Is the hiring of Joe Lockhart supposed to scare anyone? Sheesh, why else leak that?
Sounds like McCurry decided not to get involved, so they went with Clinton's #2 spokesman...
Sounds like McCurry decided not to get involved, so they went with Clinton's #2 spokesman...
Joe Lockhardt? Gee, I thought Chrissy Matthews was doing a fine job.
Well Joes' got experience in media intimidation and shutting up pepole who come forward with info agaainst his boss.
The Clinton story that's too hot to handle - By Bill Sammon and Frank
Murray THE WASHINGTON TIMES
The White House tried to pressure the Fox News Channel not
to broadcast a story about a woman who claims President Clinton raped her 21 years ago and then coerced her into denying it under oath, network sources said yesterday
White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart on Tuesday warned a Fox White House correspondent not to run the story, noting that NBC News had interviewed the woman in Arkansas and had not put the story on the air.
Fox ran the story anyway, and Internet scribe Matt Drudge yesterday published Mr. Lockhart's unheeded words of warning, which the White House did not categorically deny, but said were off the record.
Asked yesterday about pressuring the cable news network, Mr. Lockhart said: "I'm just not going to discuss the private conversations I have, even if others can't keep them private."
Mr. Drudge quoted Mr. Lockhart as telling Fox: "You guys will regret this. Clinton haters have been putting this story out for a decade now, as far back as the '92 campaign."
According to the Drudge Report on the Internet, Mr. Lockhart went on to warn the correspondent: "If you go with the story after NBC News decided not to, there won't be any argument about whether Fox News is right wing or not."
Mr. Lockhart was asked by Bill Sammon of The Washington Times yesterday at his regular White House briefing whether such pressure was heavy-handed spin control or appropriate behavior for the White House press secretary.
"If this is your way, your side way, to get into writing the story, go ahead and write the story," Mr. Lockhart said. "I'm not going to help you. You've already written it."
Helen Thomas of UPI then asked: "Did you pressure a network?"
Mr. Lockhart replied: "If any of you think I'm in a position to pressure anyone, you give me more power than you think I have."
Bill Plante of CBS joined in the questioning: "Did you make the call, as has been reported?"
Mr. Lockhart replied: "I'm just not going to discuss the private conversations I have, even if others can't keep them private."