Bob Woodward has plenty of experience digging into the details of the misdeeds and erroneous comments made by politicians. He was, after all, half of the team that broke the news of the Watergate break-in during the Nixon presidency. It turns out that Woodward is an equal opportunity criticizer when it comes to the political parties, as he's writing a piece about the origins of the sequestration that has some in the White House none too happy.
Woodward relayed yesterday the story of a White House staffer yelling at him "for about a half hour" and then following that up with an e-mail. In that message, the staffer wrote, "You're focusing on a few specific trees that give a very wrong impression of the forest. But perhaps we will just not see eye to eye here. I think you will regret staking out that claim."
Woodward indicated that he saw that statement as a threat, adding, "I've tangled with lots of these people. But suppose there's a young reporter who's only had a couple of years - or 10 years' - experience and the White House is sending him an email saying, 'You're going to regret this.' You know, tremble, tremble. I don't think it's the way to operate."
Part of the sequestration debate that has been ongoing has focused on where the concept originated in the first place. Republicans claim that Obama set it up as an entirely unpalatable option that would be avoided by a compromise. Democrats and the White House are trying to disavow that, but Woodward's account backs up the GOP. "Obama personally approved of the plan for Lew and Nabors to propose the sequester to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid," Woodward said. "They did so at 2:30 p.m. July 27, 2011, according to interviews with two senior White House aides who were directly involved." It's likely going to be lost on the public that the sequestration was dreamed up and approved by President Obama...but if the pain of the sequester is anywhere near what Obama is warning, it should be well-remembered by all.
Woodward relayed yesterday the story of a White House staffer yelling at him "for about a half hour" and then following that up with an e-mail. In that message, the staffer wrote, "You're focusing on a few specific trees that give a very wrong impression of the forest. But perhaps we will just not see eye to eye here. I think you will regret staking out that claim."
Woodward indicated that he saw that statement as a threat, adding, "I've tangled with lots of these people. But suppose there's a young reporter who's only had a couple of years - or 10 years' - experience and the White House is sending him an email saying, 'You're going to regret this.' You know, tremble, tremble. I don't think it's the way to operate."
Part of the sequestration debate that has been ongoing has focused on where the concept originated in the first place. Republicans claim that Obama set it up as an entirely unpalatable option that would be avoided by a compromise. Democrats and the White House are trying to disavow that, but Woodward's account backs up the GOP. "Obama personally approved of the plan for Lew and Nabors to propose the sequester to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid," Woodward said. "They did so at 2:30 p.m. July 27, 2011, according to interviews with two senior White House aides who were directly involved." It's likely going to be lost on the public that the sequestration was dreamed up and approved by President Obama...but if the pain of the sequester is anywhere near what Obama is warning, it should be well-remembered by all.