“Is President Obama Nixon-fying the White House?” Republicans ask
EmailABC News’ Z. Byron Wolf reports: Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, who came pretty darn close to becoming a member of the Obama Administration, coined a new word on the Senate floor to criticize the President and his staff. The man President Obama once nominated to be his Commerce Secretary wondered aloud on the Senate floor if the White House under President Obama is starting to be run like it was under Richard Nixon. “Nixon-fying” is how Gregg put it. It is a point that is for debate, to be sure. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn, made the Republican case in a speech on the Senate floor at 10am. He will also appear on ABC News' "Top Line" at 12 p.m. ET. You can watch the interview live here. Alexander spoke of working in the Nixon White House as a 29 year-old staffer in the Vice President’s office and seeing similarities between how that shop was run and how the White House is run today. “What I'm seeing is some of the same signs I saw as a young man in the early stages of the Nixon administration. I'm seeing those same signs in the Obama white house,” said Alexander. He rattled off some of the transgressions of the White House under Nixon – from the Enemies List to Watergate. Read the whole speech here. “You could see an administration spiraling downwards. Of course, we all know where it led,” said Alexander. The only reason I mention this is because I have an uneasy feeling, only ten months into this new administration, that we're beginning to see the symptoms of this same kind of animas developing in the Obama administration. He argued that the treatment of the White House by Fox News, a report in Politico that the White House wants to “neuter” the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the now-lifted gag order on Medicare Advantage insurers from lobbying Medicare beneficiaries on health reform legislation, and combative treatment of Republican lawmakers are symptoms of a White House turning inward. Which led him to offer this piece of advice: “If the president and his top aides treat people with different views as enemies instead of listening to what they have to say, they're likely to end up with a narrow view and a feeling that the whole world is out to get them. and as those of us who served in the Nixon administration know, that can get you into a lot of trouble,” Alexander said. Alexander did not say the Obama White House has broken the law. Gregg, who was on the Senate floor to make a speech on the size of the national debt – an issue he admitted deserves bipartisan blame – listened to Alexander’s case. “I was fascinated by the senator from Tennessee's presentation,” said Gregg. “And I think we're all concerned about the direction of this ‘calling out.’ I take it the senator from Tennessee is suggesting that this administration is Nixon-fying the White House? Is that correct?” Gregg then launched into his own critique of the Obama Administration. He did not fault them for spending money earlier this year to try to stabilize the economy. But he said they must try to tamp down the deficit going forward.
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Thank you Mr. Wolf for reporting on this, yes Obama is soon to be dictator in chief with a enemies list. It is very scary that the press is being attacked, and kudos to Jake Tapper- he rocks in journalism! First the press takeover, then T.V., Thursday the internet anmd then their next target will be talk radio.
Posted by: Downwithsocialism | October 21, 2009, 11:38 am 11:38 am
“If the president and his top aides treat people with different views as enemies instead of listening to what they have to say,”
BWHAHAHAHAHA… That is hilarious coming from the Republican Party of No. I guess they are pining for the I’m the Decider, Stay the Course, Go From the Gut days of George Bush. Or maybe the good ol’ days when Tom “The Hammer” Delay was working the partisan K street project to lock down lobbyists rather than injuring himself learning to dance.
But sure, go for the Nixon line. Good luck with that one.
Posted by: jhw539 | October 21, 2009, 11:44 am 11:44 am
Is this the new talking point? We’re going to move from he’s running a secret Commie government to he mimics a failed republican now? Paint him a criminal? Soon I shall hate on republicans.
Posted by: secondlook | October 21, 2009, 11:49 am 11:49 am
What gets me is that the naysayers claim they are being attacked because of “differing views.” …Oh really? It is just recently that some of those differing views (not many mind you) have surfaced because prior to, they were not existant. This unceasingly, endless campaign is purely based upon; “He won and they didn’t.” Now, some “naysayer” intelligence is beginning to realize that you need a much better reason than that.
Posted by: FS | October 21, 2009, 12:11 pm 12:11 pm
Last week the storyline was that Obama wasn’t “tough enough” and nobody was afraid of him while this week the storyline is that Obama is a streetbrawler who crushes his opponent.
The media is getting ridiculous.
Posted by: Sandy | October 21, 2009, 12:12 pm 12:12 pm
Since when did the media…..any media….treat politicians well? Only those who are in the politician’s back pocket, I dare say.
The mid-term elections will be interesting.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | October 21, 2009, 12:12 pm 12:12 pm
What happened to reporters who ask for proof behind allegations instead of just acting like a stenographer?
Posted by: Richard Bottoms | October 21, 2009, 12:42 pm 12:42 pm
Fox is an abomination. The Obama Administration has every right to call Fox out on being an arm of the RNC.
Anyone who suggests that Fox isn’t a public relations outfit for Republicans is either 1) a liar, 2) has never watched Fox News programming or 3) both.
Defend Fox at the expense of your own credibility ABC. That goes doubly for Jake Tapper….
Posted by: kindness | October 21, 2009, 12:47 pm 12:47 pm
It just goes to show, whatever the GOP accuses it’s enemies of it is usually doing itself with regularity.
Thus as we exit 8 years of the Nixon clone that was the Cheney administration, with many ex-Nixon hands still in power in the GOP, the GOP projects that Nixonian stench onto their enemies.
Z. Byron Wolf, you are a stenographer. Good job repeating what you are told to repeat. My dog could do a better job.
Posted by: bsr | October 21, 2009, 1:06 pm 1:06 pm
Can Lamar Alexander and Judd Gregg, who voted against a measure prohibiting the government from contracting with companies that require binding arbitration in cases of employee sexual assault, be considered in favor of rape?
It is a point that is for debate, to be sure.
Posted by: Sly | October 21, 2009, 1:49 pm 1:49 pm
This was incredibly stupid. No, this is not “a point that is for debate,” at least not an intelligent debate.
Nixon actually had a *real* “enemies list,” with people he harassed with the full power of the White House, not to mention illegal activities, including such things as wiretapping them, breaking into offices, siccing the IRS and the Justice Department on them, and creating a “dirty tricks” unit to spy on and disrupt his opponents’ efforts and campaigns. Call me when Obama has done *any* of this.
All Obama has done is hit back rhetorically, something that a President is *supposed* to do! Is Fox News a propaganda outlet for the Republican Party? Of course they are. Does Obama want his agenda to pass and is he forcefully arguing for it? Of course he is. Is he criticizing institutions that stand in the way of his agenda? Of course he is.
In all of this, Obama is acting no differently than any of his predecessors, including, most notably, his immediate predecessor, who declared war on MSNBC.
This is just another “throw random crap at Obama until something sticks” that Republicans and a lazy media have been doing since Obama first became a serious candidate for the Presidency.
Posted by: PaulB | October 21, 2009, 2:03 pm 2:03 pm
What a silly column.
Perhaps we should call the waaaahmbulance for the republicans.
They seem very upset. Very! LOL
Posted by: fourlegsgood | October 21, 2009, 2:11 pm 2:11 pm
Oh please these people hating on fox because of Glen beck get a clue Rachel Maddow, and Chris Matthews and Keith Olberman on MSNBC are hardly fair and balanced. Wonder who keith’s worst person in the world is. No news station is objective anymore. White house is made because fox is talking about stories like Van Jones and Acorn which makes white house look bad. That’s fine that they are upset, but it’s still news.
Posted by: rachel | October 21, 2009, 2:55 pm 2:55 pm
“rachel” | Oct 21, 2009 2:55:09 PM
You Almost got it right. For the “look bad, for President Obama” You referenced
“fox is talking about stories like Van Jones and Acorn.” There’s a common denominator there, I’m sure……. I just haven’t figured it out yet. (Have you?)
And if you’re SELLING the idea that FOX News ISN’T the Propaganda Arm of the RepubliCan’ts party, sell that to those Yokels who fell off the turnip truck last night!
Posted by: bobj72 | October 21, 2009, 3:25 pm 3:25 pm
I need to get my browser fixed. Thought I was reading a post at ABC News. Turned out it was The Onion.
Posted by: squidster | October 21, 2009, 3:27 pm 3:27 pm
Hey Rebulicans! Quit your squakin! Obama and the Democrats are doing a fine job ruining America. Don’t worry about it. Obama has control. He will print enough money to keep us all on wefare. Every compassion and tolerance program backed by the Democrats is a failure. Here is a small list. Birth control pill for women-Rise in breast cancer deaths. Scare,rise in back alley abortions.Legalized abortion-over 50 million unborn children murdered. The largest number of unwed women in the history of America. Tolerance for different life styles.-Teaching children how to have safe sex-putting condoms on cucumbers and how to give oral and anal sex in our schools. Results Rise of std’s among teens. Passing a bill loaning money to those that can’t afford to pay it back. Results our economy fails, jobs lost.
Won’t close our borders. results. Illegal drugs-addicts can’t work-put on SSI drainng medicare and bank rupting Social Security. Now reform health care-results-taxed to death,lesser benefits with higher private insurance cost. Not bad, ha. So Republicans keep your big mouth shutt!!!
Posted by: John Demeter | October 21, 2009, 3:32 pm 3:32 pm
Defend Fox at the expense of your own credibility ABC. That goes doubly for Jake Tapper… (from kindness)
———————————
now the left is hating on tapper because he had the gall to question the whitehouse position on fox news. he didn’t defend fox. the left would be the first, screaming at the top of their lungs about freedom of speech if maddow or their ilk were being treated in this way. you all are such narrow minded hypocrites. be grateful for good reporters, he’s there protecting us all.
Posted by: wow | October 21, 2009, 4:54 pm 4:54 pm
It seems that soonergrunt’s earlier observation about the quality and value of this ‘story’ has been deleted.
I liked it for its humor, so I’m going to share it all with you just so you don’t miss out. Mr. Wolf could of course, address the complaint that this so called story has no value or not. But he shouldn’t be censoring people who point out the total lack of value of his work.
Here is the post in full:
“Does Z. Byron Wolf engage in sexual intercourse with goats, as some have alledged?
It is a point that is for debate, to be sure.
There. I just came up with a story idea that is every bit as factual and useful as yours, much shorter, and infitely more entertaining.”
Posted by: The Shadow | October 21, 2009, 5:45 pm 5:45 pm
honestly…how old are you posters? you really think you make a good point with such juvenile statements? my son in high school could come up with a more credible defense for obama. he was also smart enough to ask what kind of change he should hope for…THINK, don’t walk in lock step.
Posted by: wow | October 21, 2009, 7:53 pm 7:53 pm
LOL.
When a Republican wants to discredit a Democrat they always compare them to a … Republican! HA
Posted by: dee | October 22, 2009, 10:21 am 10:21 am
Senator Gregg is trying to make a name for himself before he retires. I worked with him on a few campaigns and beleive me he was as quiet a man I have ever known. If his father had never been Governor he would never had been elected. He was afraid to even knock on doors.The Senator has now turned into a lion that likes to roar, especially about Obama. Please Judd, go back to your Office and shut the door and send more Pork to New Hamsphire so they can name a highway after you. Oh but no highway sign they cost to much.
Posted by: Bob | October 22, 2009, 3:05 pm 3:05 pm
It seems to me that a Political Party which blew the $5.9 trillion Surplus left the by Clinton and added to the deficit $6/1 trillion in war debts. No-Bid contract debts, faux oil price debts to the American people, disappearing Treasury debts, bank robbing by masked me in Mercenary army gear of $280,000.000 cash in Bagdad American, debts (What bank keeps $280,000,000 in cash? One that has been ordered to do so, at least long enough for someone to rob them.) Need no call the kettle Black. I suggest that American corporations review the policies of the Guinness family history of doing business with its employees and know that hell is filled with Red Hatted and Deep Pocketed people. I would bless you, but the blessing would be wasted, so, Instead I bless the poor and the working class.
Posted by: ProfessorEmeritus PeterBagnolo | October 23, 2009, 10:06 am 10:06 am