Perino: 'Scorched earth' campaign against Bob Woodward

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She's currently.

Where it might regret is partly what we're content.

Just get -- it would be irresponsible thing to ask that question in the context of the Foley email since we know what fully known said we're Gene Sperling.

In keeping with a demeanor I've been familiar with for more than twenty years was incredibly respectful.

Referred to mr.

Woodward -- friend.

And apologized for.

Raising his voice I think you cannot read those emails and come away with the impression that team was threatening anybody.

And yeah that's.

That is the impression Bob Woodward walked away with that was Jay Carney the white house Press Secretary moments ago facing some tough questions from the press corps about this escalating battle.

Excluding -- weird battles between Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward and the White House mr.

Woodward.

Who used to be loved by the folks at the White House now claims that he received a threatening email that he perceived -- -- threatening.

From a top administration official -- now we know who that was Gene Sperling he's an assistant to the president on economic policy.

Sperling upset over mr.

Woodward's reporting on his big budget fights happening in DC.

And who's to blame for these automatic spending changes the president's been railing against for weeks.

Dana Perino is the former white house Press Secretary for president George W.

Bush is also cohost of the five right here on infancy.

And I mean it's a bit of -- train wreck when you watch this thing day by day continue to unfold.

A man who was the darling of the mainstream media I mean that darling of the mainstream media in this White House like them just fine.

Prior to.

The point at which is reporting turn negative for them.

Bob Woodward is an exceedingly polite person and even if you know that you're going to be on the receiving end reporting that.

Is pride doesn't pay you -- the most favorable light you could still not help but like the guy and I can understand and reading the full emails where you would think okay.

It's not that Bob Woodward got that somebody was going to coming killers -- and ecstatic that we got the -- -- -- -- -- the -- is actually what it has turned out to happen.

Which is you have.

Many on the left attacking anyone who has said well wait a second those reporters in the briefing -- all them are asking.

A little tongue in -- to Jay Carney today because.

-- that it's not new this is it is a way to operate a press office which is to do one which is to threaten access access is really your only weapon.

Earlier Jay Carney said it would nobody really things have Gene Sperling could hurt anybody and I could even probably beat him in arm wrestling.

That they do have access and -- there -- unhappy with him but I think Bob Woodward.

Is the reason that most of those people are in the briefing room anyway yeah right you -- you -- -- many of us a lot of -- buyout Bob Woodward.

He's Robert Redford who played Bob Woodward in the movie and thought I'd like to have it's amazing -- what an amazing career to have bias at.

-- this is their beef with Woodward.

So he has that he's.

Breaking this story he says the White House moved the goalposts -- that he's being unfair to the Republicans in this debate.

He calls up the White House Gene Sperling is a dominant run historian Saturday in Washington Post.

They had a shouting match according to Woodward and even according to -- he admits that he placed into Woodward has mild mannered guy who parties like everybody knows well well he admits in his own email.

But he raised his voice to Hannity and issued -- they had a shouting match.

And then he follows up by sending Bob Woodward this email that says I apologize for raising my voice.

I think you should rethink your comment saying that that president move is the goal is move the goalposts I know you -- -- believe this.

But as a friend I think he will regret staking out that claim.

That's my sincere advice about the -- and then what -- -- saying you don't have to apologize to me.

I welcome a little heat they should be more given the importance of this issue I also welcome your personal advice I am listening.

So they think Woodward is being disingenuous by now coming out and saying I was.

Threatened.

I think that I actually think Bob last night when he was did that interview that he -- he should've given mark Fuller context about and made it clear that he didn't think that he was going to be personally threatened.

But it's interesting is that the roof of this is the question -- does it matter.

Whose idea it was to have to sequester does that matter at all in this debate and I would say that it does.

Because the White House for an all the other debates has said well this is a republicans' fault this is -- idea this is our idea this is our problem.

And in this case you have a crisis of their own making at the White House and yet they're trying to blame Republicans and now.

They mean a reporter who has basically beloved on all sides which is directly country what President Obama said during the presidential debate he's the -- said that this is from the Republicans is their idea I tried to say hello Bob Woodward once and while we basically tried to discredit his third book when it came out of the Bush Administration.

It was about the Iraq War.

And we did not participate in the book when it came out we criticized it attractive.

Basically but distance between us and Woodward and it failed miserably.

Every body.

Defended Bob Woodward in -- idea as a -- that but not so today -- they treat him like elephants treat the oldest elephant in -- Yet the right to pushing about and it's not just the mainstream media I mean that that the tweet that was sent out by David yeah because let's just talk about what actually happened.

To Bob Woodward after he was told.

You're gonna regret this first.

Jay Carney came out accused him of being willfully wrong now that it implies intent that you -- Intentionally did misleading the American people that takes a shot at -- -- integrity.

So that's the first shot that -- -- Then when -- goes out and says look but I.

I wasn't you know I'm telling you this is what happened I talked to the White House.

Now now we see David -- come -- for the White House and look what he tweeted out.

Watching what -- the last two days is like imagining my idol Mike Schmidt some baseball players -- if faced live pitching again perfection gained once Israeli repeated.

I mean is.

Is this beneath the dignity of of the White House I mean -- to be going after.

Bob Woodward like that what he's all I don't think that it represents the president in the best light I understand defending a president.

But I also think -- at some point as oppressed person in the administration or in a position of leadership like -- plot you can say.

-- We did come up with a sequester idea we've been trying to fix -- the Republicans haven't met us halfway.

And we're just gonna not comment on this Woodward story anymore instead of going after him which is basically a scorched earth campaign.

And burn it in that burns everything down.

And including trying to burn down his reputation and you see that so many people are only too happy to pile while we did some headlines in our last hour.

That many in -- on the blogs in particular the left -- ones just ripping Woodward.

Do you suggesting he's lost his mind -- of this and are gonna start to see.

You can start to see like -- he's old past his prime.

Boy I -- as he hasn't done any good work in a long time if you -- -- art icon you can find a list of other reporters in the past four years and -- said this is not actually that unusual if you look at those local reporters in the 2008 campaign in the different cities.

There were shut out -- -- covering the Obama team.

Very else favoritism I don't look the way that we don't have -- -- that -- here Fox News might I mean what could Fox News or try to keep it if they try to kick us out of the pool interview and the -- the press we're stood up and said no you don't get to kick any news organization including our sister network Fox News out of the news.

-- of these pool reports.

Then they went after CBS -- is Cheryl -- because of her reporting -- fast and furious.

And they went after Bloomberg at one point he called them abusive and then the former head of the whenever they -- stood up and said this is.

That that press corps was angry at how -- the White House was -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- as well as if they think that there is in a pervasive feeling of bullying by the White House Press Office I'll just tell you for the last four years -- talked a lot of those guys that protect our anonymity.

And at that they aren't happy with the way they're being treated but I also to understand why they don't just do better reporting then.

And ask harder questions -- -- Ghazi was and horrific example.

Of letting something go -- talk about will they need -- in the American people they need access in their defense they need access in this White House has a history of shutting it down shutting it down a beta that they'll get the reporting they like.

But now Howard a situation where you've got -- respected journalist whose whose career is it is taking hits by the day because he has so many people piling on.

And they're treating him like he's some rookie reporter who doesn't know when he's been threatened of course Bob Woodward had that email from Gene Sperling and of course he read the whole thing and he -- -- -- back.

The question is whether he believed it was a threat when he -- what he told CNN was yes that's what I thought I believe that was a threat to me.

But we're supposed to believe he's too immature as a reporter to know what's a threat and what's not -- -- a long history with his senior -- housing well and that's a good point.

There are different ways to run a press office one of the rules we had which frustrated a lot of reporters is that people outside of the press office did not talk directly to the press.

They would go through me in my office and we would try to provide access as it as best we could.

But some like a Gene Sperling has a longstanding relationship with Bob Woodward going back to the Clinton days so they know each other they -- in the same neighborhood -- each other at the fresh start.

They know each other very well so they have communication like -- they -- probably have a conversation over coffee anytime that they want.

But the problem with I think going.

That route is that as Press Secretary you can't stop something from happening -- it will I don't think you should say threat even if I know what you mean.

It might it could be taken the wrong way when it gets out into the and to the public so there are good rules to follow I -- -- I don't an anchor who said that you've covered the Clinton administration.

Starts covering the Obama administration and the first week of the Obama administration got a F the word laced phone calls from Rahm Rahm Emanuel but we don't -- -- -- stick that was the way that he operated and I just don't think it's.

A particularly effective way to operate and I don't think it represents President Obama very well.

And there is an interesting article in our National Journal today.

Then I run for a -- talking about how he -- he cut off his relationship written within unnamed senior White House official.

Because of the abuse he had suffered over his reporting and it just found them to be the idiot attempted to intimidate him and shut him down -- -- he ran with something.

They didn't like my party is another one example they have a wonderful legacy reporter in Washington DC -- with a sterling reputation and I think.

That what he wrote today is possibly the most important -- out of all of this mini scandal.

In my house in DC while.

Dana Perino it's great to get your thoughts I have to thank you -- adding there was.

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Perino: 'Scorched earth' campaign against Bob Woodward

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