Shocker: White House Pissed at NYT [Dana Perino]
Dana Perino, you icy chamberpot of talky talky death! Only one day after your pals Blackwater shot the New York Times’ fucking dog, and you’re releasing a statement condemning its headline this morning? For being misleading? You, the White motherfucking House is calling someone else misleading? If you weren’t so damn pretty, I’d curse you out several more times.
Indeed, Dana Perino had no sympathy for the precious murdered pup Hentish this morning. Instead, she released an extensive statement condemning the NYT’s story on the White House’s involvement in destroying those CIA tape things:
The New York Times today implies that the White House has been misleading in publicly acknowledging or discussing details related to the CIA’s decision to destroy interrogation tapes.
The sub-headline of the story inaccurately says that the “White House Role Was Wider Than It Said”, and the story states that “…the involvement of White House officials in the discussions before the destruction of the tapes…was more extensive than Bush administration officials have acknowledged.”
Under direction from the White House General Counsel while the Department of Justice and the CIA Inspector General conduct a preliminary inquiry, we have not publicly commented on facts relating to this issue, except to note President Bush’s immediate reaction upon being briefed on the matter. Furthermore, we have not described - neither to highlight, nor to minimize — the role or deliberations of White House officials in this matter.
The New York Times’ inference that there is an effort to mislead in this matter is pernicious and troubling, and we are formally requesting that NYT correct the sub-headline of this story.
It will not be surprising that this matter will be reported with a reliance on un-named sources and individuals lacking a full availability of the facts — and, as the New York Times story itself acknowledges, some of these sources will have wildly conflicting accounts of the facts. We will instead focus our efforts on supporting the preliminary inquiry underway, where facts can be gathered without bias or influence and later disseminated in an appropriate fashion.
We will continue to decline to comment on this issue, and in response to misleading press reports. (emphasis ours)
So now she’s gloating about her widespread “no comment” policy, rather than viewing it as a source of embarrassment? Usually you want to bring out an “oh snap” with a direct statement like this, and that requires providing new information. Give it up reporters! “No comment” is the new American foreign policy, and all rogue commenters will be frozen or have their dogs shot.
Dec. 19 Statement by the Press Secretary [White House]
(Via Wonkette.)