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White House: None of your business

By Ken Herman | Friday, September 21, 2007, 09:47 AM

Still an official stonewall today from the White House as to what the U.S. knows about Israel’s attack on Syria earlier this month. President Bush no-commented it yesterday at a news conference. Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto did the same this morning at a briefing.

“I’m going to let you all in on a little secret, that there are a lots of things that we know about and learn about in this building that we don’t share with you from the podium,” Fratto said. “You can get it from my e-mail exchange.”

The latter was a joking reference to a Washington Post mention of Fratto e-mails that somehow were copied to a Post reporter. Included was an exchange this week with the spokesman for Office of Management and Budget Director Jim Nussle.

Fratto, referring to a Nussle TV interview about the Fed’s rate cut, wrote that “We don’t comment on FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) decisions - and neither should anyone else. … The appropriate reaction is: ‘We don’t comment on Fed decisions. We respect the independence of the Fed in setting monetary policy. If pressed: ‘We have confidence in Chairman Bernanke.’ “

The response from Nussle spokesman Sean Kevelighan: “Yep. Made that clear to Jim.”

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