Forget Fox: White House vs Treasury Department


Someone Is Lying
“Of course we requested an interview.”
Fox News Senior Vice
President Michael Clemente

Over the last few days there has been an explosion of stories regarding a Fox News report that claimed Fox was, initially, deliberately snubbed by the Treasury Department. Only after other networks in the press pool objected to the exclusion was Fox added to the list of participants, with Major Garrett eventually conducting the interview in question. From Fox:

The Obama administration on Thursday failed in its attempt to exclude Fox News from participating in an interview of an administration official, as Republicans on Capitol Hill stepped up their criticism of the hardball tactics employed by the White House.

Pushback on the story was immediate. The contrary narrative was that in no way was Fox ever deliberately excluded from anything, and by no means did the “real” networks ever defend Fox. From Talking Points Memo:

The network pool crew noticed Fox wasn’t on the list, was told that they hadn’t asked and the crew said they needed to be included. Treasury called the White House and asked top Obama adviser Anita Dunn. Dunn said yes and Fox’s Major Garrett was among the correspondents to interview Feinberg last night.

The story included a statement from the Treasury department that said there was “no plot to exclude Fox News, and they had the same interview that their competitors did. Much ado about absolutely nothing.”

After Talking Points Memo and other outlets began to question the details of Fox News’ initial report, the online left in blogs and on Twitter seized on this as an example of dishonesty on the part of Fox. Salon.com editor Joan Walsh went so far as to refer to it as a “hoax” on her twitter feed, a sentiment in common with some at DailyKos. Washington Monthly’s Political Animal blog declared “Fox News surely knows that this ‘controversy’ is not what it appears to be, but the network pushed it anyway, hoping to score some cheap points and desperate to position itself as a victim.”

The most popular quote, though, was from White House spokesman Josh Earnest, who told TPM that “this White House has demonstrated our willingness to exclude Fox News from newsmaking interviews, but yesterday we did not.”

“Simple as that,” said Talking Points Memo. Only it turns out, not quite.

Today Fox News provided more details on the sequence of events to the Huffington Post.

“Of course we requested an interview,” Fox News Senior Vice President Michael Clemente told the Huffington Post.

This directly contradicts reports by the Associated Press and Talking Points Memo, both of which reported that the White House had excluded Fox News because it did not request an interview.

It certainly does. Although as HuffPo points out, this shouldn’t matter anyway, as it was a pool interview so all pool members are to be included. Interestingly, Clemente indicated to HuffPo that not only was Fox explicitly excluded, but they were to be replaced by Bloomberg News. The real kicker, though, is the following:

Clemente added that White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs acknowledged to Fox News’ White House Correspondent Major Garrett that a low level Treasury staffer made a mistake in attempting to exclude Fox from the pool interviews.

In all reported versions of events, at that point when the pool insisted Fox be included, Treasury contacted Anita Dunn to make sure it was OK. Dunn, you’ll recall, is Obama’s Fox War Czar. In response to several calls and emails to the Treasury Dept asking why, if this was just a simple misunderstanding and oversight, would they need to ask Dunn for permission to correct it, the same canned “ado about nothing” response was sent. However, one Treasury source said something very interesting: “We typically coordinate high profile TV interviews with the White House, just as most Administrations do.”

Well of course they do. That’s the point, isn’t it? Fox was claiming that this was a deliberate snub in keeping with Dunn’s policy toward Fox. It is the White House who claimed to have clean hands, by telling TPM that this wasn’t a salvo in their war on Fox. The whole point is that Fox claims this was part of a coordinated administration policy. So by pointing out something so simple, Treasury is confirming.

Treasury has not, at the time of posting, responded to follow-up questions. Was Dunn part of the initial decision not to include Fox? If not, then why was she only contacted about the supposed “high profile” interview in “typical” fashion only after it was clear the pool required Fox’s participation? Asked for comment on Clemente’s new revelations, no response was given.

If Gibbs apologized for a staffer at Treasury that would doubly contradict their public statements. It would directly contradict the canned line that there was no “ado” due. It would also indicate that the White House is blaming Treasury alone, not in “coordination” with them.

Regardless of whether Anita Dunn was party to an initial, explicit snub of Fox News, it should be abundantly obvious that Treasury contacting her to clear their “correction” is a direct result of her being the Fox war czar. Furthermore, can there be any doubt that a decision to exclude Fox would be a direct result of two weeks of the administration advising everyone and their network to do that very thing?

Dunn, Gibbs, and the administration generally have done nothing to hide their contempt for Fox, their opinion that it is not a news organization, or their belief that Fox should not be treated as real news. So I admit to no small amount of remaining curiosity regarding their reluctance to own this from the start. I can only assume it is because they were met with backlash from the other networks, whom the administration obviously wants to keep in their pocket. That backlash was real, despite TPMs critically flawed reporting. Chip Reid reports the networks all agreed this crossed the line, and HuffPo quotes one network bureau chief characterizing their solidarity as “all for one and one for all.”

There is a clear disconnect between what Fox is reporting the administration said, what White House spokesman Josh Earnest said to TPM, and what Treasury spokespersons are saying to the media. If the Huffington Post and the widespread quotes attributed to White House are correct, I’m pretty sure the administration is essentially calling the Treasury department incompetent liars. Over Fox News being excluded from an interview. Per the administration’s stated preferences. Yeah.

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31 Comments Leave a comment

Love it when the "Best and Brightest" shine!!....nt

USNJIMRET Sunday, October 25th at 3:47PM EDT (link)

Dunn and Gibbs are just like obama

bobojake Sunday, October 25th at 3:53PM EDT (link)

They think they have to lie. That was in their job descrption when vetted by deadfish

Fox should announce they are going to stop treating them as a "real" White House administration

ciscoguy Sunday, October 25th at 7:26PM EDT (link)

rather as a cabal of left-wing hacks who’ve hijacked the presidential office.

Obama’s not even the real problem here. Everyone knows he’s just the spiffy front man for the puppet masters, Axelrod and Emanuel.

Yes, Indeed do not treat the Obama Administration as REAL

suzdelia Monday, October 26th at 5:35PM EDT (link)

You are absolutely right!!! Mr. Obama is not our legal President, so the White House administration should not be treated as REAL. Most everything they are doing is against our Constitution, but why wouln’t they since Mr. Obama was confirmed when our Congress and Senate knew he did not hold the legitimate qualifications to hold the highest office in the land. This confirmation opened the door regarding the nation in the midst of a Government conspiracy and acts of treason. Pray that someone in our Congress and Senate has the courage and patriotism to speak out and stop this treason and initiate the removal of Mr Obama from office.

You would be wize to fear this man

martyinaz Tuesday, October 27th at 3:18AM EDT (link)

Obama is a Maexist. And a sneaky one at that. There should be no surprise that our mainstream media support this ganster. They are all Zionist controlled. Same goes for the movie industry. Zionists are not true jews. The real jews are Sephardic Jews from the Middle East. The Zionists are from Central Europe and are Marxist socialist/communists. Those major networks are in lockstep with Obama. You only get the truth fromthe local stations. At the major networks everything will be slanted, jaded, or outright overlooked if necessary. Why do you think ACORN goes under the mainstream radar? Why do the major networks support Obamacare? Why are most of the jews in New York, Miami, and San Francisco vote a liberal ticket? Most are from Central European desent, and Zionists. The broadcast journalists had better be from the left if they want to become known to the viewersd. Obama has this country right where he wants it, and the mainstream media willingly plays right into his hand. What good is our First Amendment if Obama can squelsh Fox News? They are the only ones to believe any more.

 
 
 
 

Too many irons in the fire?

makemyday Sunday, October 25th at 4:01PM EDT (link)

This is the result of trying to do too many things at once. Rahm and company are running the show and are micro-managing everything. These Zombots march to orders from on high and are incapable of inciteful, intelligent, independent thought. Maybe more attention needs to be directed to Emmanuel and less on Obama. Criticizing Obama for his ideas is like criticizing Gibbs for his ideas. Both are spokesmen for the real power. Rahm Emmanuel needs the light of day to shine into his cave.

When all else fails…….. Shoot!

“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.” –American author Mark Twain (1835-1910)

“We should never despair, our Situation before has been unpromising and has changed for the better, so I trust, it will again. If new difficulties arise, we must only put forth new Exertions and proportion our Efforts to the exigency of the times.” –George Washington, letter to Philip Schuyler, 1777

makemyday- You forgot to include the other co-president Axelrod

Scope Sunday, October 25th at 5:11PM EDT (link)

who I think actually has more power, and, is calling more shots than even Emmanuel.

Thought about that

makemyday Sunday, October 25th at 5:30PM EDT (link)

after hitting Post Comment. But you are right, one or the other or both need to be inverstigated and watched closer.

When all else fails…….. Shoot!

“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.” –American author Mark Twain (1835-1910)

“We should never despair, our Situation before has been unpromising and has changed for the better, so I trust, it will again. If new difficulties arise, we must only put forth new Exertions and proportion our Efforts to the exigency of the times.” –George Washington, letter to Philip Schuyler, 1777

 
 
 

Curiouser and Curiouser

lukematthews Sunday, October 25th at 4:05PM EDT (link)

The White House did try to exclude Fox, that was obvious from the way the entire thing played out not to mention the specific refusal of the other networks to accept the White House gambit. What is curious is who in their right mind thinks this will play? It reminds me of the little kid whose mother comes into the kitchen and finds his face and hands covered in chocolate. The mother says, ‘Did you eat that piece of cake?” and the little kid says, “Uh-uh. Wasn’t me.”

These are the people running our foreign affairs, car companies, banks, and trying to take over healthcare. Frightening.

 

Does the left really believe that the American public...

JadedByPolitics Sunday, October 25th at 4:29PM EDT (link)

after the HATEFUL way the Administration went after FOX for over 2 weeks DID NOT attempt to exclude them? Do they really think that is a winning argument? I can tell them it is not. The majority of Americans NOW recognize the Alinsky strategy that the WH is trying to utilize against FOX and it will NOT work. They ignored their own savior Alinsky because the rule is to go after INDIVIDUALS not large organizations….IDIOTS!

Whoever has his enemy at his mercy &
does not destroy him is his own enemy

 

So just to recap...

mitrebox Sunday, October 25th at 4:55PM EDT (link)

Global war on manmade disaster-ers, War in Afghanistan, Bombings in Iraq, Insurgency in Pakistan, Iranian Nukes, North Korean Nukes, 15.1 million unemployed, continued foreclosures, failed stimulus, failing schools, Social Security insolvency, rampart Medicare waste, ineffective veterans administration, widespread illegal immigrant linked kidnappings & human trafficking, teacher sex scandals, collapsing infrastructure, rising gas prices, looming carbon taxes, china rising, red army resurgent, voter registration fraud from a tax funded organization, nation wide meth fueled cooper thefts…..

and the White House wants to take on a “not real” cable news channel because its not like the others.

 

Is there anyone this White House won't throw under the bus?

JustLeaveMeAlone Sunday, October 25th at 5:13PM EDT (link)

Do they ever say “we screwed up; we are sorry” and move on?

(That was rhetorical; I know the answer.)

“To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.” Thomas Jefferson

 

Outdoing Nixon

fisk2521 Sunday, October 25th at 5:15PM EDT (link)

“Dunn, Gibbs, and the administration generally have done nothing to hide their contempt for Fox, their opinion that it is not a news organization, or their belief that Fox should not be treated as real news”

Incredible coming from a “White House’ that has demonstrated absolutely no character whatsoever in any of their dealings nationally or worldwide. A very large number of Americans have absolutely no trust in what they say or do… you cannot take what they say at face value because it will be changed wtihin hours, either by the person who said it or someone set up to do so.

It is outrageous that the White House has a ‘hit list’ given the liberals’ reference to Nixon’s tricks ….. they have far outdone Richard Nixon. They claim fox is “not a news organization” - - this administration is hardly a real leader of the American people.

LDavis

fisk2521- To have character, you need to also have a heart and a soul

Scope Sunday, October 25th at 5:46PM EDT (link)

It’s tragic when the American people start questioning every word that comes out of the White House, and, the Congress. I heard today on Fox, that this administration has made a crisis of everything, they have spread fear that if you don’t go with them every evil bad thing will befall you. The latest Swine Flu scare, which has been pumped by a complicit media, has people standing in lines to get swine flu shots, that there are not enough of. The vaccine was never tested, it never went through clinical trials, yet masses of people are in fear that if they get the Swine flu, they will die. The regular flu kills 36,000 people per year. The US swine flu deaths are at about 1,000 now. There are reports that Swine Flu has killed approximately 5,000 people worldwide. I believe that the Obama admin. is trying to manufacture a crisis, so that they can say that the Government needs to be in charge of healthcare, so it can control, and take care of any healthcare needs the American public may need. Problem is, or may be a part of the plan, there is not enough vaccine available for the panicked population. So the fears and panics abound. If we can’t provide enough vaccine for our country, how ever would we be able to produce enough for the world. I don’t know of any other company that is manufacturing this vaccine. It’s a United Nations, Obama Administration ploy to control the world, or, at least an unintelligent American population.

 
 

The Treasury Department is thrown under the bus

Scope Sunday, October 25th at 5:26PM EDT (link)

though it would be hard to tell who that low level Treasury staffer is, Gibbs never said, because that person apparently doesn’t exist. We will see a sacrifical lamb soon though, maybe.

Last weekend Axelrod and Emmanuel go on the Sunday talk shows, and say that Fox isn’t a news organization. So, for all those Democrats/Liberals who are regular contributors on Fox, such as Juan Williams, Mara Liason, Kirsten Powers, and so many more, are they going to be thrown under the bus because they participate with Fox News? Have they not been hateful enough toward the Republicans for the White House? Juan Williams was so pro-Obama at one time, he was literally laughed at for his weak arguments. He has been much more vocal against the Obama administration, as well as Liason. They cannot sit there, on the panel, with facts being reported, and still back a lying Obama and his administration. They seem to now give a few pro comments, but, their main talking points have been against. They will see the under carriage of the bus very soon, if they haven’t already.

Throw in Doug Schoen too

redpens Tuesday, October 27th at 5:56AM EDT (link)

He’s been critical of Obummer on Hannity’s Great American Panel too.

 
 

The Truly Contemptable Part of This Is TPM's Behavior

IJB Sunday, October 25th at 5:43PM EDT (link)

Has anyone E-mailed them and asked them if they really believe the bull they’re posting?

And has anyone asked them if they think it would be OK to exclude FNC from Administration interviews if it turns out that that was the case?

I’d really like someone to nail TPM and their Kos-ite ilk down on this…

But, isn't TPM a "real" news organization? -nt-

Lammo Monday, October 26th at 4:22AM EDT (link)

ACORN: Association of Criminals Obama Represented in the Nineties. (jupitersuite)

Don’t be so open minded that your brains fall out. (Fr. John Corapi, SOLT)

Crime never takes a holiday. (Dennis J. O’Shea, R.I.P.)

Unlawful is against the law. Illegal is a sick bird. (Ooold joke)

Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read. (Groucho Marx)

 

You have to be joking, IJB.

Flagstaff Tuesday, October 27th at 1:15AM EDT (link)

TPM is dedicated to the left. If you read the comments that appear there, you will be hard pressed to find any that are open minded towards “Faux News.” Most of them would be happy to see Obama take over Fox like Chavez took over the TV stations in Venezuela.

Of course they believe what they’ve posted.

Pluto, the Ninth Planet - Forever!

 
 

Blame it on a low-level staffer

ss396 Sunday, October 25th at 6:42PM EDT (link)

That’s what they always do; that’s what they’ve been doing since the inception of the campaign.

You’d think that eventually they’d fire that guy…

If you pay people to sit on their duffs, you cannot be surprised when they do.

LOL. They can't fire him. He's the scapegoat czar. nt

redneck_hippie Sunday, October 25th at 8:28PM EDT (link)

“We must not lose our faculty to dare, especially in dark days.” - Churchill in March, 1942.

Remember NY-23; translation: RINOs Have No Base.

Good one!

merryj1 Monday, October 26th at 12:15AM EDT (link)

Thanks for the laugh.

 
 
 

The alinksy inspired

anotherindyfilmguy Sunday, October 25th at 6:49PM EDT (link)

strategy only works when you have two things in the victim:
ignorance or unwillingness to counterattack.

Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck are living examples of how to deal with them successfully.

 

Winston Smith has been Working Overtime

TheYeomanFarmer Sunday, October 25th at 8:18PM EDT (link)

“We’ve always been at war with Eastasia.”

 

Liberalism is not the problem

merryj1 Monday, October 26th at 12:59AM EDT (link)

The Founders were liberals. That was, of course, in the 18th and early 19th century, when Conservatives were in the tank for George III. Still, many fiscal conservatives are socially liberal or somewhat so, and most reasonable people, whether conservative or liberal, can at least comprehend some or most of the others’ viewpoint(s) on most issues, disagree though we may. In short, most of us are not ideologues or extremists.

The extremists are not liberals and conservatives, they are radicals and reactionaries.

Liberals, conservatives and moderates usually try to be fair-minded and to think in terms of “what’s right” rather than “who’s right,” No one’s perfect, and we all tend to go “knee-jerk” from time to time on personally-important issues or personalities we identify with; but for the most part, we retain balance, where extremists are, literally, unbalanced.

The point is, not only is it unfair to lump moderate liberals with radicals, it’s short-sighted in the present circumstance: The current crop of power brokers are radical, a breed that eats its own children and crucifies its own siblings if they don’t march in lockstep.

Those children and siblings will learn a hard lesson soon enough, and they’ll need a place to turn — and we’ll need all of the reasonable people available, even if we don’t always see perfectly eye-to-eye.

I use Lefties exclusively to describe the Dems in charge

6eorge Jetson Monday, October 26th at 1:48AM EDT (link)

Liberal derives from free. The only association the Lefties in charge have with free is the price they’re willing to pay us when they confiscate what belongs to us.

 

I'm in agreement with your

olddog Monday, October 26th at 7:39AM EDT (link)

thoughts. it is a fundamental right of fair men and women to have disagreement, but discuss the differences civilly, but fair men and women do not steal the fruits of another’s labor, nor do they do they attempt to demean others for their views. This administration is doing all the above,and attempting by their actions, to tear down, by ignoring or interpreting, the founding documents. We have a nation of laws, set up which were a bright spot in world history, but it is dimming with interpretation, and ignorance, by dumbing down the young through government controlled education, and by removing the intent of the constitution, through the A.C.L.U. and other such organizations. but this is only my opinion. Have a good day and stay free.

 
 

more real news

olddog Monday, October 26th at 7:22AM EDT (link)

comes out of “FOX” the opinion network, than the other drive-by combined, but cudo’s to the drive by, for having the spine to stand up to this “mob like, administration” who are becoming more, Marxist , every day.. Check out Barney Frank’s newest endeavors. they are putting us on a fast track to a Venzualan type government. Stand for FREEDOM or be bowed, by the chains of slavery, to a repressive. oppressive administration. but this is only my opinion, of course. I’ve Seen it before!

One Old Dog

Kudos to the MSM on this one, whatever their motives

6eorge Jetson Monday, October 26th at 7:48AM EDT (link)

Is this a journalistic reaction to the extreme act of excluding one of the major news gathering organizations?

Is it in response to Fox showing Anita Dunn boasting of pwning the MSM during the campaign?

Or is it the MSM fearing continued exodus of their viewers as Obama implicitly acknowledges that Fox is the only organization that will seriously challenge him?

Or did they see my sig pic, and want to make it seem hasty? ;)

Whatever their motives, they did the right thing. Kudos.

 
 

We can only hope

ucm4u Monday, October 26th at 8:26AM EDT (link)

that more and more ‘news people’ start waking up to the fact that they are being used…when they are no longer needed THEY will be thrown under the bus just like everyone else. It’s FOX today but no one will be spared. At least that is my belief. One tiny victory for freedom of the press and speech.

 

Power Power Power

schellysway Monday, October 26th at 8:48AM EDT (link)

Those in power exert power because they can. As with all people who have fanatical beliefs, such as the members of the current administration, everything they do they believe is normal and proper. No thought to history and only thinking how they will guide the future. Our only hope is constant reporting of all events. Remember “The short memories of the American voters is what keeps our politicians in office.” by Will Rogers. Pray that they will wake up.

 

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