When did Bob Woodward become such a weenie?
Last night on CNN, Bob Woodward made national news when he complained that he had been threatened in an email exchange with an unnamed top White House official. According to the Watergate legend, the “very senior” official warned him that if he reported news about the sequestration in a way the White House did not like, “you will regret doing this.”
Put that way, it certainly sounds ominous. And just to drive the point home, Woodward repeated the claim in an interview with Politico:
“Woodward repeated the last sentence, making clear he saw it as a veiled threat. “ ‘You’ll regret.’ Come on,” he said. “I think if Obama himself saw the way they’re dealing with some of this, he would say, ‘Whoa, we don’t tell any reporter ‘you’re going to regret challenging us.’”
“They have to be willing to live in the world where they’re challenged,” Woodward continued in his calm, instantly recognizable voice. “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.”
Again, that does sound potentially serious, particularly since this “threat” struck home with someone as experienced and presumably tough as Woodward.
As it turns out, however, the very senior official in question was Gene Sperling, who as head of the National Economic Council is not exactly in a position to order drones rained upon Woodward’s increasingly big head.
The e-mail exchange between Woodward and Sperling has also been released. Here is what Sperling wrote:
“I apologize for raising my voice in our conversation today. My bad. I do understand your problems with a couple of our statements in the fall — but feel on the other hand that you focus on a few specific trees that gives a very wrong perception of the forest. But perhaps we will just not see eye to eye here.
But I do truly believe you should rethink your comment about saying that Potus asking for revenues is moving the goal post. I know you may not believe this, but as a friend, I think you will regret staking out that claim. The idea that the sequester was to force both sides to go back to try at a big or grand bargain with a mix of entitlements and revenues (even if there were serious disagreements on composition) was part of the DNA of the thing from the start. It was an accepted part of the understanding — from the start. Really.”
And here’s how Woodward responded after this supposed “threat”:
“Gene: You do not ever have to apologize to me. You get wound up because you are making your points and you believe them. This is all part of a serious discussion. I for one welcome a little heat; there should more given the importance. I also welcome your personal advice. I am listening. I know you lived all this. My partial advantage is that I talked extensively with all involved. I am traveling and will try to reach you after 3 pm today. Best, Bob
I’ve been in more than my share of those conversations, with everybody from county commissioners to U.S. senators. It’s ridiculous for Woodward to claim that he felt threatened or intimidated by it. In the first place, the context makes it clear that Sperling was warning Woodward that if he reported things that way, he would regret it because it would be factually incorrect. There was no other implication, and Woodward’s response makes no mention that he felt threatened in any way.
Even if you try real real real hard to imagine Sperling’s email as some threat, it in no way justifies Woodward’s collapse upon his fainting couch.
When Woodward and Carl Bernstein were breaking the Watergate story 40 years ago, Nixon’s attorney general, John Mitchell, famously warned Bernstein that Washington Post owner “Katie Graham … is gonna get her tit caught in a big fat wringer if that’s published.”
THAT was a threat.
Indeed, Nixon plotted how to revoke federal licenses for TV stations owned by the Post as a way to get back at the newspaper.
“They should give some thought to taking on the guy that went into Cambodia and Laos, ran the Cambodian bombing campaign,” an angry Nixon was taped as telling an aide in the White House. “What do the hell they think they’re doing in there?” Later he abandoned that approach, telling the same aide that “We’re going to screw them another way.… They don’t really realize how rough I can play.… But when I start, I will kill them. There’s no question about it.”
Sad to say, Woodward’s grotesque exaggeration of his exchange with Sperling diminishes both his standing and credibility.
– Jay Bookman
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526 comments Add your comment
JamVet
February 28th, 2013
4:47 pm
You read like someone who has spent some time in the tank, GR.
The drunk tank.
At a minimum your inane, wildly misinformed comparison between Nixon’s infamous criminality and Obama’s non-criminality leads me to conclude that you were not paying much attention at all to current events while in HS. Or now. (Did you attend one of those gub’mint public schools? LOL!)
dixie normous
February 28th, 2013
4:48 pm
just shows how quickly the left will eat their own when one steps out of line.
dixie normous
February 28th, 2013
4:49 pm
Sad to say, Woodward’s grotesque exaggeration of his exchange with Sperling diminishes both his standing and credibility.
bookman is an expert on diminishing credibility. if he ever had any to begin with.
Granny Godzilla
February 28th, 2013
4:50 pm
get real
no need to try again…got it right the 1st time.
lots of networks, lots of papers, lots of magazines, lots of web sites….
snicker
dixie normous
February 28th, 2013
4:51 pm
if obama gave a speech today about how important sequester is. bookmans column tomorrow would be evil GOP trying to stop wonderful sequester.
Granny Godzilla
February 28th, 2013
4:52 pm
dixie
one of ours? that old Bush imbed….
snicker
dixie normous
February 28th, 2013
4:54 pm
“‘Whoa, we don’t tell any reporter ‘you’re going to regret challenging us.’
Except that Sperling never told Woodward “you’re going to regret challenging us.” That is a gross distortion of what Sperling wrote.
never seen someone tha can write but cant read until you bookman.
But I do truly believe you should rethink your comment about saying that Potus asking for revenues is moving the goal post. I know you may not believe this, but as a friend, I think you will REGRET staking out that claim
Community Organizer (with-no-desire-to-govern, little-care-for-high-unemployment, no-talent-for-leadership,-zero-desire-to-compromise-and-a-lust-for-making-my-enemies-pay) Obama
February 28th, 2013
4:54 pm
Just hear me out Bro,
If Obama could face the criticism of Bob Woodward instead of having his lackeys attack the guy, maybe Obama could get HIS mancard back!
What dya think about that?
JamVet
February 28th, 2013
4:55 pm
It just shows how quickly people with intellectual honesty and moral courage will call out their own when one makes up dramatic claptrap.
Try it dixie, you’ll like it. (Not.)
JamVet
February 28th, 2013
4:57 pm
Try it dixie, you’ll like it. (Not.)
As proven by his 4:49!
Another severe punking for the perpetually punked…
Get Real
February 28th, 2013
4:57 pm
JamVet ….you are a classic example of someone that has practiced way too much amateur pharmacology throughout your life….the end result is a burned out head case…go look in the mirror
Get Real
February 28th, 2013
4:59 pm
Granny Godzilla ….only in your mind Granny….only in your mind….
Brosephus™ - She say you soul brother too beaucoup
February 28th, 2013
5:00 pm
Why is that, Bro. This is a dem leader and she doesn’t even have a clue how many people actually have jobs!
Seems like you answered it for yourself without my help. I would think that the ignorance in such a statement would be obvious, but I can draw a picture for you if you need it.
————–
If we’re supposed to talk about conservative lies to not be pissant ideologues, then let me know what your definition of fair-minded talk is please. Since “conservatives” are pushing lies via 1/3 of the legislative power in Washington right now, kindly let me know how Obama, who leads the other 2/3 and his lies are far less relevant.
You have no concept of math at all, first of all. Conservatives control 1/2 the legislative power in Washington, whereas Obama controls zero. Democrats control the other half of legislative power, but the Constitution creates a divide where Obama has no power at all.
I don’t care what the topic is, Woodruff is losing support for his “threat” campaign from right wing ideologues. That was what MY post was about. I’d think that when hardcore Conservative supporters don’t buy his claim, then it’s likely bogus to begin with.
My idea of fair minded talk is for you, a conservative, to at least acknowledge that the right is packed with liars before going off on a tangent about left liars. That’s fair minded. However, you appear to be no different than most others here who attack first and attack often. If/When the topic becomes Obama lying, I’d ask the same of a liberal here.
Anything else, just leave a note with my assistant. I have to run an errand now.
Brosephus™ - She say you soul brother too beaucoup
February 28th, 2013
5:03 pm
If Obama could face the criticism of Bob Woodward instead of having his lackeys attack the guy, maybe Obama could get HIS mancard back!
What dya think about that?
As you said earlier, he’s the BIG CAHUNA, the top dog. He has lackeys just for that purpose. Wouldn’t you consider it to be beneath the office of the president for him to get into a public pissing contest with someone over some insignificant BS such as this? I don’t ever recall Bush facing his critics face to face. There were far too many lackeys in the way.
a smell of green grass
February 28th, 2013
5:29 pm
How about reporting the facts:
1) Nothing about the long irate explosion that the Obama Admin admits to?
2) Nothing about what Woodward could possibly “regret”? Those weren’t Woodward’s words. Don’t forget that.
3) Nothing about withholding the ship as a legislative ploy
4) Nothing about if Woodward is right in what he says
Go back to journalism school
Vast Right Wing Conspiracy (aka "Knuckle-Dragger")
February 28th, 2013
5:56 pm
Wandering off the reservation will cost you with the democrats. Line up with their stupidity or pay the price.
Curious Observer
February 28th, 2013
6:12 pm
you need to watch full metal jacket
It couldn’t touch the Marine boot camp I went through—this was in early 1960. First of all, there was no sitting around on footlockers talking to one another, and there was certainly no coaching of fellow recruits. You weren’t permitted to talk to anybody except to respond to a DI. The kindest thing you got called was s___-bird. There were actual physical beatings administered at night, when out of sight of any officers, a recruit reported to a DI to deal with daytime transgressions. A designated recruit—called the housemouse—was posted at the entrance to be on the lookout for any officers. Also at night came the “game”—the march around the barracks until the lights went out and once they came back on you had one minute to select a bunk and make it up. If anybody was slow, the game continued. Platoon punishment included holding an M-1 rifle out by the stacking swivel—just try holding 9.5 lbs. out by your fingers. As for any freedom of movement, the only thing I saw was the neck of the recruit marching in front of me. I could have gotten lost if I had been able to go just 200 yards from the barracks.
People who think that Full Metal Jacket was a realistic depiction of Marine boot camp were obviously sold a bill of goods.
hamiltonAZ
February 28th, 2013
6:42 pm
Oops.
Hoffman was a good Bernstein.
Mr Right
February 28th, 2013
7:02 pm
How dare anyone in the media say anything bad about the Obama people, how dare they! You have the lib media like Jay piling on trying belittle him! Jay , you ought to be ashamed!
Maxie
February 28th, 2013
7:39 pm
He lied his @ss of during the Plame thing, lied to all his readers while having first hand knowledge of the truth. He begged Walter Pincus to keep quiet about it. The man has zero credibility. I’d like to see people dig up emails they might have received from Woodward and apply the same pee pants threat standard to it’s content.
independent thinker
February 28th, 2013
8:24 pm
Cons over on Wingnut’s blog already claiming this is more evidence of the Black Marxist’s tyranny. I guess they are busy arming themselves,
Elections Have Consequences
February 28th, 2013
10:37 pm
Tough when they stray from the fold, isn’t it?
keith
February 28th, 2013
11:37 pm
Newsmax blogger Lanny Davis on Thursday claimed that he too has been on the receiving end of threats from the White House as a result of columns he has written about President Barack Obama.
Davis, former special counsel to President Bill Clinton, said that his Washington Times editor, John Solomon, “received a phone call from a senior Obama White House official who didn’t like some of my columns, even though I’m a supporter of Obama.”
obamas just another chicago street thug.
Joel Edge
March 1st, 2013
6:45 am
It’s amazing how fast you can go from journalistic icon to crazy-old-bob just by writing a couple of unflattering articles about the ruling party.
Bill Orvis White
March 1st, 2013
8:03 am
Mr. Robert Woodward has found solid common sense with age and is finally doing a proper investigation which the lamestream, libtard media refuses to do. THIS is the president journalists like Mr. Woodward NEED to investigate. This installed “president” was never fully vetted for “his” actions including weakening our defense apparatus, shoving illegal health care down the once-free nation’s throats, raising taxe$ and regulations through the roof and instituting an anti-life agenda.
Mr. Woodward is officially forgiven for His actions against the honorable President Richard M. Nixon. When Mr. Woodward was a young, naive yippie Communist liberal, He took down a president who had this once-free nation on the Rightful path towards protecting our interests on this soil and overseas. No president has stared down Red China more than the honorable President Nixon. No president has fought Communism better than the honorable President Nixon. Years later, President Nixon is vindicated for all of His actions including His rightful investigation into Georgie McGovern’s socialistic attitude and Communist past. What happened? Well, Mr. Woodward was a radical, who along with fellow radical Carl Bernstein wrongfully made up a number of lies about President Nixon and ran Him out of town!
NOW, MR. WOODWARD IS SEEING THE LIGHT! WE LOVE YOU, BOB WOODWARD!
Amen,
Bill
Tom Middleton
March 2nd, 2013
11:57 pm
How ironic that Bob Woodward did his lying on cable news, where journalistic integrity often comes in second to ratings. So where are the heroes of old, like, you know, ah, um, Bob Woodward? Looks like one of them might be you, Jay, at least you’ve got my vote!