The White House was okay with Robert Gibbs attacking the Professional Left and their Catfood Commission Co-Chair attacking, well, everyone.
But they wouldn’t let Steven Rattner’s claim that Rahm Emanuel had attacked the UAW go unanswered.
Rattner depicts White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel as a force to be reckoned with who disparaged unions — once quipping “Fuck the UAW” — and who effectively supervised Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner during his first rocky months on the job by dictating his public appearances and staff picks.
However, unlike Rattner, who put his name to his version of Rahm’s attack on the UAW, the White House push-back was done under the cover of cowardly anonymity.
A senior White House aide emails: “Throughout the entire process that saved the auto industry, Rahm tirelessly defended and advocated on behalf of the auto workers. Any suggestion to the contrary is simply ridiculous.”
Uh-huh. So ridiculous that it couldn’t be said on-the-record.