Posted on 10/23/2012 8:45:19 PM PDT by MissesBush
Bob Woodward says President Barack Obama got some of his facts wrong on sequester at Monday night’s debate.
Woodward’s book, “The Price of Politics,” has been the go-to fact check source for the president’s answer, in which he claimed the idea of using deep, automatic, across-the-board domestic and defense spending cuts to force Congress to address the nation’s burgeoning federal deficit originated from Congress, not from the White House.
“What the president said is not correct,” Woodward told POLITICO Tuesday. “He’s mistaken. And it’s refuted by the people who work for him.”
Woodward, a Washington Post journalist who was a key reporter on the initial coverage of the Watergate scandal, said he stands behind his reporting in the book, which drew upon sources involved in last year’s deficit talks and detailed notes taken in the meetings.
Woodward reports in his book that White House Office of Management Director Jack Lew and Legislative Affairs Director Rob Nabors took the proposal for sequestration to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and then it was presented to congressional Republicans.
During the debate, however, Obama said the idea originated on Capitol Hill.
“First of all, the sequester is not something that I've proposed. It is something that Congress has proposed,” Obama said, adding his strongest pronouncement to date on its future: “It will not happen.”
Woodward said there’s a possibility the president was unaware of how the idea came about.
“It’s a complicated process — and in fairness to the president — maybe he didn’t know that they were doing this because it’s kind of technical budget jargon,” Woodward said.
“What I wrote — it’s specific date, time, place, participants,” he said. “What I’ve reported is totally accurate. Call Nabors and Lew. Or ask the White House. I mean, they know that’s accurate.”
Still, briefing reporters Tuesday aboard Air Force One, White House press secretary Jay Carney continued to blame sequestration on Congress.
"What the president said last night was a reiteration of what his position has long been," Carney said. “The sequester that was designed and passed by Congress was never meant to become policy, it was never meant to be implemented."
Woodward agreed that sequestration wasn’t intended to actually happen.
(PHOTOS: Scenes from the Boca Raton debate)
“No one thought it would happen. The idea was to design something … that was so onerous that no one would ever let it happen. Of course, it did, because they couldn’t reach agreement,” he said. “They all believed that the supercommittee was going to come up with a $1.2 trillion deficit-reduction plan, so there would be no sequestration. Of course, the supercommittee failed and so the trigger went off, which has all of these very Draconian cuts.”
This article first appeared on POLITICO Pro at 3:53 p.m. on October 23, 2012.
F you Woodward. The day we need your help, hell will already have frozen your future home solid.
Then "they all" are idiots. There probably wasn't a soul at FreeRepublic that didn't see that the supercommittee would never agree on a plan and that it would fail.
As bizarre as it seems, I'm wondering if the WaPo (Woodward's employer) is going to endorse Romney this time (I believe they endorsed George W. in either '00 or '04).
Obama was ‘mistaken’ about many things during the debates.
But, that is what happens when he spends more time on the golf courses than in briefings and in the Oval Office.
Woodward is an old school Democrat. He’s also got old fashioned ideas about objective reporting and finding the truth.
So he’s now showing up on Hannity.
Liberals are not interested in any story damaging The One.
Now that all three Presidential debates are over, has anyone discovered a time when Obama actually told the truth in any of them?
Equally shocking is Anderson Cooper.
No bigger Obama worshiper existed in 2008.
He’s actually been asking real questions post Libya - one of thr few in the MSM.
Now, now,....Bob WoodwARD has lately been a frequent “guest” on Faux News, seems he’s coming around “Slowly”!!!
Maybe he sees the “handwriting on the wall” and he might want to have access to Romney if he wins the election?
There are no clean hands here on this one.
Last year Obama demanded his debt increase, Republicans demanded budget cuts. They agreed on this and passed it. Now both are claiming they were against it.
I don't know if Mitt was really opposed this at the time, no telling with him, but he picked Paul Ryan who was gung ho for it.
Liberals just can’t bring themselves to call other rats liars. To them conservatives lie and libotards are mistaken. Good Grief!
The guy is a political operative, and always has been.
I’ve never seen a more dishonest person.
Can you tell me WHO is NOT???
No, I’m not going to make a list for you. That’s up to you. I’m telling you that Bob Woodward is not leaning in your direction. If you want to ignore my comments, that’s up to you.
There are decent people out there.
I know the dynamics what were in play when he went after Nixon. I know what the history of the Left has been for up to 60 years. I know what Woodward’s actions have been since. I know what his actions have been when we have had other criminal level men in the White House.
He is a fraud. You mentioned him. I have told you about him.
” F you Woodward. The day we need your help, hell will already have frozen your future home solid.”
Thank you
Woodward is an evil sleazy POS !
I only need to go here to see a hypocrite!!!
“
I publicly confirm my acknowledgment that God the Father, Jesus His Son and the Holy Ghost are the Rulers of the Universe
I desire them to be the Keepers of My Soul, the Guardians of all those I hold dear to my heart
Those who know me on this forum, know that I am far from perfect
Although that is true, I don’t want to leave any doubt that I know there is a Holy Trinity
that They are omnipotent and deserving of my devotion
It may not always look like it, but when the chips are down, They have that devotion above all others”
I do believe it is my duty to respect my fellow man
I also believe that I fail that duty more often than I would like
Here’s to a constantly expended effort to do better”
I only need to go here to see a hypocrite!!!
“
I publicly confirm my acknowledgment that God the Father, Jesus His Son and the Holy Ghost are the Rulers of the Universe
I desire them to be the Keepers of My Soul, the Guardians of all those I hold dear to my heart
Those who know me on this forum, know that I am far from perfect
Although that is true, I don’t want to leave any doubt that I know there is a Holy Trinity
that They are omnipotent and deserving of my devotion
It may not always look like it, but when the chips are down, They have that devotion above all others”
I do believe it is my duty to respect my fellow man
I also believe that I fail that duty more often than I would like
Here’s to a constantly expended effort to do better”
Your problem is that you can’t recognize an honest man when you’re confronted by one.
If you could, you would be able to recognize a guy that is gaming you more easily.
There’s nothing hypocritical about calling a spade a spade.
Bob Woodward is gaming you.
If he weren’t, he would have gone after Bill Clinton and now Barack Obama due to their ‘problems’. He hasn’t. He hasn’t changed.
Later...
Pal, I don't have a problem, but what I see here is a self-serving ALL-knowing individual who think that all are Idiots when NOT in line with your views. That just sums it up, May God bless you and have mercy!!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.