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Is Obama administration losing the 'Fast and Furious' debate in the court of public opinion?
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And -- tough week for the White House thanks to the fast and furious scandal first the White House coming under attack for the way it is dealing with congress and now is under fire for the way it is dealing with the media.
Press Secretary Jay -- going several rounds with the media.
Everything has been provided to prevention congressional investigators.
And that is really the issue -- it is how did this operation come about and it refrigerate it originated.
In a field office during the previous administration was ended.
Under this administration by this attorney John Paul yeah.
That the operation massacres began the tactic the end previous administration -- -- the operation.
The -- subject but it is that this that tactic began in the previous administration.
And it was ended under this one when this attorney general discovered it and believe it was a -- tactic he then referred it to an inspector general.
Souza White House losing the PR war Dana Perino was -- sector -- for -- president George W.
Bush is now cohost of Fox News.
The five Dana joins us -- -- and a -- did I write out -- is it.
Fair to say that the have White House gets an half in PR for how this is tailing as this thing is exploding -- the death of.
-- for the current White House is that.
Fast and furious has been an issue that the Justice Department has dealt with almost solely that it wasn't something that bled into the daily White House briefing so it's not something you -- Answering questions about every -- -- now president Obama's even ever on a question about it at one of the press conferences.
But now having asserted the executive privilege on behalf of the attorney general.
Now that comes to the White House and one of the things is.
For somebody that's cover this a little bit more like -- here at fox.
And you know that actually the operation that they're talking -- was different than the one and in the previous administrations of this one.
In that the previous administration had worked in direct contact with Mexican authorities.
Under fast and furious which was a 2009 initiative it was not.
Those are little things that can start to add up and ship away your credibility when you're out there trying to talk about.
I think they've promised I bet for the most except for the fox audience and let people that he would know at best and here's what -- -- an hour lesson that in Iraq now however -- the president has stuck his nose into with the executive privilege for whatever -- It is now -- now has a huge story.
He got the fact that they that that he of people we hear about documents have been subpoenaed by the government to government doesn't want -- the documents or.
And the present says he's got a transparent government now regardless of what the facts are this is the most explosive PER slash voting issue come November at least right now and.
Other media having not covered it up to now.
Most of what I have seen is that they look at it through a partisan lines that there's a witch hunt going on for documents that his political.
Instead of being something -- Keep people on congress and the American people are trying to get answers to.
What happened what did you know when you know what when there was at 119 month period.
Between when you said he knew nothing about it and then you retracted that in a letter and said oh actually we did know something about it.
Okay is it not unreasonable to try to find out then what happened in those intervening months that made you realize that you did know about it well.
That was of this there's always some element of people that it can scream politics back and forth on currency but.
Fundamentally kind of has erected over an injustice -- at right to ask for documents don't get documents erect subpoena them and you expect that the subpoena be answered.
And the president of the united -- has a right to assert executive privilege but at the same time.
You can't do so to shield wrongdoing and you have to provide a log.
That shows why each document should be privileged why does it meet the -- -- but -- but -- what the just I will say though is that these documents are deliberative process and that falls with the new umbrella of executive privilege -- not just conversations between the president and his -- but that it extends out -- that's what they -- a bit which is a harder thing to prove.
And they're going you have to actually approve a -- I know a little something about it because during the US attorney scandal during the Bush Administration in seven US attorney's.
We're asked to resign -- going to be replaced by somebody.
By other people.
The Democrats on the committee at the time went crazy -- it's really hard to swallow sometimes won the white house press -- not asking specific questions like I asked of me when I was a white house Press Secretary for that issue.
And in that issue.
No one died.
There were no US agents who are killed because of guns that were allowed to walk in the Mexico that we lost track -- And I don't think it's unreasonable for the American people and the congress on their -- to be asking for those answers you know if if he did entity get way down in the weeks and you can do all the sort of here's what you think you know why this is one in a different from the -- -- -- But bottom line is sick congress -- asked for documents.
And subpoenaed them and the Justice Department is saying no.
And the president says executive privilege so you know it does nothing but -- -- it is completely rash of -- suspicious like watt even if we have the White House and justice -- haven't actually airtight legitimate reason.
It at some point special -- -- got the Justice Department having to recall its letter -- false information Republicans say was deceitful they say it was mistake.
There's enough smoke there repeat would be legitimately suspicious and you would imagine that they can reach some sort of accommodation where.
Maybe I say and his team could come up and actually physically look at the -- sent out for that just is offered that and well and and I just as they didn't get that they wanted to log and they weren't gonna be allowed to get -- they were just exactly says don't do that I think what might happen is congresswoman -- the executive -- the last for an expedited review in the DC circuit and they are not may or may not get a before the election but you're right.
Either -- they are covering up something major.
Or they're protecting executive privilege at the cost of looking.
Like there protecting something major and it might be minor and then of course over and promise that the president and which you know.
The president -- himself as -- city and a transparent.
Presence in most transparent.
And -- -- in the business of a -- -- documents even -- legitimately.
It doesn't it looks suspicious well and the Democrats at in the best position demanded -- attorney general Alberto Gonzales resign.
Over.
The attorney general the attorney US attorney issue.
And some other things that that they complained about he ultimately did and then was cleared of everything at the time I take -- percent how -- -- to see him and how much as he is is he -- -- out -- speaking of separate -- marching -- assuming that you -- is talking into a lot of lawyers in the -- -- -- -- -- -- Press Secretary you have to be.
A mile wide and a mile deep.
On every issue and you're not necessarily a lawyer and -- rules of executive privilege are quite complicated and there's like rings around Saturn for -- protected and who isn't and it.
One of the best things to do if you aren't exactly sure at the law is to say I will get back to you or invite one of the lawyers to come up.
And answer questions of the white house press corps but he's in the but -- -- -- about as sure I would I got to imagine that he's asking for a lot of information and -- so that you can provide information accurately.
They're not into on the I think --
