President Obama’s press office bullies are in high gear, a sure sign that there are legs to the story about Attorney General Eric Holder’s potential perjury before the House Judiciary Committee.
CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson is doggedly pursuing the case, reporting that Holder knew about the Fast and Furious operation well before he said he did under oath last May, when he testified to the panel he’d just learned of it “over the last few weeks.” In fact, it appears, he was told about Fast and Furious in 2010.
A Justice Department spokeswoman and White House spokesman launched at Attkisson what few people realize is a routine Obama administration tactic – attempt to quash good journalism that’s bad for Obama by intimidating reporters. The idea, as I’ve reported before, is to get inside a reporter’s head and make them know that if they write something the White House doesn’t like, they’ll have to deal with abuse.
Ultimately, it’s suppression of speech, by the openness administration. I believe Obama is fully aware of the tactic.
In this case, they attacked Attkisson with the type of manufactured anger and foul language that many White House reporters will tell you is routine. I guess she was shocked, since she’s on the investigative beat and is not regularly in touch with the White House.
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