Forget it Cesca, you know how it works. Despite the speech enough people on the Left will slam Obama for this.

Anonymous sources always always tell the truth. Officials always always lie. Duh.

ps. are there still Bushies running rampant through that place?

I think Allonfla is right. I also think Bob gives the press a little too much credit. Whenever I hear a reporter say "anonymous source" I immediately think here comes something this reporter just pulled from his ass to give wings to a republican talking point.
Anonymous source always means a lie is coming.

Exactly Scribblechic! It's like they think we're as stupid as the sheep that listen to their shit. It's not that I would doubt that there is some snivelling little weasel skulking the halls of the whitehouse looking to put his own personaly feelings or slant on the news of the day. I just won't take it seriously unless Rahm just comes right out and says it.

roxsteady: Well, I guess Jane Hamsher, John Aravosis, and Robert Quigley (mediaite.com) are just those kind of stupid sheep. Which, frankly, is not that surprising.

I saw this last night. The way I read the article, I took the aide to be speaking about the left blogosphere as a whole, not specifically the gay and lesbian community. Harwood (since he asked if the protest reflected concerns of the left as a whole, that Obama hasn't done anything for them) made that connection, with Aravosis (who attacked the Human Rights campaign for even having Obama speak at the event ) jumping on it and making the connection. Was the quote still offensive and dickish? Of course. And white house advisors have leaked that kind of bs before and it's annoying. But I still wish bloggers wouldn't take the bait and just focus on the issues. The MSM loves this kind of stuff, and it kind of enhances the caricature of the "blogosphere". Certain bloggers just use it as "See! I told you the White House didn't care about our issues!" etc, while ignoring all the contrary quotes from others people in the White House. It gets tiresome. Again, it's the quote of an asshole and should be called out, but Hamsher demanding that the source reveal himself just makes the thing seem stupid and is exactly what the media wants.

Let me also add that I do think there is merit in what Aravosis and Hamsher saying that certain DC "liberal groups" are too cozy with the administration and haven't been hard enough on him in certain areas (I loved Ed asking the guy from Organizing for America about why they haven't been hard on the blue dogs the other day on his show), but there is a difference between healthy suspicion and reflexive suspicion. And they are right to be offended since they are bloggers and too many administration/media figures brush off the work of bloggers. But again, let's just focus on the issues here. A quote by a random dick advisor is not that important in the scheme of things.

All the things that Erinn said. While I hate to sound like a dickish WH anonymous source, there is this strain that runs throughout the left blogosphere of dismissing anything good the administration does with "yeah, but look at all these other things that haven't been achieved" and jumping on and hyping any failings/mistakes. Obviously, not the whole left blogosphere, but certainly the ones that get play in the MSM--which is why the MSM pays attention, which is why they continue to do it. And the circle jerk goes on and on.

Again, I'm not defending the quote. Obama has been lousy on gay rights issues (though again, I do think that the advisor seemed to be talking about the left as a whole) . But I'm sure Hamsher etc will claim that people who just don't care about the quote as "administration defenders" or "cheerleaders", etc. But I'm sorry...offensive as it is, it's nothing new, and I just don't care. Maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment.

American Prospect- An Anonymous White House Adviser Was Talking About Your Mama.

http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/tapped_archive?month=10&year=2009&base_name=an_anonymous_white_house_advis

"I'd describe this as the journalistic equivalent of a "your mama" joke, except generally those aren't also anonymous. Glenn Greenwald, Jane Hamsher and Pam Spaulding all reacted angrily -- which is understandable, given the circumstances -- the president has yet to make serious headway on a number of campaign promises on gay rights.

Still, I'd take this with a grain of salt. If an "anonymous White House Adviser" was quoted as saying the president planned to repeal DOMA or DADT next month, everyone -- the bloggers I've mentioned above in particular--would treat that claim with skepticism. But because the above quote fits with their general frustrations about the president's foot-dragging on gay rights issues and confirms their suspicion that the president's sloth is ultimately rooted in contempt for LGBT people, they're taking it almost entirely at face value. As Hamsher put it, "After pandering to LGBT leaders last night the truth comes out. Dear gays: grow up and let us get about the serious business of governance." How is it that Hamsher knows this is "the truth" and the speech the president gave on Saturday night was a "lie," other than the fact that it confirms what she already suspected?"

What's the one thing that liberals have learned from the whole "czar" uproar (and by extension, the only thing ANYBODY has learned)? It is that President Obama utilizes a LOT of advisers, and on a huge host of different issues.

Some of his advisers are highly issue-specific, and some are noticeably higher-ranking than others. I wouldn't put it past the BBQ media to take an anonymous quote on LGBT issues from, say, Obama's adviser on controlling the fucking swine flue (or whatever), and try to portray that quote as indicative of consensus opinion within the upper echelons of the White House.

Harwood usually has nothing nice to report about the President. The President knows that he built his base on the internet, that is nothing that he would or his adminstration would say. I'm sick of people reporting about annonymous/unnamed sources.

No name, no story.

Harwood's a network guy, just loving being in a position to crap on bloggers, no matter how dubious the sourcing.

The thing about "quoting" anonymous advisors is that you can just make shit up and who's gonna prove you did?