Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

White House Slams NYT Story as 'Gross Negligence'

Perino: Shoddy 'reporting' behind housing crisis story

By Laurel Jorgensen, Newser Staff

Posted Dec 21, 2008 6:40 PM CST

(Newser) – The White House accused the New York Times of “gross negligence” today in response to a page one story that largely places the housing and financial messes at the feet of Bush policies, Politico reports. “The Times’ ‘reporting’ in this story amounted to finding selected quotes to support a story the reporters fully intended to write from the onset, while disregarding anything that didn't fit their point of view,” White House press secretary Dana Perino said.

Perino said the 5,000-word story disregards the complex causes of the housing and financial crises and “gives kid glove treatment to Congress” for its role in the meltdown. She also bashed the reporters for disregarding a Bush speech that outlined factors leading to the economic crisis, including the unprecedented flow of cash into the US and the failure of financial institutions to perform due diligence.

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (1)]

President George W. Bush pauses during a statement on the auto industry at the White House on Friday, December 19, 2008 in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

White House Press Secretary Dana Perino responds to a reporter's question Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008, during her daily briefing at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)

White House Press Secretary Dana Perino delivers her daily briefing to the media in this October file photo. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Most people can accept that a news story recounting recent events will be reliant on '20-20 hindsight.' Today's front-page New York Times story relies on hindsight with blinders on and one eye closed. - Bush Press Secretary Dana Perino

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

$26B Mortgage Settlement a 'Modest' Help: Experts

Many struggling homeowners not covered in deal

(NEWSER) - The $26 billion mortgage settlement announced yesterday will be a boon for some—but the terms of the deal leave many homeowners out in the cold. Recipients of loans owned by the Federal Housing Administration, for instance, won't directly benefit from the settlement; nor will those with mortgages held by private investors, the New York Times reports. Millions of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans—about half of America's mortgages—aren't part of the plan, either. More»

Calif., NY May Sign On to Robo-Signing Settlement

Obama administration nearing deal for mortgage relief

(NEWSER) - California and New York are close to signing on to the Obama administration's multibillion dollar mortgage robo-signing settlement, significantly expanding the deal, the New York Times reports. If California signs on, the settlement total will jump from $19 billion to $25 billion. In exchange, the states want measures to help individual homeowners, and the ability to investigate the banks' other past mortgage misdeeds. California also wants to ensure that big pension funds can still sue the banks for false claims about mortgage-backed securities. More»

Bush's CIA Chief: We Ruled Out Iran Strike

Michael Hayden says it would have backfired then, and would now, too

(NEWSER) - George W. Bush's administration pondered an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities and ultimately rejected it, says former CIA and NSA chief Gen. Michael Hayden. He and others concluded that an attack on Iran's nuke factories "would guarantee that which we are trying to prevent—an Iran that will spare nothing to build a nuclear weapon and that would build it in secret," Hayden said, according to Foreign Policy . The same rationale holds true today, he warned: Go with diplomacy and back channels or risk pushing Tehran into speeding things up. More»

Happy Birthday, Bush Tax Cuts: You're a Total Failure

By every metric, the cuts delivered less than promised

(NEWSER) - This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Bush tax cuts, and Annie Lowrey of Slate is looking for reasons to celebrate. Unfortunately, she can’t find any. They’re “a failure in every conceivable way,” she writes. In 2001, Bush promised the cuts would create jobs, generate wealth, and “starve the beast,” reducing the size of government. Even leaving aside the 2008 recession, they did none of those things. From 2003 to 2007, median wages actually fell. More»

Rush Limbaugh: Obama Owes Us an Osama Apology

It's Bush's policies that led us to bin Laden, says radio host

(NEWSER) - The Obama administration shouldn’t be patting itself on the back for finding Osama bin Laden—it should be apologizing, says Rush Limbaugh. And so should the entire “American Left” for "taking every opportunity to undermine" the Bush-era policies that ultimately led to bin Laden's death. “Virtually every tool, every apparatus, every technique, every policy used to affect a successful mission to kill Osama bin Laden was employed by this current administration,” Limbaugh said today. But "Barack Obama campaigned against the very enhanced interrogations that have made him a hero." More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

White House Slams NYT Story as 'Gross Negligence'

Perino: Shoddy 'reporting' behind housing crisis story

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (1)]

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Bush administration • New York Times • mortgage • Dana Perino • housing crisis • mortgage delinquency • George W. Bush • financial meltdown

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

$26B Mortgage Settlement a 'Modest' Help: Experts

Many struggling homeowners not covered in deal

Calif., NY May Sign On to Robo-Signing Settlement

Obama administration nearing deal for mortgage relief

Bush's CIA Chief: We Ruled Out Iran Strike

Michael Hayden says it would have backfired then, and would now, too

Happy Birthday, Bush Tax Cuts: You're a Total Failure

By every metric, the cuts delivered less than promised

Rush Limbaugh: Obama Owes Us an Osama Apology

It's Bush's policies that led us to bin Laden, says radio host

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?

White House Slams NYT Story as 'Gross Negligence'

Perino: Shoddy 'reporting' behind housing crisis story

Bookmark & Share

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (1)]

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Bush administration • New York Times • mortgage • Dana Perino • housing crisis • mortgage delinquency • George W. Bush • financial meltdown

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

$26B Mortgage Settlement a 'Modest' Help: Experts

Many struggling homeowners not covered in deal

Calif., NY May Sign On to Robo-Signing Settlement

Obama administration nearing deal for mortgage relief

Bush's CIA Chief: We Ruled Out Iran Strike

Michael Hayden says it would have backfired then, and would now, too

Happy Birthday, Bush Tax Cuts: You're a Total Failure

By every metric, the cuts delivered less than promised

Rush Limbaugh: Obama Owes Us an Osama Apology

It's Bush's policies that led us to bin Laden, says radio host

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?