The media has made Bob Woodward public enemy number one because of his claim that he received a threatening email from the White House after a very angry phone conversation. After Woodward released the email messages yesterday, he went on Sean Hannity's program on Fox News on Feb. 28 to clarify the exchange, and the rush transcript is available here on Fox News.com, also dated Feb. 28.
Bob Woodward explained to Hannity that he did not feel threatened by the email message from Gene Sperling that told him he would "regret" pursuing the points he was making in an upcoming opinion piece. He has received criticism because his return email to Sperling was friendly and never mentioned a perceived threat. You can read the emails here on Politico.
By most people’s analysis, Bob Woodward did not appear to be an intimidated man, and that is because he is not. Did anyone think that the legendary and powerful journalist from Watergate fame would be “shaking in his shoes” because an Obama Administration official yelled at him and then sent him an email saying he would regret his actions?
Bob Woodward explained on Fox News that he never used the word “threat,” although others did. His point was that younger, more experienced reporters would be very intimidated by White House tactics such as these. He also stated that this White House does not like to be challenged. He has not released the content of the half hour of "yelling" that he endured for which the email was an apology.
Woodward had contradicted the White House account of sequestration with facts from his 2012 book, “The Price of Politics.” You can read about that here.
Comments