NewsBusters: Five of Six Networks Press Unyielding Gibbs on Crediting Bush; White House Press Secretary Unleashes on Fox & Friends :: Political News and commentaries

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August 31, 2010

NewsBusters: Five of Six Networks Press Unyielding Gibbs on Crediting Bush; White House Press Secretary Unleashes on Fox & Friends

I've been waiting to see if the media would actually ask the question and hit the WH with its own words, and apparently that 5 of the 6 finally got around to doing so (the one exception - CBS):

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs made the rounds of the six broadcast and cable morning news shows on Tuesday morning to help set the table for the President's speech marking the end of major combat operations in Iraq. Of the six network anchors Gibbs spoke with, only CBS's Harry Smith failed to ask whether President Obama would extend credit to President Bush for the successful surge strategy (a strategy then-Senator Obama denigrated as futile).

ABC's George Stephanopoulos recited House GOP Leader John Boehner's dig at politicians who "fought tooth-and-nail to stop the surge strategy," and then rejected Gibbs claim that Boehner's wa "made up history." NBC's Matt Lauer recited Obama's own words to Gibbs: "I am not persuaded that 20,000 additional troops in Iraq are gonna solve the sectarian violence there. In fact, I think it will do the reverse."

At each stop, Gibbs insisted that no one doubted the surge would improve security, but insisted that the real accomplishment was "an improved political situation." CNN's John Roberts followed up, asking whether security improvements credited to the surge were essential to those political improvements, but Gibbs dodged: "John, you asked me the same question I'm likely to give you the same answer."

When Gibbs reached Fox & Friends, co-host Gretchen Carlson was met with condescension and mockery when she asked the same question as the other hosts. "I think you've asked me this question twice and I've given you an answer," Gibbs chided, dodging the question. Later: "That's actually now the fourth time you've asked me that question....That's number five....Gretchen, I don't know whether this is you actually interviewing me or just a tape of you looping the same question over and over again."

Gibbs never directly stated whether or not the Bush administration deserves any credit for the (so far) positive outcome in Iraq.

You can see videos of the interviews and read the transcripts - here.

Tonight, when Barack Obama rambles on about his role in bringing the troops out of Iraq, and tries to spin away the truth that had we followed his plan we would have failed in Iraq, remember Obama's own words:

Clearly, Obama was wrong, Bush (and McCain) was right.

Related must-watch video: Gibbs flip-flops on surge and stupidly and rudely dances around answering the queestion, "Will President Obama give President Bush credit for the surge?"