There have been three salient features thus far of the Obama Administration. The first is its secretive nature, elevating to the status of quasi state secrets information that has been readily available in previous Administrations. The second is a Carteresque level of incompetence which spans the gamut from economic to foreign policy. The third is simple nastiness when confronted with opposition.
Since January we have been treated to the spectacle of the office of the President, in the person of his spokesman and personal staff, directly attacking private citizens who oppose them. Everyone is familiar with Gibbs’ assault on Rush Limbaugh and Erick writes today of yet another instance where Gibbs has launched a personal attack on a private citizen.
The Washington Post reminds us today that it is going to get worse, a lot worse.
Facing a near-daily barrage of attacks from conservative opponents, White House officials are engaged in an internal debate over how hard to hit back, even as they have grown increasingly aggressive in countering allegations they deem to be absurd.
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But at a tactical level, administration officials are taking seriously the potential for damage and are attempting to respond forcefully. In early August, officials stepped up their efforts to link the “birther” movement — with its contention that Obama was not born in the United States and is thus not a legitimate president — to Republican leaders.
Incredible, you might say. The White House is involved in a scheme to link the leaders of the Republican party to a fringe movement that, one has to be at pains to point out, is fueled entirely by the White House’s own secretiveness. Of course, you shouldn’t be amazed at this considering Bill Clinton tried to link Republicans to the Oklahoma City bombing and his current Chief of Staff was a force in that operation.
