe brains behind it or evenb consulted in detail in advance,

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  91. President Obama’s budget will probably be released in March, White House press secretary Jay Carney said Thursday, but has been delayed in part by “manufactured crises” including sequestration.

    “The series of manufactured crises around budget issues, certainly has resulted at least in part in those experts in the administration who work on those issues having to spend a lot of time dealing with those crises rather than on that,” Carney said during his daily briefing. “But that’s part of the job and they’re working on the budget.”

    31 USC § 1105 – Budget contents and submission to Congress
    (a) On or after the first Monday in January but not later than the first Monday in February of each year, the President shall submit a budget of the United States Government for the following fiscal year. Each budget shall include a budget message and summary and supporting information.

    If they weren’t so busy sending threatening e-mails to reporters, perhaps we could get a budget.

    Neo (d1c681)

  92. You will regret this!!!
    America in mourning
    We have lost so much

    Colonel Haiku (1d82dc)

  93. I thought it was Linda Lovelace.

    Elephant Stone (d28edc)

  94. That doesn’t mean that Obama personally is devising this strategy.

    Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?

    Henricus, Dei Gratia, Rex Anglorum (3e4784)

  95. Once sequestration sets in, I bet we’ll never see any more of those $1,000 per hour golf lessons in Florida that some federal government employees have been enjoying !

    Elephant Stone (d28edc)

  96. Comment by Elephant Stone (d28edc) — 2/28/2013 @ 12:19 pm

    Let them play polo!!!

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  97. “That doesn’t mean that Obama personally is devising this strategy.”

    What I mean is, he’s not the expert on this, just the beneficiary. He benefited all his political life from political tactics that other people devised.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  98. 60.Comment by JD (b63a52) — 2/28/2013 @ 9:54 am

    David Plouffe, the longtime political adviser to Obama, taunted Woodward on Twitter shortly after this column was published.

    Somebody connected with him is more like it.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  99. Kman, you silly suck-up, it’s not about “showing favoritism,” it’s about actually revoking credentials so that reporters and news outlets considered hostile to the regime are unable to do their jobs.

    Whose credentials got “actually revoked”?

    Kman (5576bf)

  100. David Plouffe, the longtime political adviser to Obama, taunted Woodward on Twitter shortly after this column was published.

    Somebody connected with him is more like it.

    Are you suggesting that was not Plouffe?

    JD (4f721c)

  101. So Kmart is alright with threatening to revoke credentials for reporting facts.

    JD (4f721c)

  102. “Whose credentials got “actually revoked”?”

    Kman – How are those specific examples of Bush doing it coming along?

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  103. Some say, there’s just nothing here;
    Obama, he’s just such a dear!
    Threats are not O’s vogue
    Sperling’s a rogue,
    It’s the Repbus that we have to fear!

    The Limerick Avenger (3e4784)

  104. Errrrm, Repubs, not Repbus.

    The Dyslexic Avenger (3e4784)

  105. So Kmart is alright with threatening to revoke credentials for reporting facts.

    No, the commenter above said this was about the “ACTUAL revocation” of credentials. I haven’t hear anything about actual revocations or even threatened ones.

    Kman (5576bf)

  106. Kman – How are those specific examples of Bush doing it coming along?

    What would satisfy you, Daley? All the exclusive interviews that the Bush administration did with Fox instead of the other networks? Are you saying this didn’t happen?

    Kman (5576bf)

  107. I guess this explains 60 Minutes interviews, errr johnson swallowing, cream pie.

    Rodney King's Spirit (951136)

  108. It’s amusing, in the light of the ‘attack on Joe Wilson’ which consisted of trying to explain why
    that superannuated apparatchik, had been given such a how profile job,

    narciso (3fec35)

  109. Oops!
    Lanny, that shoe’s a little uncomfortable now that it’s on the other foot, isn’t it?

    askeptic (b8ab92)

  110. Kman:

    No, the commenter above said this was about the “ACTUAL revocation” of credentials. I haven’t hear anything about actual revocations or even threatened ones.

    Then you aren’t reading my comments and links because, in this comment, I provided two links that showed the Obama White House actually freezing out a San Francisco reporter from Obama events, and threatening to ban Fox News completely.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  111. Kmart should occasionally visit Insty, where he could find numerous links to verifiable proof of the thuggishness of this administration.

    Gangster Government – it grows while the media sleeps!

    askeptic (b8ab92)

  112. Furthermore, Kman:

    Lanny Davis, who served under President Bill Clinton as special counsel to the White House, told Washington, D.C.’s WMAL this morning that the Obama White House had threatened the Washington Times over his column, warning that the Times would suffer limited access to White House officials and might have its White House credentials revoked.

    That’s a report of a specific threat to revoke media credentials, so how can you say you haven’t heard anything about threatened revocations?

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  113. It’s in the first paragraph of the post, if you missed it.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  114. Kman,

    Sheryl Attkinson was the recipient of some vicious blowback for her stellar and relentless reporting on Fast and Furious. Does there have to be an explicit threat for there to be an implicit warning shot across the bow?

    Ace had the link,

    1:31 – In between the yelling that I received from Justice Department yesterday, the spokeswoman–who would not put anything in writing, I was asking for her explanation so there would be clarity and no confusion later over what had been said, she wouldn’t put anything in writing–so we talked on the phone and she said things such as the question Holder answered was different than the one he asked. But he phrased it, he said very explicitly, ‘I probably heard about Fast and Furious for the first time over the last few weeks.’

    6:05 – Laura: So they were literally screaming at you?
    Attkisson: Yes. Well the DOJ woman was just yelling at me. The guy from the White House on Friday night literally screamed at me and cussed at me.

    [Laura: Who was the person? Who was the person at Justice screaming?] Eric Schultz. Oh, the person screaming was [DOJ spokeswoman] Tracy Schmaler, she was yelling not screaming. And the person who screamed at me was Eric Schultz at the White House.”

    7:33 – Laura: Do we know the exact number [of guns] that went over to Mexico?
    Attkisson: We know more than 2,000 in Fast and Furious and I will soon be reporting on the fact that that is not the only case. 2,000 for that operation according to the agents involved.

    8:28 – …Is it sort of a drip, drip. And I’m certainly not the one to make the case for DOJ and White House about what I’m doing wrong. They will tell you that I’m the only reporter–as they told me–that is not reasonable. They say the Washington Post is reasonable, the LA Times is reasonable, the New York Times is reasonable, I’m the only one who thinks this is a story, and they think I’m unfair and biased by pursuing it.

    Dana (292dcf)

  115. That’s what I was referring to, earlier.

    narciso (3fec35)

  116. Also, Kman, from David Limbaugh,

    The White House blog also began regularly denouncing the administration’s critics, but the most outrageous development was the reaction to all this by the White House press secretary at the time, Robert Gibbs, who said: “The only way to get somebody to stop crowding the plate is to throw a fastball at them. They move.”

    In “The Great Destroyer,” I report that when the Pleasanton Weekly, a small newspaper in California, ran a story that reflected poorly on first lady Michelle Obama (she allegedly acted dismissively toward a Marine One pilot), a White House official asked the paper’s president to cut the reference from the article. The first lady’s press secretary denied contact with the paper, but the paper stuck by its story and removed the offending sentence “because it was not worth making a fuss over.”

    The White House also reportedly banished the Boston Herald from an Obama event in Boston as punishment for printing a front-page op-ed by GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

    When White House press secretary Jay Carney personally called MSNBC to object to certain comments political analyst Mark Halperin had made about Obama, MSNBC immediately suspended Halperin indefinitely, according to The Daily Caller.

    The White House blacklisted San Francisco Chronicle reporter Carla Marinucci for posting to the Internet a cellphone video of protesters at an Obama fundraiser in the Bay Area. Characteristically, the White House denied it had threatened the banishment, but the Chronicle’s editor, Ward Bushee, stood by the story. Phil Bronstein, another Chronicle reporter, corroborated Bushee’s story. Also, numerous other journalists confirmed that the White House had issued implied threats of additional punishment if the story of its banishment of Marinucci became public.

    And so it goes.

    Dana (292dcf)

  117. “What would satisfy you, Daley?”

    Kman – It was your claim. It seems like it was a kneejerk asspull on your part or you must have had something in mind.

    Who did Bush punish or threaten?

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  118. I haven’t hear anything about actual revocations or even threatened ones.

    Then you are being willfully ignorant.

    JD (4f721c)

  119. “The White House blog also began regularly denouncing the administration’s critics, but the most outrageous development was the reaction to all this by the White House press secretary at the time, Robert Gibbs, who said: “The only way to get somebody to stop crowding the plate is to throw a fastball at them. They move.””

    Dana – And who can forget the legendary “Attack Watch?”

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  120. All the exclusive interviews that the Bush administration did with Fox instead of the other networks? Are you saying this didn’t happen?

    Giving an interview to Fox counts as a revocation or freezing out? Really?!

    Then you would agree that this Admin has done the same to Fox, and several of their competitors, since they have chose to give exclusive interviews to soft-hitting JournoListers like Teh View and 60 Minutes and local stations?

    Kmart must be a circus contortionist in his spare time.

    JD (4f721c)

  121. JD,

    Kmart certainly strikes me as someone in the travelling circus—but I was thinking more along the lines of a clown.
    Although the notion of him fulfilling the role of “the bearded lady” is a possibility.

    And I don’t think he does the highwire act, because despite having his head in the clouds, doing the highwire would require more courage than K-Clown could muster.

    Elephant Stone (3f0164)

  122. Kman obviously didn’t read what he was responding to, which is a very common problem he’s shown over the years.

    It’s like he’s trolling us or something…

    Dustin (73fead)

  123. Via Instapundit, Mike Riggs at Reason lists some examples of how the Obama Administration treats the media, especially local media, and suggests most incidents are related to the Administration’s obsession with its image. That’s probably true. Riggs ends with this:

    Those are just a handful of media anecdotes (inside-the-Beltway reporters have many, many more stories about the Obama administration flipping its lid over reporters not following their instructions). But the Obama machine’s obsession with image management isn’t limited to haranguing and punishing journalists–just ask Desiree Rogers, Carlos Pascual, Hillary Clinton, or Stanley McChrystal.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  124. Regarding Kman’s contributions: His comments usually spur us to look deeper into the issues, if only to test his thesis and/or prove him wrong. In most cases, the comments end up expanding everyone’s understanding of the issues and yielding even more examples that support the original post. This thread is a good example.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  125. Always look on the bright side, DRJ.

    Dustin (73fead)

  126. No matter which side of that aisle one is on, it should alarm all of us when any administration wields such a heavy hand of power, especially against the press and more specifically, against its critics. I would be just as alarmed if I saw this happening with a conservative or republican president as I am with the Obama administration. Without a free press, we begin to resemble a totalitarian state. Should we not all be fighting against this from happening at any level??? And from any part of the political spectrum??? Your guy or my guy are not always going to be in office, thus it behooves and benefits all of us to fight to maintain a free and neutral a Press as we can.

    Would you agree, Kman?

    Dana (292dcf)

  127. Comment by JD (4f721c) — 2/28/2013 @ 12:45 pm

    Are you suggesting that was not Plouffe?

    Plouffe was on Twitter, but he wasn’t the one who threatened Woodward, that’s whst I mean, or even told somebody what to say since he doesn’t work at the White House any more.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  128. But Obama is a good man just trying to do what he thinks is best for this country eh Patterico?

    Mr Pink (61efd1)

  129. Mr. Pink–does that single line give you an erection or something? You’ve made that dig at our host in the exact same words enough times now that it really has become quite boring and seems like silly juvenile taunting to no real benefit or point to anyone. Got anything new to contribute?

    elissa (371234)

  130. Mr. Pink–does that single line give you an erection or something? You’ve made that dig at our host in the exact same words enough times now that it really has become quite boring and seems like silly juvenile taunting to no real benefit or point to anyone. Got anything new to contribute?

    Comment by elissa (371234) — 2/28/2013 @ 2:57

    No, I don’t have anything new to contribute. But every time I see something like this I’m reminded of all the people on our side that said Obama was just a regular democrat politician and to give him a chance when this shit was obvious from day one. This shit was crystal before 2008, and definitely before he started threatening reporters.
    Whatever carry on

    Mr Pink (61efd1)

  131. obama can sequester meghan’s coward daddy’s penis in his butt i think

    stop being juvenile mr. pink

    happyfeet (4bf7c2)

  132. 98. The late Linda Lovelace and the current occupant of the WH have a certain thing in common, something they were good at, and its not swallowing.

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  133. The times that Bush’s press secretary made even the slightest hint of pressuring reporters over coverage it made big news. Remember the line about “being careful about what you report”? Headline news over nothing.

    SPQR (768505)

  134. I think this is why Dana Perino’s reaction to this is quite telling, and hard for the MFM to ignore.

    askeptic (b8ab92)

  135. Damn, I miss Tony.

    askeptic (b8ab92)

  136. why is it hard for the MFM to ignore Dana Perino’s reaction to this?

    i do not understand

    happyfeet (4bf7c2)

  137. elissa – Mr. Pink has never had anything substantive to contribute.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  138. Mr. Pink makes the good commentings from time to time

    he’s been around forever and we’d all miss him if he went away

    I’m so over this day already and it’s only 4

    happyfeet (4bf7c2)

  139. feets, it is more difficult to portray someone as a Right-Wing ideologue who is not identified as such by the General Public, or even by other significant members of the media.
    Dana was the Press Secretary for GWB following Tony Snow’s death, and was well liked and respected by the Press Corp (or, at least that is my impression – YMMV!).

    askeptic (b8ab92)

  140. 145- more….
    Carney’s performance in office, OTOH, has just confirmed the impression many in the audience had about someone without many principles, and just another go-along/get-along REMF.

    askeptic (b8ab92)

  141. You should read Linda Lovelace’s book, Ordeal.

    felipe (3243af)

  142. What was Dana Perino’s reaction to this story?

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  143. What was Dana Perino’s reaction to this story?

    I cannot find it either.

    JD (b63a52)

  144. oh ok got it

    i just figured her employment at Fox was sort of a deal-breaker as far as getting the rest of the media to respect her opinion goes

    happyfeet (4bf7c2)

  145. Usual suspects
    Media fluffers/buffers
    Assume position

    Colonel Haiku (7af966)

  146. Comment by Sammy Finkelman (d22d64) — 2/28/2013 @ 4:32 pm

    So they say he resigned/retired or something.

    I want to know where he really is 1 month from now,
    plus, I’ve heard there is info that the order did come from above, waiting to see more.

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  147. “Mr. Pink makes the good commentings from time to time”

    Mr. Feets – You are thinking of a different blog.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  148. Dana Perino tweeted today,

    If a senior admin official had sent that email to Bob Woodward when I was press sec, that someone would have to meet me out on west exec. yesterday · reply · retweet · favorite

    and

    Somewhere in Moscow tonight, Vladimir Putin saw that Bob Woodward was sent a threatening message from the White House…and he smiled.

    Dana (292dcf)

  149. I don’t see anything specifically mentioning Lanny Davis.

    Dana (292dcf)

  150. I might could be getting this one confuzzled with McCain Blogette

    happyfeet (4bf7c2)

  151. Regarding Kman’s contributions: His comments usually spur us to look deeper into the issues, if only to test his thesis and/or prove him wrong.

    I find people like him interesting because I wonder (1) how old they are and (2) what they’re like personally — in private — to those around them. I tend to think of really leftwing people as being noticeably flaky, dishonest, unpleasant, sloppy and, most importantly of all, oddly non-compassionate or inhumane.

    But the age of a liberal is crucial and telling too. I can’t help but imagine the voice of someone like kman emanating from a teenager or relatively young person. In that case, I roll my eyes but consider it par for the course. But when I envision a dippy liberal attitude coming from someone much older — from someone like Obama — then the feeling is one of astonishment, like dealing with an adult who never learned how to drive a car, balance a checkbook, or — if he’s truly idiotically liberal — tie his shoelaces. IOW, a peculiar type of immaturity in general.

    Mark (5283c8)

  152. “But when I envision a dippy liberal attitude coming from someone much older — from someone like Obama — then the feeling is one of astonishment, like dealing with an adult who never learned how to drive a car, balance a checkbook, or — if he’s truly idiotically liberal — tie his shoelaces. IOW, a peculiar type of immaturity in general.”

    The sort that will disappear when the check appears at a restaurant… generous with other people’s money… fond of dictating how other people should live… I know their kind, Mark. Peter Pan Syndrome all the way.

    Colonel Haiku (3f607d)

  153. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9898519/Victory-for-Victor-Meldrew-as-pessimistic-people-live-longer.html

    Victor Meldrew was great. He nearly always had my sympathy. But the American knock-off with Bill Cosby was just awful.

    I’m 100% in Rico’s corner on auto-start videos. If not totally interested in a story I will abort the page immediamente.

    Me too. I think it’s rude, and someone that rude is unlikely to have anything of interest to say to me.

    Milhouse (15b6fd)

  154. By what right can the White House restrict or revoke media credentials?

    Um, by what right?! They don’t have to give anyone these credentials. They (all administrations) do so only because it serves their political interest. So they have every right to restrict, revoke, or deny them to whomever they like. Please don’t turn this into some sort of civil liberties issue. Journalists already have an inflated view of their legal status, and the special privileges that they imagine the constitution gives them.

    Milhouse (15b6fd)

  155. The current leadership at Breitbart seem intent on staining the brand in small petty ways.

    SPQR (768505)

  156. What are you referencing, SPQR? I do not necessarily disagree, just wondered if there is something specific you are referencing.

    JD (b63a52)

  157. Mr. Pink–does that single line give you an erection or something? You’ve made that dig at our host in the exact same words enough times now that it really has become quite boring and seems like silly juvenile taunting to no real benefit or point to anyone. Got anything new to contribute?

    Don’t like seeing Frey called on his idiocy? Sure would be nice if he admitted Obama is NOT a “good man” and does NOT want to do good for the country.

    Rob Crawford (04f50f)

  158. Remember the line about “being careful about what you report”? Headline news over nothing.

    ISTR that wasn’t even the quote. It was more like “careful about what you SAY” and was in reference to an idiot Republican making a “raghead” comment as much as anything else. But it got turned into threatening the press, somehow.

    Rob Crawford (04f50f)

  159. Now in this case, somebody did resign

    No, he just took the retirement he’d announced earlier.

    Rob Crawford (04f50f)


Powered by WordPress.

Page loaded in: 0.1859 secs.