Let me get this straight: Ron Suskind selectively edited Anita Dunn's quote from

[EffieBlack]

"If it weren't for the President, this place would be in court for a hostile workplace . . ." to "This place would be in court for a hostile workplace . . ." and people are taking him seriously?

Of course they are - because, at least according to the reporting (since I haven't read the book), Suskind's book feeds the latest media/Republican narrative that President Obama is an ineffective leader and his White House is a tangled, incompetent mess.

So who cares if his reporting has been proven to be less than reliable?

Wow.

[hedgehog]

1. Didn't know that. Thanks.

[Bragi]

2. There is a campaign on to discredit Suskind

I presume you are aware of that.

Personally, I await the book and serious reviews of it before deciding if it is crap or not.

Given Suskind's credentials, I would be surprised if it isn't good journalism, whether or not I like the information revealed.

[EffieBlack]

4. What "campaign?"

I'm aware that the White House is pushing back on this book - as well they should - but I'm not aware of any other "campaign" to "discredit" Suskind. The media, far from trying to discredit him, is helping him promote his book.

I'm not calling the book "crap" since, as I noted, I haven't read it. But the fact that he admits that he edited a quote - a quote that has been hyped as one of the sensational "revelations" in the book - in a way that changes the meaning of what the source actually said does raise some questions about other sensational quotes that the sources have denied saying or claim have been taken out of context.

[Mass]

8. I guess it is the WP that is trying to discredit Suskind, in this case

Because they reviewed the quote on tape and it is consistant with the OP. We can argue whether the missing part of the quote was important or not, but they edited part of the quote.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/friction-over-womens-role-in-obama-white-house-was-intense/2011/09/19/gIQA9OUygK_story.html

On Monday, Suskind allowed a Post reporter to review a recorded excerpt of the original interview, which took place over the telephone in April. In that conversation, Dunn is heard telling Suskind about a conversation she had with Jarrett.

“I remember once I told Valerie that, I said if it weren’t for the president, this place would be in court for a hostile workplace,” Dunn is heard telling Suskind. “Because it actually fit all of the classic legal requirements for a genuinely hostile workplace to women.”

[elleng]

29. There can be NO ARGUMENT whether the 'missing part of the quote was important or not.'

I am surprised about this, as I've thought Suskind was reliable, in the past anyway.

[Mass]

32. Was he, or did you just agree with the general message of his books?

Often, because people like what they hear, they accept the source as reliable, until the same person goes after somebody they like.

As for the importance of the omission, as I am not the thought police, I will leave it for everybody to determine what they think.

[Honeycombe8]

10. The OP is a factual report of an edit by Suskind that changed the meaning of the quote.

Mika on Morning Joe, I think it was, asked him about it this morning. He admitted it. His attitude was, like, well, an author has to change things up sometimes, tehy don't have to quote everything exactly. And what's the big deal?

It changed the meaning of her statement entirely from one meaning that because of Obama, she didn't face a hostile environment, to one that means BECAUSE of Obama she DID face a hostile work environment. Totally opposite meaning.

Susskind also states he has tapes. He has not produced them all, I think.

Romer quotes: She was fired, so..... And her complaint was mainly against Larry Summers, that he was keeping her from the President.

Regarding Anita, I BELIEVE she was the woman who in recent months quite openly complained about the golf buddy situation...that Obama and others would go golfing and not invite women, and that business was done on the golf course and bonding took place, so women should've been invited. Apparently some of the women in the W.H. play golf?

He was also asked this morning about taking from Wikepedia. He said, well, you know, an author that writes a thick book gets information from all kinds of "sources." So, again, no denial there.

[vaberella]

24. He did it to himself when he went on national television to say he edited his quotes. n/t

[karynnj]

3. Not t o mention the Summers "quote" on there being no grownups

is a really strange comment - nearly the entire Obama economic team was the Clinton team that Summers had led - and he was part of it as an adviser! Maybe the fact that Summers was too toxic to get the treasury position is behind this?

[Inuca]

5. Any link or source for this?

I would like to have a look. Thanks!

[EffieBlack]

6. He was asked about and admitted it himself this morning on the Today Show

I saw it myself.

But here's a link:

In the book, Dunn’s quoted as saying, “This place would be in court for a hostile workplace …. Because it actually fit all of the classic legal requirements for a genuinely hostile workplace to women.”

But there’s a bit more to the quote in context, the Post reported Tuesday, noting it begins: “I remember once I told Valerie that, I said if it weren’t for the president, this place would be in court for a hostile workplace.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0911/63907_Page2.html#ixzz1YVqUgede

[Mass]

9. See my post above.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

7. You're ruining DU's catnip.

Asking them to read the actual quote is mean. :rofl:

[AtomicKitten]

11. Suskin jumped the shark with this particular hit. His allegations are ludicrous.

[Mass]

12. I think what happened is that Suskind wrote a book about

the first months at the WH of a new team, and, as it was not juicy enough (except for the Dunn quote, I did not hear anything that would not happen in any other new WH), they had to juice the book.

[Major Hogwash]

27. Yeah, evidently he thought having an artistic license meant he can make shit up

Out of thin air.

I can't wait to hear about the dozens of anonymous sources with high level positions that can't reveal their names because of the fear of losing their jobs . . . as waitresses in cafes, valets at parking garages, and maids at hotels in Washington D.C.

"Well, I may be just a maid, but I work on the 20th floor of the hotel, so that's pretty high level to me."

"I saw one of them put a greasy spoon in their pocket as a souvenir of their clandestine meeting that night. I think the dishwasher saw it, too, but don't use my name. The tips are pretty good here as compared to working at Denny's."

"He must have been low on gas when he brought it to the garage, as I noticed that the gas gauge was very low when I went to park it. I think he's a Communist."

[Proud Liberal Dem]

13. So, it sounds to me that far from presiding over a hostile workplace for women

President Obama helped make it better for women? That's a pretty dramatic difference IMHO. It's amazing what a clever editing of comments can lead one to believe (for the better or for the worse).

[Inuca]

14. I don't know what to say about all this...

On one hand, I don't want any of the unpleasant allegations supposedly in the book to be true. This example, is very interesting, as others have already commented, the creative editing almost completely changes the meaning of Dunn'd quote.

On the other hand, Suskind is no hack, so.... I don't know.

And no, I don't think I will read the book, I don't have much patience with this kind of books, controversy aside.

[Whisp]

15. Thank you for that info.

I knew Suskind was full of shit, but why is he doing this? I don't know the guy at all, why would he misquote like that?

Just a guess that there is some nice money or promises for him if he stirs the Big Lie Pot some more.

[Inuca]

16. Supposed to be in the "serious journalist" category

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Suskind

[Whisp]

17. I see he is/was connected to the Wall Street Journal

and likely all the hitters there.
Maybe he's one of those pissed off 1 percenters or has a bunch of old friends that are.

[vaberella]

23. Well he's proven himself to be a sensationalist liar. Far, far, far from reliable.n/t

[Enrique]

18. no excuse to leave that out

it changes the meaning too much. :thumbsdown:

[flpoljunkie]

19. Jonathan Alter, on with MSNBC's Martin Bashir, says Susskind failed to put info in proper context

Alter said the meaning of 'home alone' was not that President Obama was not fully engaged, but they were short handed. Remember Republicans were and are very slow to approve nominations for the Obama administration-including the Treasury department.

Alter also said he talked to the people who worked for both Clinton and Obama and they told him to a person that Obama was more decisive-- and made more decisions in one week than Clinton did in a year, but Clinton was more 'creative.'

As for the 'hostile' workplace quote, Alterman noted that President Obama was not included in that characterization. Alter wrote about the dinner meeting the women who worked in the White House had with President Obama about how difficult it was working with Rahm Emanual and Larry Summers.

[FrenchieCat]

20. Did Sunskind write about Obama's newly discovered depression.....?

He should have interviewed Gawkers! They have that scoop, according to my unnamed source
right here at DU!

[ClassWarrior]

21. You mean you haven't read the book? Wow, how can someone have so many opinions on something...

...s/he knows so little about?

NGU.

[Inuca]

26. Completely uncalled for n/t

[vaberella]

22. And there are some on Dem sites who are quick to suggest Obama is a chauvanist.

Makes me sick. Truly, I am sickened by the level of hate towards the president. And the race to eat anything negative about him.

[Major Hogwash]

25. Suskind sux.

I can't believe anyone published anything he wrote.

[frazzled]

28. You know, I've always had this thought that if Clinton was the first "black president"

Obama, in many ways, is our first "female president." And I don't mean that in a derogatory way at all (I am a woman). It's a badge of honor.

I remember reading during the campaign about how Obama has been influenced by women throughout his life. He has always lived in a female-centric world. From his mother, who raised him alone, and his grandmother (who was apparently the main breadwinner in the family) to Michelle and his two daughters. This man has been "tempered" by women, and I think that's why a lot of people who prefer a more macho kind of approach to the world dislike him: for not being more of a typical tough guy. In my view, he is tough. But it's toughness through thoughtfulness rather than brawling.

Well, many will disagree here. But there is vast evidence out there--from the legislation he has passed, the women he has hired and appointed at every level, and his relationship with his mother, grandmother, wife, and daughters-- that tell me this man is finely attuned to the virtues of women's worth in society and life.

[Whisp]

33. I think that too.

Especially the part where he is called weakling, caver, etc., it's really 'pussy' they want to say but can't.

If you don't beat your chest like an idiot and use threatening language, and smell a bit, what kind of man are you?

[saras]

30. The book wins, a bunch of DU posters get put on ignore, life goes on...

This bizarre selective misreading of the quote really DOES suggest irrational hero worship. It really DOESN'T make a flying copulation of difference to *Suskind's point*, which is, REGARDLESS OF OBAMA'S ROLE, it actually WAS, in REALITY, a hostile, anti-woman place to work.

Maybe Obama was working against it. Unless he actually succeeded, who cares?

While you COULD argue that the environment is Obama's responsibility as a leader, other interactions have made it clear that he simply doesn't have that much power in these situations, so I'm not sure - and I suspect Suskind intended it this way - how much he's saying that Obama defended the women and how much he's saying Obama did nothing and they weren't in court simply because of who they were.

It would be fairly typical, according to many of Obama's critics, for him to fight for fairness, but ineffectively, and only after he had already conceded the opposition's main points. And that fits this narrative just fine - he prevented it from getting out of hand, but he didn't fix it.

[JNelson6563]

31. Pretty slick.

Of course they often are.

Julie