Perino Blindly Defends White House’s Political Briefings Without Knowing Any Facts

[babylonsister]

:D :D
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/26/perino-briefings/

Perino Blindly Defends White House’s Political Briefings Without Knowing Any Facts

White House officials have admitted that they “conducted 20 private briefings on Republican electoral prospects in the last midterm election for senior officials in at least 15 government agencies covered by federal restrictions on partisan political activity.” Today, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino tried to defend these briefings, stating, “There’s nothing in the law that says you can’t do that. It’s not unethical.”

But the Hatch Act prohibits partisan campaign activities on federal property. CNN’s Ed Henry pointed out that six witnesses remember that at one of the briefings, Lurita Doan, the head of GSA, asked Karl Rove-deputy Scott Jennings, “What then, after getting this briefing, can we do to go help Republican candidates? And he said, Let’s talk off-line about that.”

Perino responded that she didn’t know what Jennings meant, adding, “I haven’t spoke to Scott Jennings about this. I don’t think that I will.” Henry asked Perino how she could “make a blanket statement saying no laws were broken” without knowing any details. Watch it at link~

Transcript:

QUESTION: Can I follow up on it?

Well, I just want to — why then did, according to apparently six witnesses that have apparently spoken to Congressman Waxman, say that, at the end of one of these briefings, the head of the GSA said to I think it was Scott Jennings, one of Karl Rove’s aides, What then, after getting this briefing, can we do to go help Republican candidates? And he said, Let’s talk off-line about that.

PERINO: I never talked to Scott Jennings about that.

I think that…

QUESTION: Well, why would they suggest that…

PERINO: Well, I’m not going to speculate as to what he would have meant by that or not. I mean, he could have meant that that was an inappropriate comment to make in front of other people.

(CROSSTALK)

PERINO: … off-line, instead of embarrassing her in front of other people.

QUESTION: If you don’t know the answer to that, how do you know that no laws were broken or there was nothing unethical…

PERINO: You can check with counsel’s office, and talking about informational briefings about political landscape, that that is OK, that that is acceptable. There’s nothing in the law that says you can’t do that. It’s not unethical. And it is something that is absolutely reasonable and appropriate, to provide political appointees with information about the landscape in which they’re working.

QUESTION: What if, at the end of those briefings, there were other conversations about, then, how you can help…

PERINO: What if? What if? I’m not answering what ifs.

QUESTION: But you don’t know the answers to those questions, do you? I mean, how can you make a blanket statement that no laws were broken, as you said this morning, when you don’t really know what happened at these briefings or after the briefings?

PERINO: You’re asking me to prove a negative, and I can’t — nobody can do that.

QUESTION: Then how can you make a blanket statement saying no laws were broken? You just made blanket statements without knowing the details…

PERINO: The question is whether or not the political briefings are inappropriate, are unethical or unlawful. And the answer to all three of those questions is no.

QUESTION: Even if, at the end of it, an aide to…

PERINO: But even if, even if. I’m not — you can…

QUESTION: But six people who were there say it. It’s not just…

PERINO: But what I’m saying is that you don’t — I haven’t spoke to Scott Jennings about this. I don’t think that I will. If the Office of the Special Counsel wants to look into this, they are more than welcome to, but I’m not going to get into the middle of someone else’s investigation.

[Colobo]

1. That's what she's paid for. What else can you expect?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. finally, a good follow up and good questions.

Deny Peroxide indeed.

[BOSSHOG]

3. She must be auditioning for a job with a right wing think tank

Imagine three years from now on a cable show. And representing the conservative view point, heritage foundation junior fellowess dana perino. Dana, when you subbed for snow, you were a lying slut, is that how you got the presitigious job at the big heritage?

[Ian David]

4. If she knew the facts, then she might have to lie. n/t

[Colobo]

7. Again, that's her job.

We can't expect anything else.

[LiberalFighter]

18. If she thinks that something against the law is unethical and because

it isn't unethical therefore it is not against the law?

Someone should ask her if she is still a virgin even though she is married.

[baldguy]

5. "If the President does it, that means that it's not a crime."

Isn't this the same argument that got Nixon in trouble?

[dchill]

12. Yes, that's the argument that got Nixon in trouble,

but today's Republican incumbent is far more ethically flexible than past editions were. Ideology trumps truth and country.

[AndyA]

6. Facts? The White House don't need no stinkin' facts. They have spin.

Lies. Bullshit.

They don't need facts. They can't be bothered with facts or with the truth.

We are expecting WWWWAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY too much from them if we want facts!

[dchill]

8. "Perino Blindly Defends..."

That's her job! She's just filling in for Snow.

[LSparkle]

9. Talk about your Stepford Wife ...

ALMOST makes me miss Crony McSnowjob ...

[fooj]

10. Blah, blah, blah...

She gets paid to bullshit the American people.

[Robbien]

11. Note that the WH is starting to hide behind Bloch's phony investigation

"we cannot talk about an ongoing investigation". Yeah right, now that a GOPer pal of Rove's is investigating, the WH cannot discuss it. A Democratically controlled Congress investigation doesn't count, the WH could discuss it. Now that a GOP led investigation is being done, the WH cannot discuss it.

[rodeodance]

13. she was told by Rove they are 'informational" briefings" : therefore she can

not respond outside of this knowledge (its all she knows)

[partylessinOhio]

14. Perino must have a beautiful mind...

clutter free.
:party:

[MiniMe]

15. No different than listening to * at a presser

He doesn't know the facts either.

[gratuitous]

16. Thank you Judge Perino

You don't mind, do you, if we ask an actual judge whether those briefings were inappropriate, unethical or unlawful, based on a presentation of the evidence, rather than a blanket statement of what you wish was true?

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

17. Would It Be Inappropriate For Someone To Ask Her To Strip?

I don't think she has much upstairs, but she looks pretty hot. I might tune into her press conferences if she was wearing a bikini, or perhaps a low cut dress.

Can't one of the press corps say something like...."I'm really not interested in whatever WH SPIN Talking Points you're spewing today, so instead, could you take off your shirt for us?"

[Evergreen Emerald]

19. her job is to inform the american public through the press--it is not to lie.