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Update II: Vilsack’s apology, video via TPM.
Update: White House Press Secretary Gibbs just apologized to Shirley Sherrod. From TPM:
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs today offered an apology to Shirley Sherrod on behalf of the Obama administration.
He said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is trying to reach Sherrod as well, to offer his own apology and to "talk about their next steps."
"I think without a doubt Ms. Sherrod is owed an apology. I would do so, certainly, on behalf of this administration," Gibbs said.
"Members of this administration, members of the media, members of different political factions on both sides of this have all made determinations and judgments without a full set of facts," he said.
We’re still waiting for an explanation for how the Administration (and who) made such a bad decision and why it wasn’t obvious to them in the first place. In the meantime, I hope someone takes the shovel away from Jim Messina, permanently. Via Alex Pareene at Salon:
According to reporting by Ben Smith, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina "singled the White House’s initial response to the incident out for praise in the regular 8:30 a.m. staff meeting Tuesday morning." Specifically, he "praised the speed of White House communications in response to the flap…."
It gets worse. Here’s one source’s version of Messina’s comments:
One source, who is unhappy with the administration’s handling of the incident, paraphrased Messina’s remarks: "We could have waited all day – we could have had a media circus – but we took decisive action and it’s a good example of how to respond in this atmosphere."
Yeah, making hasty, fact-free judgments that later prove to be bad politics, bad policy and terrible management/administration in an era in which your enemies can’t wait to pound you is a fine quality.
I wonder what Messina thinks about this today? And how is it possible that the WH senior advisors are so completely clueless about what they’ve done to the Administration’s credibility? Alternate universes? Manchurian candidate? D.C. heat wave or water supplies? Panic? Never mind.
More:
What Digby said, Stupid and cruel or merely stupid?
35 Comments
Is this the DUEL citizen”s rahm’s underling?
That would explain the logic.
I don’t think there’s even one person in this administration who has any political sense. They jump without any thought and get themselves in this sort of mess and they never see the trap ahead. Incredibly dumb and IMO dangerous.
Later on, Gibbs indicated that the White House had concurred with the original decision to fire Sherrod. This after initially assigning full responsibility to Vilsack. Really leaves me wondering if Vilsack isn’t being sacrificed to protect the administration.
Positive step by WH. Kudos for at least doing that much. Let’s see if they can now extract themselves from their own ditch without looking like complete
idiotsspineless idiots.Apparently Vilsack is planning to conduct his own presser later on this afternoon. To take place at 4:45 p.m. at the South Building in DC.
Rick Sanchez giving ticktock of the “chain of custody” of the rightwingers pushing this story. From Breitbart (aka Spawn of Satan) to Fox.com to O’Reilly.
Seems even some conservatives now trying to distance themselves from Breitbart.
Breitbart=NeoBundy.
Republicans, given the white-sheet anonymous money machine Rove and Gillespie are building specifically for character assassination on the Democrats, are the Party of Satan.
Neither truth nor honor is in them.
Sara gave the best insight this AM at the Swim:
I still stand by my earlier comment this AM:
I sure hope the individual who forwarded the edited video to Breibart (if that is the case) was not tied to the Pigford vs Vilsack case.
AP is planning to air the video feed of Vilsack’s statement.
blacks voted for this dude and he’s just been tossing his brothers and sisters under the bus. progressives voted for him and he’s been driving right past us to get to the money. who gonna vote for him nex time? aint gonna be me.
Shorter White House Strategy:
From the Right: yes massa, yesssir.
Form the left: Ready, Fire, Aim.
Stockholm syndrome?
Yeah.
Son of a Terrorist, Israeli Defense Force supporter, Zionist and supposed DUAL citizen Rahm Emanuel.
What more needs to be said? Oh. He is the Chief of Staff in the White House!
Vilsack presser now on MSNBC — part of Hardball.
Caught the last couple of minutes of it. I thought he was sincere.
It’ll be all the progressives who don’t want to screw things up by voting for The Other Guys. It’s an old story, and it’s why we’re ignored by Democrats. People who won’t change their votes no matter what don’t matter.
So, is Sherrod getting her old job back, with more pay and a better office?
Yes, I’m kidding.
Not sure but I guess if she wants to return she can.
I like how it is turning into a process story – who knew what when who did what when … blah blah blah –
INSTEAD of a story of the pathetic, craven, sell out fucks who call themselves Democratic Leaders.
rmm.
It’s getting really crowded down here under the bus.
What a monumental screw up!
Yes, but down here you meet a better class of people.
This was a press conference, right? No one asked that question?
Like I said I just caught the last couple of minutes. I am assuming she will be offered her position back.
Evidently he has offered her a “unique new position” in Washington but they haven’t said what.
“His job.” s/
Cool. Thanks for the update. Kinda agree with klynn @ 24.
Something with a mop, sponge, and a pair of heavy rubber gloves?
The sad thing is, my joke isn’t entirely a joke. Until/unless we know what job she’s been offered, it may be a crap or do-nothing position.
I’ve added the video of Vilsack’s apology.
h/t TPM
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/07/vilsack_moves_into_full_damage-control_mode_after.php?ref=fpa
Yes. The video’s now at the top.
Matthews/Hardball is interviewing a guy who says there was a debate in the WH about what to do, with some arguing to just stick with the original decision and ride it out, and others saying “no, we need to make this right.” But he doesn’t tells who said what. That’s the whole story.
If I were Ms. Sherrod there is no way I would work for this administration. They stand for nothing and won’t stand with anyone. I’d rather flip burgers than work for this bunch of a**hats.
But if they reinstate her think of the good she could do! She could push the boundaries big time.
If Rove didn’t conceive of, edit and plant this video, I’ll eat my hat.
http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/60869#comment-224079
That’s very true. I just don’t want her to sacrifice herself for a group who did this to her.
It wasn’t Obama/Vilseck’s fault — it was the media’s and those who practice politics. Who knew?
WaPo:
“Gibbs also blamed the media and those who practice politics in Washington, who he said all acted rashly in their fast-paced discussion of Sherrod’s speech. He said mistakes were made because of a “frenzied culture where everything happens so quickly.”
A new threat. Will we now have a War On Frenzy? Whip Frenzy Now buttons? How about national frenzy controls?
I miss Helen Thomas.
If the DNC needs better surrogates it should hire Paul Street and Tim Wise.