Is the White House Building an "Enemies List"?

Ok, very long post, I know. But, listening to the Sean Hannity Show prompted me to do a little research on this so-called 'White House Enemies List', and the White House's repeated attempts to deny such a list even exsists.

During the course of my research, I found the following articles from various web sites. I should have saved that particular information, but I didn't--however--I will re-search those sites and post them to this later. So, please forgive me on that error.

Here are the articles:

*****************************************************************

ARTICLE # 1---

Is the White House Building an "Enemies List"?

August 18, 2009 - 5:47am.

(AFP Photo)The top Republican on the House's oversight committee asked the White House on Monday about an e-mail from a top political adviser urging support for a health care overhaul and whether officials are collecting names of President Barack Obama's critics.

In a letter to White House counsel Greg Craig, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., asked for details about who received a health care e-mail signed by Obama adviser David Axelrod. Issa also wanted to know how, exactly, the White House was using a separate e-mail account designed to track what it called "fishy" claims about its proposed overhaul — an account that was disabled Monday afternoon.

"I am concerned about the possibility that political e-mail address lists are being used for official purposes," Issa wrote. "This, again, raises questions about this administration blurring the lines between political and official business."

A White House spokesman traveling with Obama on a trip to Arizona did not have immediate comment. But administration officials have been dismissive of complaints that people had received unsolicited e-mail messages or that the administration was compiling an enemies list as conservative Web sites and talk radio programs have alleged.

"The fear has been expressed that the White House was asking neighbors to inform on neighbors in a government-led data collection effort," said Issa, the ranking member on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Weeks ago, White House officials asked the public to share critics' e-mails so they could fight back and correct the misconceptions. Because those e-mails are official correspondence with the White House, they must be preserved — unaltered — for decades and eventually released to the public through the National Archives.

Issa said he wants an answer on how the administration is archiving those e-mails and what protections would be put in place to prevent it from become an enemies list.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs has faced questions about the practice during recent briefings with reporters and had treated them with a dismissive tone.

"All we're asking people to do is, if they're confused about what health care reform is going to mean to them, we're happy to help clear that up for you. Nobody is keeping anybody's names," he said on Aug. 6.

Issa on Monday also cited reports that some people received the e-mail even though they never signed up. Critics say that suggests the White House combined its taxpayer-funded list with member rolls from other political groups.

The White House has adamantly denied that claim. Administration officials have said the e-mail from Axelrod went only to people who signed up for a White House e-mail list typically used to provide updates on the president's speeches.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press


******************************************************************

ARTICLE #2---

Obama's plan: Undermine, discredit all critics
October 21, 2009 - 6:56am.
President Barack Obama: This is war (Reuters)

By DOUG THOMPSON

President Barack Obama and the White House propaganda machine are working overtime to undermine critics, particularly those on the right or affiliated with the Republican Party.

The systematic attacks against right-wing Fox News is part of a what Politico.Com calls a coordinated campaign to "marginalize the most powerful forces behind the Republican Party, setting loose top White House officials to undermine conservatives in the media, business and lobbying worlds."

The campaign invokes memory on former President Richard M. Nixon, who compiled an "enemies list" of media organizations and political foes and then set loose the vast resources of the White House to destroy those enemies.

Comparisons with Nixon, who resigned in disgrace during the Watergate scandal, is the last thing the Obama White House wants or needs but such comparisons are inevitable when the administration cranks up a war of words with critics.

Writes Ruth Marcus in The Washington Post:

There’s only one thing dumber than picking a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel -- picking a fight with people who don’t even have to buy ink. The Obama administration’s war on Fox News is dumb on multiple levels. It makes the White House look weak, unable to take Harry Truman’s advice and just deal with the heat. It makes the White House look small, dragged down to the level of Glenn Beck. It makes the White House look childish and petty at best, and it has a distinct Nixonian -- Agnewesque? -- aroma at worst.

Other Presidents have used enemies lists to try and discredit their critics. Bill Clinton used White House resources to discredit former lovers. George W. Bush sent his surrogates out to attack the left.

But the Obama campaign is gathering increasing attention because he is the candidate who promised to "change the way Washington works." Some now wonder if he is the one who has changed.

The Post's Marcus also writes:

Where the White House has gone way overboard is in its decision to treat Fox as an outright enemy and to go public with the assault. Imagine the outcry if the Bush administration had pulled a similar hissy fit with MSNBC.

Politico weighs in:

With a series of private meetings and public taunts, the White House has targeted the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the biggest-spending pro-business lobbying group in the country; Rush Limbaugh, the country’s most-listened-to conservative commentator; and now, with a new volley of combative rhetoric in recent days, the insurance industry, Wall Street executives and Fox News.

Obama aides are using their powerful White House platform, combined with techniques honed in the 2008 campaign, to cast some of the most powerful adversaries as out of the mainstream and their criticism as unworthy of serious discussion.

Press secretary Robert Gibbs has mocked Limbaugh from the White House press room podium. White House aides limited access to the Chamber and made top adviser Valerie Jarrett available to reporters to disparage the group. Everyone from White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel to White House Communications Director Anita Dunn has piled on Fox News by contending it’s not a legitimate news operation.

All of the techniques are harnessed to a larger purpose: to marginalize not only the individual person or organization but also some of the most important policy and publicity allies of the national Republican Party.

So much for the President who promised to build bridges and reach out to his enemies. Instead, he is giving ammunition to his political opposition.

"This is a White House engaging in its own version of the media enemies list," says former Bush senior adviser Karl Rove. "It’s unhelpful for the country and undignified for the president of the United States."

*************************************************************************

ARTICLE #3---

White House: Fox News is 'not really news'
October 19, 2009 - 6:36am.
By DOUG THOMPSON

Senior White House aides Sunday continued their war of words with right-wing Fox News Channel, saying the cable service is "not really news."

This is news?

Appearing on ABC's "This Week," David Axelrod is what Fox dishes out daily on is "not really news" and added "they're not really a news station."

"It’s really not news — it’s pushing a point of view," Axelrod told ABC host George Stephanopolis. "And the bigger thing is that other news organizations like yours ought not to treat them that way, and we’re not going to treat them that way. We’re going to appear on their shows. We’re going to participate but understanding that they represent a point of view."

Axelrod said Fox owner Rupert Murdoch is more concerned with making money than offering real news and information.

"Mr. Murdoch has a talent for making money, and I understand that their programming is geared toward making money," he said.

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel continued the assault during an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union."

Said Emanuel:

It’s not so much a conflict with Fox News. I suppose the way to look at it and the way … the president looks at it, we look at it is: It’s not a news organization so much as it has a perspective. And that’s a different take. And more importantly, is not have the CNNs and the others in the world basically be led in following Fox, as if what they’re trying to do is a legitimate news organization.

Meanwhile, Fox News Anchor Chris Wallace said Sunday the White House is refusing to provide guests for talk shows on that channel.

********************************************************************************

ARTICLE #4---

Obama: Quit Listening to Rush Limbaugh if You Want to Get Things Done
Obama warned Republicans to quit listening to Limbaugh if they want to get along with Democrats, during a White House discussion on his nearly $1 trillion stimulus package.
By NY Post

FOXNews.com

Friday, January 23, 2009

WASHINGTON -- President Obama warned Republicans on Capitol Hill today that they need to quit listening to radio king Rush Limbaugh if they want to get along with Democrats and the new administration.

"You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done," he told top GOP leaders, whom he had invited to the White House to discuss his nearly $1 trillion stimulus package.

One White House official confirmed the comment but said he was simply trying to make a larger point about bipartisan efforts.

"There are big things that unify Republicans and Democrats," the official said. "We shouldn't let partisan politics derail what are very important things that need to get done."

That wasn't Obama's only jab at Republicans today.

While discussing the stimulus package with top lawmakers in the White House's Roosevelt Room, President Obama shot down a critic with a simple message.

"I won," he said, according to aides who were briefed on the meeting. "I will trump you on that."

The response was to the objection by Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) to the president's proposal to increase benefits for low-income workers who don't owe federal income taxes.

Click here to read the full story from the NY Post.

*******************************************************************************

Now, I may be wrong, but according to what I have been hearing is that the Obama Administration is making an 'enemies list' of insurance companies, Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, et al that oppose his health care plan. So, my good conservative people, help me out here and enlighten me if I am wrong or misunderstanding what is going on.

Because, it really sounds to me like there is an 'enemies list' building at the White House, that the White House officials just want us to THINK does not exsist, because of all the unnecessary, childish, and pathetically petty attacks against FOXnews.com, Rush Limbaugh, et al.

Can I get some enlightenment here, folks?

Thank you.