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‘You Will Regret…’:The Full ‘Threat’ Email a Top White House Official Sent Bob Woodward

Feb. 28, 2013 10:05am Madeleine Morgenstern

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Veteran Washington journalist Bob Woodward rocked the political and media world Wednesday after he claimed that a senior White House official threatened him over his reporting that President Barack Obama was actually behind the imminent forced federal budget cuts known as sequestration.

Woodward told Politico the exchange occurred in an email after the aide, later reported to be economic adviser Gene Sperling, “yelled at [him] for a half-hour.” The line in question: “You’re focusing on a few specific trees that give a very wrong impression of the forest. But perhaps we will just not see eye to eye here. … I think you will regret staking out that claim.”

Woodward “repeated the last sentence, making clear he saw it as a veiled threat. “ ‘You’ll regret.’ Come on,” he said. “I think if Obama himself saw the way they’re dealing with some of this, he would say, ‘Whoa, we don’t tell any reporter ‘you’re going to regret challenging us.’”

Politico published the email exchange between Sperling and Woodward in full Thursday morning:

From Gene Sperling to Bob Woodward on Feb. 22, 2013

Bob:

I apologize for raising my voice in our conversation today. My bad. I do understand your problems with a couple of our statements in the fall — but feel on the other hand that you focus on a few specific trees that gives a very wrong perception of the forest. But perhaps we will just not see eye to eye here.

But I do truly believe you should rethink your comment about saying saying that Potus asking for revenues is moving the goal post. I know you may not believe this, but as a friend, I think you will regret staking out that claim. The idea that the sequester was to force both sides to go back to try at a big or grand barain with a mix of entitlements and revenues (even if there were serious disagreements on composition) was part of the DNA of the thing from the start. It was an accepted part of the understanding — from the start. Really. It was assumed by the Rs on the Supercommittee that came right after: it was assumed in the November-December 2012 negotiations. There may have been big disagreements over rates and ratios — but that it was supposed to be replaced by entitlements and revenues of some form is not controversial. (Indeed, the discretionary savings amount from the Boehner-Obama negotiations were locked in in BCA: the sequester was just designed to force all back to table on entitlements and revenues.)

I agree there are more than one side to our first disagreement, but again think this latter issue is diffferent. Not out to argue and argue on this latter point. Just my sincere advice. Your call obviously.

My apologies again for raising my voice on the call with you. Feel bad about that and truly apologize.

Gene

Read Woodward’s response to Sperling here.

The White House has denied threatening Woodward, telling Politico, “Of course no threat was intended. As Mr. Woodward noted, the email from the aide was sent to apologize for voices being raised in their previous conversation. The note suggested that Mr. Woodward would regret the observation.”

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Comments (173)

Moliminous
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:05pm
This letter would disqualify him from getting a gun permit. It should disqualify him from getting a driver’s license. This is the penning of a very sick man.

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Rowgue
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:02pm
The more important issue is why is the white house staff contacting media at all to try to influence the content and direction of stories. That’s pure unabashed propaganda without even attempting to hide it.

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Elegy56
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 11:56am
Men in politics and journalism today are pathetic. I’m shocked that anybody who refers to themselves as a “man” could be afraid of that lanky, feminine homosexual in the Oval Office.

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cpm6405
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 11:55am
Obama, the next Lincoln!! During the Lincoln administration, journalists were hindered in newsgathering and were arrest- ed for publishing opinions. Telegraph dispatches were censored and editors were given instructions on what could or could not be published. Some newspapers were excluded from the mail and some publications were shut down. As for the Neocons, Beck and Lincoln Lovers question everything even the existence of God and do your research on the War of Northern Aggression your might be surprised at what you discover!!

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shammo
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 11:54am
Woodward be careful. Drone Alert!! Drone Alert!! Drone Alert!!

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Tom K
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 11:41am
When Leftist / Socialists Regimes are moving swiftly toward Dictatorship and the light of truth is shown upon them, they will react with threats. Finally a real journalist has stepped forward. Impeachment is way overdue.

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Gargent_Furball
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 11:40am
Our US Government and it’s elected and anointed are nothing more than a large pile of dog excrement.

Both side talk of how worthy they are to be in a leadership position, and yet act and talk like morons.

We need a change alright, we need to fire every-last one of them..

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- kat747
  Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:43pm
  Amen to that one.
  We have State Governments in force and
  the Federal Government is now “cost UN-affordable” !
  
  Report this comment
marybethelizabeth
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 11:35am
To set the record straight, the sequestration goes back to the budgetary “Super Committee” which was in fact the President’s idea. The theory was to come up with a plan that would be so distasteful to both parties that it would force a compromise and a budget reduction plan. Sort of along the lines of the defense policy of Mutually Assured Destruction.

I haven’t read Mr Woodward’s story but to blame the President and not Congress is wrong.

He should regret saying anything else because of credibility issues.

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- UNALIEN
  Posted on February 28, 2013 at 11:41am
  mary beth
  
  The issue is not the Sequester, the WH presented it and congress accepted.. YOU FiINALLY ADMITTED THE TRUTH
  
  the issue is that the President and WH are liars and crooks.. demonstrated by their own actions and statements
  
  Report this comment
woodyee
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 11:32am
First, a punch to the face. Then…

“Look, bud, I know that must’ve hurt and I’m sorry. but you gotta understand that coming around to our point of view is the right thing to do. We’re friends, you know, and I’d hate to see bad things happen to you, but hey – it ain’t on me – it’s your call. I’m really sorry about the punch to the face, but hopefully it’ll bring you to your senses – get me?”

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FlagWavingPatriot
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 11:10am
The People’s House is full of thugs. They are no better than gangland drug dealers on the street corner. Wholly corrupt and evil.

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Ssmicheal
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 11:08am
the funny thing to me about this whole sequestration thing is that we all know that the government on both sides of the aisle loves to create a crisis and then attempt to show themselves our savior from the crisis they have created. I mean remember when we were all going to die from theater popcorn?
The whole global warming and now climate change “crisis” is the same thing. Gun control too. But with the sequestration they didnt even try to hide the fact that it was their freakin idea, but look around at how many of the lemmings in our society are buying into it.
I am laughing right now but likely will cry at some point in future as the percentage of the populace that is completely hypnotized continues to grow.
Please dont grade me on spelling and punctuation :-)

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Juan
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 11:06am
We are all being watched. Many posters here will soon receive an “attitude adjustment”. Had an AFL/CIO operative show up at my door last night with his Obama paid for IPad in hand. I told him he was at the wrong house and closed the door. He spent a lot of time in my front yard entering some kind of data into his machine.

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shammo
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 11:01am
Obama has always been a coward relying on gutter campaigning to get elected. He is using an old playbook from 1933 Germany. Promises the masses everything and conjures up an enemy, the rich and the republicans, to hate. Soon all republicans will have to wear blue squares on their clothing. The unions are the brown shirts ready to mug anyone who doesn’t agree.

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wilbstal
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 11:00am
Remember what happened to Vince Foster and Ron Brown, and more recently the rest of seal team 6. Need I say any more the Obama drones are in the air. Run to your bunkers Lock and load fire accurately.

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spfoam1
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 10:57am
In an attempt to make amends, the white house has asked Bob if he would like a job as an Ambassador.

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bandi9
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 10:55am
it wasnt even thinly veiled. it was an out and out threat. time to got Watergate on their asses, Bob.

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bitterclinger
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 10:53am
I can’t imagine a Reagan staffer writing a letter with the sentences: “My bad” and “Really.”

These people must be victims of their own education system.

As for Woodward, I’m no fan, but you’ve got to hand it to him for being smart enough to expose thise miscreant. Even the Chicago Thug Admin would be stupid to do anything to him now. The world is watching.

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nonofmybiznez
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 10:53am
My apologies again for raising my voice on the call with you. Feel bad about that and truly apologize.

Gene

The fact that he did not say “I feel bad…” says he himself did not feel bad. If you start a sentence without the first person reference it totally negates the point.

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- spfoam1
  Posted on February 28, 2013 at 11:41am
  “Feel bad about that and truly apologize” sounds like another threat to me. So, what will happen if Bob doesn’t “truly apologize”? It’s as if Gene is saying that Bob caused him to raise his voice, so Bob needs to apologize for making Gene raise his voice.
  
  Report this comment
maggiepie
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 10:52am
If you are going to play poker, learn how to play first. Obama & Lew made this sequester plan up to
use as leverage. Obama tried to bluff and it bacl fired on him. Someone will always call your bluff
like the repubs did. So now you are a sore loser and resort to fear mongering and having your
kool-aid drinkers threaten people who called you out. You are not a leader and never will be. You are nothing but a racist.

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mjgma
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 10:50am
I think the bigger story here is that a liberal disagrees with someone in the white house. Now that’s news!

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nonofmybiznez
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 10:49am
Bob I think you are wrong. I think Obama knows and approves of the threats. He has himself bullied reporters in 2008/2009 and look what happened. They became lapdogs for the WH.

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fastgen1
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 10:49am
Yep—the black messiah has given the “not my fault” issue to Gene Sperling. Plausible deniability is what obammy needs. As others have said, Woodward will now go the way of Brietbart as the anti-christ turns to his killing machine. Hire a food taster, and wear a bullet proof vest because you have awaken a black dragon who is so narcissistic he cannot allow your kind of honesty…. “It’s not my fault, man” again…….

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- nonofmybiznez
  Posted on February 28, 2013 at 10:58am
  You just spoiled your whole comment by the color comment. I hate it that your good comment will not be perceived well by some just because you referenced color. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it! When will you people learn. You cannot change others if you cannot first change yourself and censor yourself. Color does not make the man. It really is character.
  
  Report this comment
theBru
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 10:47am
Oh my, tigers, lions, and bears, Oh my, what are we going to do…guess we need to call out the Nat’l Guard to settle this one…personally, I think this is just more posturing from a gov’t that is out of control and very dangerous for the people of the USA…And, the sad part is, both sides are on the same side, and just do the play acting for the media to share with us dummies…

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blackfeather
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 10:45am
we will get exactly what they voted for. unbelievable.

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83plus
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 10:40am
I can just imagine the firestorm the MSM would make if someone said to a known liberal in the news media world.

But here, don’t expect much of anything from the MSM, those ‘journalists’ don’t care.

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