I should not be surprised: Harry Reid is the wellspring for all clumsy lies in the Senate.  But you’d think that the President wouldn’t have been this stupid.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told his Democratic caucus last week in a private meeting that a top House Republican said to President Barack Obama, “I cannot even stand to look at you,” according to two Democratic senators who were present.

The account was confirmed by two Senate Democratic aides who said they independently learned of the exchange from other senators.

A White House official said Thursday that the administration did relay such a message to Reid, but that it was the result of a miscommunication.

Rep. Pete Sessions – the guy who Reid and Obama spread the lie about – is demanding an apology, but it’s unlikely he’ll get one: SML Reid, Dick Durbin, and President Obama don’t really think that people who disagree with them are worth apologizing to.  Heck, I’m not certain these days whether any of them think that we’re really people. I know that that’s a horrible thing to say, but it’s based on their past behavior, so said horribleness is not exactly my problem.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

PS: There will be no peace in Congress while Harry Reid is Senate Majority Leader.

PPS: If you’re wondering why the White House is being so proactive about hammering this story down now… well, consider the timeline.  The original lie was issued on October 10th: two weeks ago, in fact.  Back then the White House was apparently still telling itself wonderful stories about how the website would be up and running  Real Soon Now, ya, you betcha.  It was certainly before Monday’s utter disaster of a press conference confirmed to the Democrats once and for all that they had a real problem on their hands.  See, now the White House actually needs something from Congress, which means that it needs something from the House, which means that it needs something from the GOP.  Alas, Dick Durbin had already opened his mouth and repeated an internal-consumption lie that seemed a good idea at the time.  That had to be fixed. Quickly. And with no foolishness, for once.  But also: no apology.  Merely… “regrets.”

This would be funny, except that I and most of my friends live in this country, and thus have to endure this clown show of a Presidential administration.

PPPS: Just to make it clear:

There's not really a plausible "miscommunication" that leads to Reid/Durbin hearing what they allegedly heard.

— Leon Wolf (@LeonHWolf) October 24, 2013