WH Press Secretary Slams New Yorker's Hersh, Won't Respond To Claims

Washington Post:

White House Press Secretary Dana Perino yesterday cast aspersions on investigative reporter Seymour M. Hersh and his anonymous sources -- but refused to respond to any of the specific claims Hersh made in this week's New Yorker about White House support for a new path to war with Iran.

All Perino would say was that President Bush is seeking a diplomatic solution -- precisely what the White House claimed as it set the Iraq war in motion in late 2002 and early 2003.

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Hersh, who has a history of well-sourced, groundbreaking reporting (he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1970 for his uncovering of the My Lai massacre in Vietnam), writes that Bush is seriously considering limited strikes against Iran, ostensibly in defense of American troops in Iraq. The real attraction of such an approach, Hersh writes, is that Bush and Cheney believe it could be readily sold to the American people.

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[slobone]

Sorry, WaPost, but Hersh's reputation is far from impeccable. His book on JFK was full of ludicrous, poorly sourced rumors, and was completely demolished by Garry Wills in the New York Review of Books. I would hardly characterize Hersh as a journalist whose primary allegiance is to objective reporting rather than creating a sensation.

[onekoleso]

The White House, and its phalanx of media sycophants, has mastered the art of smoke and mirrors and its accompanying shell games.

Whether or not the plans are true, (probably) the bottom line is that it deflects any spotlights on the mess in: Iraq, Afghanistan, Katrina, the budget, and all of the administrations bungling fiascos.

Wag the dog, the tail (tale), and any other appendage at the public so that they can forget the real messes. After all, they'll (the public) buy into anything as they are so easily distracted and manipulated.

Tomorrow we'll hear about.....­..

[consrevil]

She looks like a cranky little bitch that needs her hinney spanked.

[MovingtoNorway]

Another talking airhead who should move onto something that more suits her talents, like MILF porn videos. Where do they dredge up these idiots?

[Taan]

Everyone in the Bush Administration is by default an extension of George Bush. You can't keep your job unless you toe the stupidity that originates from the Oval Office. Ergo, the Press Secretary must toe the line with the Bush inanities or get fired, no matter how foolish he/she looks on the podium. This also applies to all the other cabinet and department heads. Show up the boss and you're outa here. Rice is the mystery woman, an individual who can think wide circles around Bush, yet continues to spew the claptrap that comes from the White House.

[thesis]

I'm overcome with deja vu. Scary.

[dax49]

excuse me, doesn't this woman work for the american people and isn't she paid by us to answer any question we may ask? this administrtion might want to look and see who signs their paycheck.

[ms.understood]

This administration could give a damn about who signs their paychecks. As a matter of fact, there's not much that they consider when doing whatever it is that they want to do.

[BachelorJohnnyCool]

This isn't the first time Perino got her "big girl panties" in a knot over Mr. Hersh. A few months ago, while filling in for Tony Snow, she essentially called Hersh a liar. The administration didn't scrape the bottom of the barrel to get her for the job, they had to dig underneath it.

[vfippinger]

What in the hell are the Huffpo "Comment Rules" doing in the middle of the story?
Someone protecting Dana from bad language?

If you can't stand the heat - get out of Bushies hells kitchen.

[ajax2]

Dana Perino is so much more credible than Sy Hersh. She is using the capital built up by Ari Fleischer and the others that followed to keep the nation informed.

Homer Fox Viewer, 2nd Confederate Calvary, Bull Run.

[delphi]

Go soak your head, Dana.

[ProfessorDuh]

Let's see. Seymour Hersh is America's greatest investigative journalist, and Dana Perino is a noted liar. Gosh, I wonder which we should believe?

[plages]

Mr. Hersh must have struck a nerve, and to think that there are people in our "White House" that want to get the truth out! The nerve!

[NotMyPrez]

She's already getting that Tony Snow grimace down- she lies through her eyes, but that's what all PR secretaries do.

[anotherplayaguy]

Attack the messenger. It's all the Republicans have left -- as well as being their main weapon for a long time.

Never attack the claims as they are readily verifiable. So attack the messenger. It worked last time and got us into Iraq.

[LenP]

Dana's cute, but I hate that she's such a shill for the White House. But I guess that's her job.

How does she sleep at night?

Heh! If I was her hubby, I wouldn't LET her sleep!

Ooh La La!

[Ramirez]

If you were her hubby, she probably wouldn't be home.

[hugs4u]

She really isn't cute. She looks like she needs a face lift.
bush has her doing the news conferences cause he needs a bimbo who isn't smart and just will do lip service to what he wants her to say whether it is right or wrong. That is why toni snow was so good at it. I listened to him when he had a talk show on the radio several times and thought he sounded like a real idiot. Then he went to work for bush and proved it.

[gsuescum]

I almost hope they try to bomb Iran. Maybe that's what's needed in this country to finally get us to revolt against our corrupt congress and fascist administration.

[anotherplayaguy]

Let's not even almost hope. What we do means nothing. Bush is going in because that's all he knows how to do. And it will keep the war profiteers happy.

[hugs4u]

bush is a glutton for oil. he wants to invade almost any country which has some.