White House condemns FEMA’s fake presser.
White House condemns FEMA’s fake presser.
Today, Al Kamen reported that the Federal Emergency Management Association held a Tuesday press conference filled with softball questions that were actually asked by FEMA employees posing as journalists. In today’s press briefing, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino condemned FEMA’s actions:
QUESTION: And from what we understand, the questions were posed not by reporters but by staffers. And that distinction was not made known. Is that appropriate?
PERINO: It is not. It is not a practice that we would employ here at the White House or that we — we certainly don’t condone it. We didn’t know about it beforehand. … It’s not something I would have condoned. … FEMA is responsible.
Watch it:
Transcript:
QUESTION: And from what we understand, the questions were posed not by reporters but by staffers. And that distinction was not made known. Is that appropriate?
PERINO: It is not. It is not a practice that we would employ here at the White House or that we — we certainly don’t condone it. We didn’t know about it beforehand.
FEMA has issued an apology, saying that they had an error judgment when they were attempting to get out a lot of information to reporters, who were asking for answers to a variety of questions in regard to the wildfires in California.
It’s not something I would have condoned. And they, I’m sure, will not do it again.
QUESTION: Who’s responsible?
PERINO: Well, FEMA is responsible. And they have accepted that responsibility, and they issued an apology today.
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OH DANA...
GOT GANNON?
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October 26th, 2007 at 4:14 pmSure, FEMA is responsible. Never mind that FEMA is run by White House political appointees.
They accomplished what they wanted to. The idiots who watch Fox News saw what they were supposed to see, and will never know the difference.
This administration is not capable of taking responsibility for any of its actions, and its blind authoritarian supporters will never hold it responsible. This is not just a political attribute of this corrupt administration. It is also a personal attribute of Bush, who is a sociopath and a coward.
October 26th, 2007 at 4:14 pmHello, Pot?
Kettle's holding on line 2 for you!!
October 26th, 2007 at 4:14 pmPerino is a flat chested dipshit for whom I have no admiration for. The only job is qualified for is within the equally incompetent FEMA.
October 26th, 2007 at 4:15 pmPerino: We would never employ something like this here at the White House,we instead would use an entire audience of military families who will keep their traps shut and only ask pre- approved questions.
October 26th, 2007 at 4:15 pmShame on FEMA.
The person who wrote comment #1 illustrates my point perfectly.
October 26th, 2007 at 4:15 pmHere we go for Friday: Daily Show with Dana Purina.
"PERINO: Well, FEMA is responsible. And they have accepted that responsibility, and they issued an apology today."
Memo to Purina: And what was Jeff Gannon?
This is never ending story with the White House not taking personal responsibility and the blame game.
October 26th, 2007 at 4:16 pmChimpy, you're doing a heilofajob!!!
October 26th, 2007 at 4:16 pmUh, Blondie...now who was that Jeff Gannon again, the planted FAKE reporter?
Don't these idiots know that they are on Video tape at all?
and now for something really stupid -
"Any Comment by Sheller of the Clams"
Buck Fush
October 26th, 2007 at 4:21 pmOver six years ago, we Americans suffered a Bush-Cheney-corporate -fascist coup in December 2000 against our 220+ year old democracy. We are still suffering the after-effects of said coup. Incompetence, cronyism, greed rule the day in 21st century America. Dana Perino is merely the latest mouthpiece for said fascist coupsters...
October 26th, 2007 at 4:22 pmForget Jeff Gannon, what about all those fake video releases to television news which never disclosed that their "reporters" were federal administration staff? LOL
October 26th, 2007 at 4:22 pmQUESTION: And from what we understand, the questions were posed not by reporters but by staffers. And that distinction was not made known. Is that appropriate?
PERINO: It is not. It is not a practice that we would employee here at the White House ...
"... and I'm lying through my teeth, tightly clenched as you can see so all the sh*te doesn't spew out for all to see. Next question, you in the back there with the WH staff card.... Yes, Mr. Gannon?"
Cheers,
October 26th, 2007 at 4:22 pmLiar liar pants on fire,
October 26th, 2007 at 4:22 pmNo FEMA's pants on fire again. Not this administration's?
PERINO: It is not. It is not a practice that we would employee here at the White House …
But see, Karl Rove doesn't work at the White House any more, so if he told FEMA to do it that has nothing to do with the administration, see, see, see
October 26th, 2007 at 4:26 pmThey aren't even trying to cover their tracks anymore....how sad they've become, all they are doing is catering to the 25%.
October 26th, 2007 at 4:26 pmThe Bush Administration has no concept of what "taking responsibility" means. They think it means that you finally admit that you did somethign wrong, apologize for doing it, and then move on as if you did nothing wrong. What's missing? The consequences. This should not end here, and I wonder if the media will press FEMA for more details about who approved this. That person should be out of a job. This was not a simple mistake, this was a deliberate attempt to deceive the public. It would have been perfectly fine to stage this fake press briefing if they had the FEMA employees stand up and identify themselves and their job titles and then asked the questions that FEMA wanted to answer. At least you wouldn't think it was real reporters in there.
And while someone at FEMA should go, this is ultimately the responsibility fo the White House and President Bush. Why him? Because according to their own Unitary Excecutive Theory, the President approves and directs everything his administration does. Therefore, it was the White House that tried to deceive the public. (Now, if they want to avoid having to take responsibility, they can start by publicly rejecting the discredited Unitary Executive Theory. But if they're going to stand by it, then this was their fault.)
October 26th, 2007 at 4:26 pmWho does FEMA work for? The WHITEHOUSE! But they'd never assume responsibility for what they're responsible for! So much for the PARTY OF RESPONSIBILITY - the GOP, the PARTY OF WEASEL HYPOCRITES!
October 26th, 2007 at 4:28 pmthis from the people who brought us jeff gannon!
October 26th, 2007 at 4:28 pmAnd the strange thing to me is that these liars all go to chuch on Sunday!
October 26th, 2007 at 4:30 pmWhat? The WH HAS done this repeatedly. The one that comes to mind is the fake pressers using troops in Iraq asking scripted questions.
October 26th, 2007 at 4:31 pm#8 SP Biloxi:
This is never ending story with the White House not taking personal responsibility and the blame game.
Indeed. A distinguishing mark of RW authoritarianism: It's always someone else's doing. They're to blame.
"PERINO: Well, FEMA is responsible. And they have accepted that responsibility, and they issued an apology today."
This maladministration, despite objective evidence that ti is the most crooked, most unethical, and most incompetent ever, will only cling more strongly to the position that "It's not my fault (and who really knows if that the cookie jar is really broken). It's someone eeeelllllsssseeeee's"
Surprisingly enough, one of the best known exponents of this method is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Family_Circus">cartoonist Bill Keane who describes the "Dubya dynamic" quite well in his "Not Me" cartoons. But Billy and Jeffy are perpetually grade-schoolers ... oh, wait .....
Cheers,
October 26th, 2007 at 4:35 pmDid the blond bobble head work for cheney in Wyoming before she became the ( mouth piece) for the dumbass pupett?..Just wondering since it was reported she and cheney are from the same state (of mind), which would be evil and insane...Blessings
October 26th, 2007 at 4:37 pmRemember when the President was to take questions from soldiers overseas via video? The WH stressed these were impromptu questions. That is until the video showing the soldiers being spoonfed the questions and answers.
Sure, the WH doesn't do it. And those aluminum tubes in Iraq were for nukes. And we've been doing everything possible to capture OBL. And we don't torture.
Just stop when you are behind.
October 26th, 2007 at 4:38 pmIf no one is APPROPRIATELY disciplined by the WH, then they actually DO condone it!
October 26th, 2007 at 4:38 pmSo... the big story at FEMA is that they're screwing around in the office, pretending to be something they're not.
It is a crucially important issue, of course. The government posing as the press is a terrible manifestation of tyranny and irresponsibility. An abrogation of the defense of our liberties that they swore an... um... that they...
...
...Does anyone smell smoke?
October 26th, 2007 at 4:45 pmAt any rate, hello everyone! I’m presently a student at James Madison University.
Comment by Newsflash — October 26, 2007 @ 4:39 pm
Hi James from Virginia. Welcome to ThinkProgress. As an FYI, tolerance only goes so far. If there is a bunch of "Christians" beating the crap out of a gay person, I tend to be quite intolerant towards the "Christians." Oh well, call me intolerant!
October 26th, 2007 at 4:47 pmI posted this earlier, but it was WAY at the bottom of a thread so not many people saw it.
The White House finally made it official: http://www.fightingdemocrat.com/mt/images/RNC-toilet.jpg
October 26th, 2007 at 4:50 pm"White House condemns FEMA’s fake presser"
in other news, the White House pressed Webster's to have the meaning of the word 'condemns' changed to mean 'is really really proud of'
October 26th, 2007 at 4:53 pmWhat she should have said was: It is this adminstrations policy to put out fake news stories. I mean really Just look at our record. Armstrong Williams and the $250.000 we paid him for every child left behind, Jeff Gannon and all of the package news stories we put out. I mean how much do we have to do to the american public before you get it. you guys are just plain stupid, oops! I mean you guys are out of touch with this adminstration!
October 26th, 2007 at 4:54 pmAt any rate, hello everyone! I’m presently a student at James Madison University.
Comment by Newsflash — October 26, 2007 @ 4:39 pm
Hello, and prepare to take a beating here. We don't tolerate dishonesty, hypocrisy, or stupidity. Dana Perino isn't just profoundly dishonest, she is criminally dishonest. She has more than earned our contempt.
October 26th, 2007 at 4:59 pm#26 Newsflash, for ya:
Wow, I was taught that democrats (â€progressivesâ€) are supposedly the ones for tolerance. Given such harrassing comments towards Mrs. Perino, so much for that empty banner.
What's the "intolerance" here, d'ya think? That peple here have a bug up their a$$ about being lied to and taken for fools? That they think that there ought to be some responsibility in gummint? What is it, ya think, that is such intolerable "intolerance"?
Cheers,
October 26th, 2007 at 5:00 pmAnd by the way, Newsflash, I'm not one to comment on other people's appearance, but Perino is a serial liar who has been chosen as much for her superficially sweet appearance as for her ability to spew lies a mile a minute. Personally I find her repulsive, though. But I bet the Bill O'Reilly and his falafel loving ilk just suck it up when Perino starts flapping her gums.
October 26th, 2007 at 5:03 pmThe FEMA fake press conference and the White House censorship of the CDC report on health and global warming are far from the first times the Bush administration has doctored scientific reports and testimony. From rented reporters, purchased pundits, and rigged rallies to scripted sessions, fake news and pseudo-science, an unapologetic White House has long sought to alter public perceptions to control political debate - and reality itself.
For the details, see:
October 26th, 2007 at 5:29 pm"FEMA, CDC and Bush's Potemkin Presidency."
All part of the propaganda effort...
http://www.iwar.co.uk/iwar
October 26th, 2007 at 5:31 pmSorry, http://www.iwar.org.us/iwar
October 26th, 2007 at 5:32 pmThe misadministration and FEMA knew they would be caught, but it was well worth it, as many more people will have been fooled for the price of upsetting a small handful of people. Calculated indeed.
October 26th, 2007 at 5:52 pmOh crap, now youve done it. All the libs will now have to grudgingly profess admiration for Perino instead of making snide comments about her cleavage.
Either that or create some batazz crazy conspiracy theory as they usually do.
Comment by Sheller of the Clams — October 26, 2007 @ 4:10 pm
Bullshit. You've obviously not caught any of Bush's staged "town hall" meetings.
October 26th, 2007 at 5:57 pmDana Purina would best serve her country in the position of doggy style.
October 26th, 2007 at 6:19 pmAt any rate, hello everyone! I’m presently a student at James Madison University.
Comment by Newsflash — October 26, 2007 @ 4:39 pm
We can't tolerate that. It's a second-tier school with 3rd-tier faculty, 4th-tier students, and a 5th tier football team. Dana Perino would have flunked out.
October 26th, 2007 at 6:23 pmFunny how snide comments about cleavage weren't addressed by Sheller when the right was all gaga over Hllary's. Hypocrisy, thy name is Rightard.
October 26th, 2007 at 6:24 pmSo the White House’s fake presser condemned FEMA’s fake presser?
:o
Cool.
Comment by BARTLEBEE — October 26, 2007 @ 5:01 pm
You type the funniest things sometimes. :)
October 26th, 2007 at 7:22 pmDana Perino did the right thing by apologizing for the FEMA staged infomercial. I just wish I could believe what she said was sincere instead of press-speak for "Darn -- we got caught."
In any case, whether the White House had knowledge of this fiasco or not, FEMA should spend more time on production and less time on marketing.
October 26th, 2007 at 7:25 pmOh crap, now youve done it. All the libs will now have to grudgingly profess admiration for Perino instead of making snide comments about her cleavage.
Either that or create some batazz crazy conspiracy theory as they usually do.
Comment by Sheller of the Clams — October 26, 2007 @ 4:10 pm
Poor Sheller, proving him/her-self absolutely wrong again. Unlike you, sweetie (not), we remember phony reporter/gay hooker Jeff Gannon's softball questions at WH press conferences.
October 26th, 2007 at 7:34 pmI wonder how often this sort of thing happens -- other than the daily WH press briefing, of course.
October 26th, 2007 at 8:13 pmPERINO: Well, FEMA is responsible. And they have accepted that responsibility, and they issued an apology today.
Well, golly, Mis Molly, glad to hear that. Now that you've set them straight, and they've apologised, I'm sure they won't do that again.
Ummmm ... just one question: Shouldn't it have occured to someone beforehand that this was an incredibly boneheaded and dishonest thing to do and that they shouldn't be doing it? I mean, must have been quite a few in on the plan, no? And not a one of them said, "Now waidaminnit! Stop! WTF you think you're doing???"
What kind of people do you have working there, anyway?!?!?
My kingdom. My kingdom for a sapient press crops...
Cheers,
October 26th, 2007 at 8:20 pmGeez... you guys are bein' a little snarky here today...
October 26th, 2007 at 8:25 pmWho is responsible for fake FEMA presser, Dana was asked. "Mumbo, jumbo, mumbo," she replied.
What a stupid question. Doesn't everyone know that no one in Bush's administration is responsible for anything?
That goes for Mitch McConnell -- Day 14 since he lied to a news reporter on camera about his role in the smear job of the Frost family. No apology from McConnell. No firing of his communication director who sent the email about the Frosts to the press.
And of course, no one will lose their job because they set up a fake FEMA press conference on 10/23. Responsibility??? What were we thinking?
October 26th, 2007 at 11:57 pmIt is not a practice that we would employ here at the White House or that we — we certainly don’t condone it...It is not a practice that we would employ here at the White House or that we — we certainly don’t condone it...It’s not something I would have condoned.
**********************
BULL. The White House may not have gone quite so far as to have White House staffers pose as reporters at press briefings (at least not as far as we know!) -- but it's by no means a secret that they've come damn close to doing that! The White House spins its own public relations nearly as hard as FEMA, and everyone knows it -- so this is clearly a case of "Do as I say, not as I do".
Anyone else remember James Guckert AKA Jeff Gannon -- the pseudo-reporter from "Talon News" (did they actually exist?) who was later revealed to be moonlighting as a gay male prostitute? It's never been satisfactorily explained just how Gannon managed to get a press pass despite the fact that he had virtually no journalistic credentials and that an official pass requires a background check, but one is inclined to suspect that he had a connection on the inside even though it may not have been authorized by the White House as such. However, even from the very beginning of GWB's first term, journalists have been complaining that the White House has shown distinct favoritism towards certain journalists and prejudice against others based on the perceived tendency to be supportive of GWB's policies or inclined to be confrontational -- reporters have told stories of being exiled to the very back rows of the press room and consistently ignored when they try to ask questions, or of being denied admittance outright. That may not be quite as bad as using people posing as reporters, but it's only one rung down the ladder from that. It's also a well-established fact that the White House -- or at the very least, "over-zealous staffers" (although it's hard to imagine that they were doing this entirely of their own accord without tacit permission from the administration) -- have denied people entry to GWB's public appearances for political reasons. Again, it may not be quite as bad as outright fake journalism but let's be real -- it's not as far removed from that as the White House would like us to think. Someone who steals $50 may point to someone who steals $500 and denounce him as a thief and a criminal -- but that does nothing to expunge his own crime or change the fact that he himself is also a thief. It's hypocrisy, pure and simple (if not jealousy over the fact that they didn't think of it first!) -- but then again, to expect anything else from a politician of any stamp, never mind this particular administration, is expecting too much.
October 27th, 2007 at 10:59 amComment by Bluestocking — October 27, 2007 @ 10:59 am
Your comment is spot on, Bluestocking, except for one point: I think Jeff Gannon/James Guckert was moonlighting as a "journalist," while working as a gay hooker. Also, Secret Service logs indicate that he was visiting the WH even before Talon News was created.
October 27th, 2007 at 7:35 pmand TP reports today that the FEMA PR person in charge of this stunt has resigned from FEMA in order to accept a more lucrative job in the Dept of National Intelligence.
Of course, neither one are in the control of the WH.
October 27th, 2007 at 9:05 pm