Team Obama is doing a boatload of “spinning” now, as more come out of the woodwork to report their experience. What they are doing, tho, isn’t so much ‘spin’ as it is a frontal assault. All the better for all to see.
I don’t think this really comes close to ‘unethical journalism.’ We don’t know the context or content of that phone call, but in summary it seems Woodward called to let Sperling know what he’d written and that it’d be in the next day’s paper. He wasn’t calling to ask if it was ok to publish his story, or asking how the WH would like the story written. It was a fait accompli. I think that isn’t so unusual nor confined to Dem Administations only who get a heads up.
Why do that? That's my question. I know he wasn't calling for permission to publish. I get that he wasn't looking to see if the Administration would like the story. Was he trying to soften the blow so they could still be buddies at the next party? I think a story should be a surprise.