White House says book on Obamas is overhyped
http://dervishcom.blogspot.com/2012/01/white-house-says-book-on-obamas-is.html
The White House is firing back at a new book that reports on tensions between first lady Michelle Obama and her husband's West Wing staff.
Press secretary Jay Carney said Monday the book, by New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor, is like other books that "tend to overhype and sensationalize things."
If anything, Carney said, the White House he has served in as spokesman for President Obama and communications director for Vice President Biden is more collegial than past administrations he covered as a Time magazine reporter.
"This is a remarkably harmonious place," Carney said.
The book focuses on the first lady's growth in her job and, along the way, recounts incidents in which she reportedly disagreed with the president's staff. One such incident resulted in an angry retort from former press secretary Robert Gibbs, Kantor reports.
Carney, who succeeded Gibbs, didn't confirm or deny the account. "There's always a lot at stake" in the White House, he said. "Sometimes, that intensity leads people to raise their voices or have sharp exchanges."
Appearing on NBC's Today show, Kantor said, "the White House has not pushed back on the specific reporting in the book. They have not disputed any of the facts."
The book also alleges that in 2009, the Obamas staged an elaborate Halloween party at the White House and kept much of it secret because of the economic recession.
A small group of reporters, including one from USA TODAY, was allowed into the White House briefly that evening to see the Obamas dole out treats and speak with children from military families, local elementary schools and a few White House staffers.
That prompted a blog post from Obama spokesman Eric Schultz, labeled "Gossip in Wonderland," noting that the event was previewed and attended (if briefly) by pool reporters, with photos and video later released by the White House.
"Hardly the actions of a conspiratorial cover-up," Schultz posted. "This mischaracterization of a celebration in support of military families is unfortunate but also instructive. When book authors attempt to stretch isolated incidents into grandiose insights, they end up going down the rabbit hole."
Press secretary Jay Carney said Monday the book, by New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor, is like other books that "tend to overhype and sensationalize things."
If anything, Carney said, the White House he has served in as spokesman for President Obama and communications director for Vice President Biden is more collegial than past administrations he covered as a Time magazine reporter.
"This is a remarkably harmonious place," Carney said.
The book focuses on the first lady's growth in her job and, along the way, recounts incidents in which she reportedly disagreed with the president's staff. One such incident resulted in an angry retort from former press secretary Robert Gibbs, Kantor reports.
Carney, who succeeded Gibbs, didn't confirm or deny the account. "There's always a lot at stake" in the White House, he said. "Sometimes, that intensity leads people to raise their voices or have sharp exchanges."
Appearing on NBC's Today show, Kantor said, "the White House has not pushed back on the specific reporting in the book. They have not disputed any of the facts."
The book also alleges that in 2009, the Obamas staged an elaborate Halloween party at the White House and kept much of it secret because of the economic recession.
A small group of reporters, including one from USA TODAY, was allowed into the White House briefly that evening to see the Obamas dole out treats and speak with children from military families, local elementary schools and a few White House staffers.
That prompted a blog post from Obama spokesman Eric Schultz, labeled "Gossip in Wonderland," noting that the event was previewed and attended (if briefly) by pool reporters, with photos and video later released by the White House.
"Hardly the actions of a conspiratorial cover-up," Schultz posted. "This mischaracterization of a celebration in support of military families is unfortunate but also instructive. When book authors attempt to stretch isolated incidents into grandiose insights, they end up going down the rabbit hole."
