Obama Advisor Dan Pfeiffer: Scandals are all trumped up by Republicans
nomorcocktails
Published on May 19, 2013
On Meet the Press Dan Pfeiffer said that there is not some big cloud of scandal over the WH and that this all the fault of the GOP - that they are dragging Washington through a swap of partisan fishing expeditions and trumped charges. And somehow Obama is above it all because he has to get back to the business of the American People.
Bob Schieffer Tears Into WH Adviser Over Response To Scandals: 'Is The President Out Of Touch?'
Chris Wallace GRILLS White House Adviser Dan Pfeiffer Over Benghazi Emails, Talking Points
Published on May 19, 2013
On Meet the Press Dan Pfeiffer said that there is not some big cloud of scandal over the WH and that this all the fault of the GOP - that they are dragging Washington through a swap of partisan fishing expeditions and trumped charges. And somehow Obama is above it all because he has to get back to the business of the American People.
Bob Schieffer Tears Into WH Adviser Over Response To Scandals: 'Is The President Out Of Touch?'
WeAreTheSavageNation
Published on May 19, 2013
5/19/13 - White House adviser Dan Pfeiffer must not have particularly enjoyed himself this weekend, given that his Sunday show appearances have been defensive at best and contentious at worst. CBS' Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer accounted for the latter as he grilled Pfeiffer on the White House response to the issues — and why the administration pleads ignorance when things go wrong. Cutting to the chase, Schieffer questioned whether the White House is approaching the issues in earnest ("Does that mean you don't take any of this seriously?"), which Pfeiffer quickly denied. The chief of staff, he explained, was arguing that: "This is the Republican playbook here which is try, when they don't have a positive agenda, try to drag Washington into a swamp of partisan fishing expeditions, trumped up hearings and false allegations."
"You know, I don't want to compare this in any way to Watergate," Schieffer responded. "I do not think this is Watergate by any stretch. But you weren't born then I would guess, but I have to tell you that is exactly the approach that the Nixon administration took. They said, 'These are all second-rate things. We don't have time for this. We have to devote our time to the people's business.' You're taking exactly the same line that they did."
Pfeiffer clarified that the IRS actions were "inexcusable" and demand action — citing to generic points about top-down reviews, et cetera. It's "very difficult," Schieffer argued, to understand how the White House would have been ignorant to the goings-on within the agency. Pfeiffer claimed it was so, as Schieffer continued to express skepticism.
"Is this president out of touch?" the CBS host asked, addressing the talk about Obama often appearing to be a bystander. The "actual, real scandal" would have been if the president had interfered with an investigation, Pfeiffer countered.
Schieffer pressed on though: Later in the interview, he denied any desire to be "argumentative," but pointed out that when the executive branch does something right (e.g. killing Osama bin Laden), the White House has no "hesitancy" in taking credit.
"But with all of these things, when these things happen, you seem to send out officials many times who don't even seem to know what has happened," he added, as contrast. "And I use as an example of that Susan Rice who had no connection whatsoever to the events that took place in Benghazi, and yet she was sent out, appeared on this broadcast, and other Sunday broadcasts, five days after it happens. And I'm not here to get in an argument with you about who changed which word in the talking points and all that. The bottom line is what she told the American people that day bore no resemblance to what had happened on the ground in an incident where four Americans were killed."
Not quite responding to the point Schieffer was making, Pfeiffer reverted to the much-repeated argument about how the administration put forth information as they received it.
Schieffer reiterated that he was speaking about the "PR plan."
"Why did you do that?" he asked. "Why didn't the secretary of state come and tell us what they knew and if you knew nothing say, 'We don't know yet'? Why didn't the White House chief of staff come out? I mean I would, and I mean this as no disrespect to you — why are you here today? Why isn't the White House chief of staff here to tell us what happened?"
Unsurprisingly, Pfeiffer didn't broach those questions, rhetorical or not.
Published on May 19, 2013
5/19/13 - White House adviser Dan Pfeiffer must not have particularly enjoyed himself this weekend, given that his Sunday show appearances have been defensive at best and contentious at worst. CBS' Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer accounted for the latter as he grilled Pfeiffer on the White House response to the issues — and why the administration pleads ignorance when things go wrong. Cutting to the chase, Schieffer questioned whether the White House is approaching the issues in earnest ("Does that mean you don't take any of this seriously?"), which Pfeiffer quickly denied. The chief of staff, he explained, was arguing that: "This is the Republican playbook here which is try, when they don't have a positive agenda, try to drag Washington into a swamp of partisan fishing expeditions, trumped up hearings and false allegations."
"You know, I don't want to compare this in any way to Watergate," Schieffer responded. "I do not think this is Watergate by any stretch. But you weren't born then I would guess, but I have to tell you that is exactly the approach that the Nixon administration took. They said, 'These are all second-rate things. We don't have time for this. We have to devote our time to the people's business.' You're taking exactly the same line that they did."
Pfeiffer clarified that the IRS actions were "inexcusable" and demand action — citing to generic points about top-down reviews, et cetera. It's "very difficult," Schieffer argued, to understand how the White House would have been ignorant to the goings-on within the agency. Pfeiffer claimed it was so, as Schieffer continued to express skepticism.
"Is this president out of touch?" the CBS host asked, addressing the talk about Obama often appearing to be a bystander. The "actual, real scandal" would have been if the president had interfered with an investigation, Pfeiffer countered.
Schieffer pressed on though: Later in the interview, he denied any desire to be "argumentative," but pointed out that when the executive branch does something right (e.g. killing Osama bin Laden), the White House has no "hesitancy" in taking credit.
"But with all of these things, when these things happen, you seem to send out officials many times who don't even seem to know what has happened," he added, as contrast. "And I use as an example of that Susan Rice who had no connection whatsoever to the events that took place in Benghazi, and yet she was sent out, appeared on this broadcast, and other Sunday broadcasts, five days after it happens. And I'm not here to get in an argument with you about who changed which word in the talking points and all that. The bottom line is what she told the American people that day bore no resemblance to what had happened on the ground in an incident where four Americans were killed."
Not quite responding to the point Schieffer was making, Pfeiffer reverted to the much-repeated argument about how the administration put forth information as they received it.
Schieffer reiterated that he was speaking about the "PR plan."
"Why did you do that?" he asked. "Why didn't the secretary of state come and tell us what they knew and if you knew nothing say, 'We don't know yet'? Why didn't the White House chief of staff come out? I mean I would, and I mean this as no disrespect to you — why are you here today? Why isn't the White House chief of staff here to tell us what happened?"
Unsurprisingly, Pfeiffer didn't broach those questions, rhetorical or not.
Chris Wallace GRILLS White House Adviser Dan Pfeiffer Over Benghazi Emails, Talking Points
Published on May 19, 2013
dan pfeiffer chris wallace fox news sunday | Dan Pfeiffer made the Sunday show rounds this week, including a stop at Fox News Sunday, where Chris Wallace pressed him on the administration's handling of and response to the Benghazi attack. Wallace persisted on the topic of the emails about the talking points in particular — but the two couldn't manage to agree.
Wallace began by questioning Pfeiffer about what President Obama did the night of the attack and whether he was in the situation room — but Pfeiffer said Obama was kept updated, but didn't provide specifics, contending that which room Obama was in is "a largely irrelevant fact."
"Where is he while all this is going on?" Wallace asked. As Pfeiffer replied that "this has been testified to," Wallace argued, "No. No one knows where he was or how he was involved."
"The assertion from Republicans that somehow the president allowed this to happen or didn't take action is offensive," Pfeiffer stated. "There's no evidence to support it."
With that, Wallace moved on to the topic of talking points the emails the White House has released. Pointing to the White House adjustment that there was one stylistic adjustment to the talking points, Wallace remarked, "Any fair reading of the emails, just the two I read — that's totally misleading."
Pfeiffer's response pointed to emails "doctored" by Republicans in an effort to "smear the president." Wallace countered that his question was based on accurate emails, as Pfeiffer asserted that emails contradict GOP conspiracy theories. The pair clashed over the talking points' mention of the attack being sparked by protests — whether in Cairo or over a video. Pfeiffer remained defensive, as Wallace concluding by agreeing to disagree.
dan pfeiffer chris wallace fox news sunday | Dan Pfeiffer made the Sunday show rounds this week, including a stop at Fox News Sunday, where Chris Wallace pressed him on the administration's handling of and response to the Benghazi attack. Wallace persisted on the topic of the emails about the talking points in particular — but the two couldn't manage to agree.
Wallace began by questioning Pfeiffer about what President Obama did the night of the attack and whether he was in the situation room — but Pfeiffer said Obama was kept updated, but didn't provide specifics, contending that which room Obama was in is "a largely irrelevant fact."
"Where is he while all this is going on?" Wallace asked. As Pfeiffer replied that "this has been testified to," Wallace argued, "No. No one knows where he was or how he was involved."
"The assertion from Republicans that somehow the president allowed this to happen or didn't take action is offensive," Pfeiffer stated. "There's no evidence to support it."
With that, Wallace moved on to the topic of talking points the emails the White House has released. Pointing to the White House adjustment that there was one stylistic adjustment to the talking points, Wallace remarked, "Any fair reading of the emails, just the two I read — that's totally misleading."
Pfeiffer's response pointed to emails "doctored" by Republicans in an effort to "smear the president." Wallace countered that his question was based on accurate emails, as Pfeiffer asserted that emails contradict GOP conspiracy theories. The pair clashed over the talking points' mention of the attack being sparked by protests — whether in Cairo or over a video. Pfeiffer remained defensive, as Wallace concluding by agreeing to disagree.
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