White House hits back at Fox News's 'very special and unique interview' with Brown

[kpete]

UPDATE: White House hits back at Fox News's 'very special and unique interview' with Brown

At Tuesday's White House press briefing, a Fox News reporter asked press secretary Robert Gibbs to respond to "critics" who've accused the Obama administration of purposefully detonating an oil rig in order to shut down further offshore drilling. He was not amused.

"I watched Fox yesterday," Gibbs said, his expression shifting from cordial to agitated. "Fox had the very special and unique interview with Michael Brown -- you opened it and I had to do it -- who, for those who weren't let in on the big secret, Mr. Brown, FEMA director Brown under Katrina, intimated on Fox and wasn't, I would editorially say, didn't appear to be pushed back on real hard -- that this spill was leaked on purpose in order for us to walk back our environmental and drilling decisions and that the leak that we did on purpose got out of control and now is too big to contain."

Gibbs sparred with the Fox News reporter and suggested that he should "call headquarters" and ask why the network would seemingly promote such a theory without offering a stern counter-point.

This video is from The White House, broadcast May 4, 2010.
http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0504/michael-brown-obama-wanted-oil-spill/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Hmwdj2wfQs&feature=player_embedded

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/05/04/gibbs-brownie/

GOLER: It wasn’t just Fox calling this your Katrina.

GIBBS: No, but Fox had the very special and unique interview with Michael Brown — you opened it and I had to do it — who, for those weren’t let in on the big secret, Mr. Brown — FEMA director Brown under Katrina — intimated on Fox — and it wasn’t, I will editorially say, appear to be pushed back on real hard — that this spill was leaked on purpose in order for us to walk back our environmental and drilling decisions, and that the leak that we did on purpose got out of control and now is too big to contain. So, suffice to say —

GOLER: What is Mr. Brown’s attribution?

GIBBS: I can only wish that the network that you work for asked that prior to interviewing him yesterday.

GOLER: The reporters in here asked that. So I’m asking you —

GIBBS: You should call headquarters, my friend, and ask for somebody who makes the decisions to put people like that — because I’ve got to tell you Wendall, I’m not entirely sure a factual answer that I might give to any one of your questions is going to change the notion that your network put out the former FEMA director to make an accusation that the well had been purposefully set off in order to change an offshore drilling decision.

[HopeHoops]

1. Fair and Balanced, right? Right? Hello? Is this thing on? I said FAIR AND BALANCED!

Is there anybody OUT there?

[MadMaddie]

2. How dare Brown come out and try to rebuild his reputation

on the backs of 1400 dead Americans. Who the Fuck does he think he is?

Brown is just another failed Repug trying to score some points against the Black President.

I wonder why he didn't go after the new FEMA director?

[Qutzupalotl]

3. It's a crazy conspiracy theory without the slightest bit of evidence.

That is all that needs to be said. But people will believe what they want to believe.

[underpants]

4. Jesus Brown didn't say anything about a detonation. Fox is just using that to CREATE their own story

they have gone over the edge

[high density]

5. Brown: "(Obama) has never supported offshore drilling'

Yeah, uhh, stop right there, Brownie. Then Brown goes on to complain about the politicization (by the Democrats!) of the disaster.

[Skidmore]

6. Good for Gibbs for calling them on this BS. I've seen a couple of threads

on DU that danced up to that line too over the past few days. If I see any more like that in the near future, I will alert.

[mariawr]

7. And they sent piss poor Michael Brown to lie some more...

because that is what the FOX Republicans do---lie and make shit up. Then lie some more.

[Rex]

8. Fox News needs to be shut down and everyone needs to be fired.

They are an obvious 'enemy of the state' and promote anarchy toward our current Administration.

[laughingliberal]

9. It was over the top even for FOX. And that's not easy to do. nt

[political_Dem]

10. After what happened in the Gulf States during Katrina and Rita, Brown shouldn't show his face.

He lacks honor. That man was nothing but yes-man and a place-holder in the Bush Administration.

As far as I'm concerned, "Brownie" should be punished and put under the jail for his negligence during that time.

Because of his past record, he has no business giving advice or commentary about anything related to rescue services again.