Bloggers Furious At White House For Anonymous Ridicule

Progressive bloggers were in an uproar Sunday night after a White House "adviser," speaking on condition of anonymity, urged them to "take off their pajamas" and get serious about politics.

NBC White House correspondent John Harwood relayed the quote during a segment he shot for Nightly News following a massive gay rights rally in Washington.

"For a sign of how seriously the White House does or doesn't take this opposition, one adviser told me today those bloggers need to take off their pajamas, get dressed and realize that governing a closely-divided country is complicated and difficult," said Harwood, who has solid sources inside the Obama White House and routinely talks with top administration officials.

In an email to the Huffington Post on Monday, Harwood clarified that the quote was not meant to convey any displeasure on the part of the administration for the gay community's public advocacy.

"My comments quoting an Obama adviser about liberal bloggers/pajamas weren't about the LGBT community or the marchers," he wrote. "They referred more broadly to those grumbling on the left about an array of issues in addition to gay rights, including the war in Afghanistan and health care and Guantanamo -- and whether all that added up to trouble with Obama's liberal base..."

Nevertheless, the segment spread quickly through the netroots, with the targets of the offending line taking understandable offense.

John Aravosis of the prominent AMERICABlog, wrote:

So the gay community, and its concerns about President Obama's inaction, and backtracking, on DADT and DOMA, are now, according to President Obama's White House, part of a larger "fringe" that acts like small children who play in their pajamas and need to grow up. (And a note to our readers: The White House just included all of you in that loony "left fringe.")

Prominent gay blogger Pam Spaulding weighed in with the following on her personal site:

Wow. Nice to know that asking to pass federal legislation (ENDA) so my fellow North Carolinian LGBTs don't get canned for being who they are is a "fringe" activity. I must remind the White House that North Carolina delivered for him in 2008, and LGBT support was key, and was leaned on for support in a big way.

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And Jane Hamsher, over at FireDogLake, offered this scathing bit of pushback:

That is just classic. After pandering to LGBT leaders last night the truth comes out. Dear gays: grow up and let us get about the serious business of governance. Signed, some dude who's too afraid to give his real name.

And old anonymous is, of course, full of shit. Obama's poll numbers took a 10 point hit with Democrats after Kathleen Sebelius said the White House was willing to ditch the public option. She had to dial it back instantly, and ever since that time they've been scrambling to find a way to give the public option the heave-ho in a way that didn't backlash on the President.

By mid-morning Monday, the administration was already in damage control -- though, echoing Harwood's clarification, it focused its efforts on shoring up hurt feelings among bloggers in general and not those who focus on LBGT issues. In a comment to Greg Sargent of The Plum Line, White House senior communications director Dan Pfeiffer basically refuted the report.

"That sentiment does not reflect White House thinking at all, we've held easily a dozen calls with the progressive online community because we believe the online communities can often keep the focus on how policy will affect the American people rather than just the political back-and-forth," Pfeiffer emailed.

In actuality, of course, the relationship between the White House and the netroots is far less fractious than Harwood's source suggests and maybe a little less symbiotic than what Pfeiffer offered. The White House has actively encouraged progressive bloggers to help it pass legislation -- whether by ginning up support for an initiative or fact-checking media reports. The administration has also engaged the online left on multiple occasions -- from high-profile presidential news conferences to off-the-record briefings on health care reform. This past week, White House economic adviser Austan Goolsbee hosted his third conference call with bloggers, this time to discuss regulatory reform.

But while the administration certainly appreciates progressive new media, it remains wary of it. Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, in particular, regards the online left as impractical and counterproductive. While Communications Director Anita Dunn and Press Secretary Robert Gibbs both have worked hard to make new media a fixture of the Obama communications strategy, the West Wing favors the old media guard -- granting them access and, in the case of Harwood, anonymous quotes in attempts to advance its agenda.

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Comments

[gloriousgg5]

I hope all of you bloggers will call, write and speak about the issues concerning our country. Pressure the politicians and let them know they are accountable. We can be lobbyists for our own benefit if we take the time. Remember that the lobbyists are paid big money to bend the ear of our representatives. We have to do it as if we get paid, because we do when we get the kind of representation we want.

[Nick D]

Sounds like something Rahm would say.

But why is this a big deal? I mean, this anonymous advisor is correct. These issues are complicated. I don't think hesitation and making calculated moves is dumb thing to do. Especially since we have such a worked-up Right wing. What the left-wing blogosphere - which I would definitely consider myself a part of - doesn't often take into account is that issues aren't resolved when the correct decision is reached, it is when everyone accepts it as resolved.

We know Don't Ask Don't Tell should be repealed. The next step is making sure everyone understands that. If we, the left wing blogosphere, cannot educate our fellow citizens, the Administration that we voted for will have to pick up the slack. Many right wingers are just like us, only they've been duped. And if we spend all our energy hating them instead of educating them, explaining the greater issues, we've also been duped.

So, yeah, it was a rude thing to say, but we are on the same side here. We can't forget that. This administration needs to do the job we elected them to do, and we need to continue to hold them accountable, but we could also do a better job.

[Patrick Phillips]

Sorry Barack, but I think this blogger will keep his pajamas on. Your success in the elections was due in large part to bloggers.

[ASM826]

I'm a blogger. A conservative libertarian blogger, at that. I am completely unsurprised by the Obama Administration's failure to keep it's promises or it's arrogance. You have all been duped by power hungry politicians. It's sad, but better to see it now and get off that train.

[jwredd]

Oh, I missed the part where Obama said he would achieve all his promised goals by October of his first year. You're right, what a slacker! Anybody else would've had this mess wrapped up months ago. You can be a conservative and a libertarian all you want but to predict the future and turn that into a present failure makes you kind of an @ss among other things.

[lizr]

LOL - Still- Goldman Sachs owns this administration and that is intolerable.

[SurrealPumpkin]

How many times have bloggers told each other to get out of mommies basement, or that mommy is calling for dinner?

It's what's being said on the blogs, why the horror?

[Bitsko]

Why does this story take the side of the bloggers? Mr. or Ms. Anonymous has a point.

[SurrealPumpkin]

Which is why it's so upsetting.

[Mac Williams]

What point would that be, exactly? That common folks should just shut up and ride whatever train the President is driving at the time, no matter where it's headed?

Sorry. No thanks.

The only reason any politician worth their salt would be worried about blogs is if the blogs are saying things that make the politicians worried. Instead of trashing bloggers, maybe it would be a good idea to ask yourself why it is that the W.H. is so concerned about bloggers that it needs to "leak" this kind of story.

By the way, the Huffington Post is a blog...

[tinman1967]

Anything that upsets the progressives (or is it the regressives) in this country is A-OK with me.
Well done, White House. Progressives' only mission is to destroy America...because they hate it so very much.

[jwredd]

Which party was hating America while they all but destroyed over the last 8 years? Your statement falls quite flat considering the reality in this country.

[lizr]

UR 1 twisted sistah...

[Imago]

Is your tin hat a funnel or foil?

[fr33d0mhawk]

Tinman? Your screen name should be Scarecrow, who is on a neocon Jihad to the land of OZ looking for a brain. If you only had a brain... you would not listen to FOX.

[Validusername]

I too am wary of the progressive media. I watched and listening to every debate (Republican and Democratic) during the election. I listened to every speech given by a front runner. It goes without saying that I heard Obama speak many, many times. I heard him say that he intended to be the president of all the people. I heard him say that when making decisions he would listen to all sides before deciding what needs to be done. I got the impression that he would do everything possible to make sure his decisions were good for the American people. Progressives are now whining because the President is not doing what they want and doing it at lightening speed. I have become as sick of them as I am of the utltra conservatives. Nothing pleases either group. Right now it's health care reform, Afghanistan, and joblessness, stupid. He's working on all three. If it were easy to do, we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place.

[hypnotoad72]

I'll side with the White House on this one.

I've seen nothing from the bloggers, left-wing or otherwise (or professional politic-mouthers, aside from Al Franken) who do anything good or serious. Senator Franken is cool. He's done the entertainment bit and he follows through by being his own self. The video of him at the MN State Fair is truly impressive and is some proof he's not worthy of the heckling he gets. Recommended viewing.

[scottyknows]

Sturgeon's Law applies: 94% of everything is crap.

Probably higher on the internet.

[motoGpifupleez]

Perhaps 100,000 pajama clad protesters in the streets would make the White House take bloggers seriously.

[jwredd]

Only if they could come up with a more unified and coherent message than the teabaggers did. If they were just out there complaining about their government in general........... teaparty!

[ASM826]

The Teaparty protesters were and are primarily protesting the increase in taxation and spending, and the resulting increase in government regulation and intrusion. From the pictures and the Park Service, they managed to get slightly over a million people to DC. Add in the regional protests, and they represent a large number of people. They got ignored.

Even if you completely disagree with them, that is a lot of people. if the government can ignore that many protesters, they can ignore any GLBT protest, too.

As a libertarian, I am in favor of limited government, maximum personal freedom. That makes me a strong supporter of a number of issues that would traditionally be on opposite sides of the Red/Blue divide. I think those on the left and those on the right that think that personal freedom is important have more in common than it would first appear.

[lizr]

sound slike a fun new twist on demos to me!

[BoiseLib]

I tried blogging without my PJ's on once. My butt stuck to my chair.

[lizr]

I sit on a large fitness rubber ball... even worse.

[lynettema]

This is from another article on HP. You gonna keep complaining about what you not gettin' from the WH, you gonna end up with these folks governin' us.

"Souder said the prospect of several possible primary rivals makes it difficult for incumbents like him to embrace bipartisan deals on high-profile issues.

“On the big issues, I don’t think you’re going to see much bipartisanship because our right wing has dug in so hard,” Souder said. “And there’s, quite frankly, panic among Democrats.”

As a result, Republican lawmakers are increasingly reluctant to work with Democrats on health care (HR 3200, S 1685), climate change (HR 2454) and financial services regulations — even if their natural inclination is to work to perfect those bills rather than line up to thwart them."

[VegasWolf]

The right is holding republican lawmakers feet to the fire, but progressives should not hold their elected representatives feet to the fire?

We are headed quickly into the 2012 election cycle with little accomplished by progressives, health care with a public option, DADT repeal, and two continuing imperialistic wars.

Personally, I can see no point in voting for a Max Baucus type of Democrat. I am starting to think the Democrat label for some of these politicians has only a loose correlation with a progressive ideology.

[lizr]

All Max Baucus Dems - all Blue Dog Dems deserve Dem challengers who are real Dems.

And well finded Dem Challengers! Move on, can you step up?

[lynettema]

I absolutely agree we need to hold our Democratic representatives responsible for their votes. I am trying to say that is impossible to work on ALL issues at the same time. That YOUR issue may not be up yet. Yet you seem ready to take your marbles and quit playing unless your issue has moved to the front. Are you saying that ALL issues should have been completed in 10 months time? Impossible. Health care is such a huge issue and so very important and some seem to want to just move on to the next issue without securing this one. Hold their feet to the fire for this very important healthcare reform please. Call your Congresspeople - or write - every week to let them know how important this is.

[jwredd]

I'm certainly not going to argue with you about the lameness of Baucus and his fellow bluedogs but I do think you've jumped the gun on your list of failures for this administration. There are 5 bills right now. I believe only one, drafted by THE most conservative committee in congress, doesn't contain some sort of PO. What's this cr@p about 2012 and no public option? Says who? You sound like a republican talking point.

By the way Bernie Sanders just said today we need to "hold tough" and most likely we will be getting some sort of PO.

[gloriousgg5]

So, with whom will you waste your vote, a Republican, for spite? We are a huge country with many opposing opinions. We have a President who has big fish to fry. Doesn't anyone in the GL community have a ounce of concern about anything except their special needs? Mr. Obama has been in office less than a year. Give him a break and be patient with a man who is trying to please all of the people all of the time. It is an impossible task and we all know he will do his best and that's better than most anyone I see out there or have seen. GWB destroyed our country's credibility, economy, constitution, security...and the list goes on, We have a long road back. Take it easy bloggers.

[lizr]

Move forward w a progressive government, and roll rt over the Reps.

Dems are in a pa nic because they are a bunch of babi es.

ALan Grayson should be the model for these chi cken$ hi ts.

[bangagong]

Clinton ended up governing to the right of Nixon, and watch, Obama will do the same. Start thinking about a primary challenger in 2012.

[lizr]

get rid of the Blue Dogs, get challengers from the left, and give him cover and PUSH him to govern left of center.

Even Rahm cant make him go rt if the Congress goes Left!

[PrairieView]

How many bloggers work in the basement of the White House? The ones always coming up with the excuses