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Is the White House Calling Senator Jon Kyl a Liar? Pretty Much

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by Tommy Christopher | 4:29 pm, June 21st, 2010

» 23 comments

Over the weekend, Redstate broke the news that Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) had accused President Obama of using border security as leverage to pass comprehensive immigration reform. The White House denied the exchange, followed by a double-down by Kyl’s spokesman. At today’s briefing, Chip Reid and I asked Press Secretary Bill Burton about the conversation. While Burton wouldn’t specifically call Kyl a liar, his response, coupled with Kyl’s reaffirmation, doesn’t leave much wiggle room.

Transcript:

Q    Another topic, immigration, and forgive me if this has already been asked of somebody in the administration. I was yachting with Tony so I didn’t see it over the weekend. (Laughter.) But Jon Kyl, on immigration at a town hall, said, “the problem” — that he met with the President in the Oval Office and he then said, that the President told him “the problem is if we secure the border then you all won’t have any reason to support comprehensive immigration reform.” And that’s on fire in the conservative blogosphere with people saying, ah-ha, the President is holding immigration reform hostage to this — or holding securing the border hostage to immigration comprehensive reform. He said he doesn’t want to secure the border because then that dooms the chances of immigration reform. Did the President really say that to Kyl?

MR. BURTON: No, the President didn’t say that. Senator Kyl knows that the President didn’t say that. But what everybody knows because the President has made it perfectly clear is that what we need to do is everything that we can to bring about comprehensive immigration reform. And that includes not just securing the border, but doing a lot of other things.

Now, when it comes to securing the border, we’ve put more resources at the border than have ever been there before. The President has doubled the number of border agents who are there. We’ve put other surveillance systems in. We’ve continued to work to make sure that we’re taking care of the security of the folks who live down in the border states, and we’re going to continue to do that.

But, no, that statement is not true. And we’re just going to continue to work and hopefully get the support of senators like Senator Kyl for comprehensive reform because that’s the only way we’re really going to be able to address this problem.

Q    Did Kyl lie? Or is this within the range of acceptable political exaggeration?

MR. BURTON: I’ll let other folks make that determination.

Q    Well, the White House would have to make that. You’ve said it’s not true. Is that just a lie?

MR. BURTON: Exactly, I said it’s not true.

Q    Somebody from the White House reached out — Senator Kyl is a member of the leadership. This is somebody who comes into this building all the time. Did somebody from the White House reach out to Senator Kyl and ask him to clarify his remarks?

MR. BURTON: I don’t know if anybody specifically called his office, but as you know we are in constant contact with the leadership on the Hill and I’m sure this will come up in conversations.

Q    So you assume somebody will reach out if they haven’t do so already?

MR. BURTON: I assume that we’ll be in contact with his office.

…

Tommy Christopher: You said that you know that the President didn’t say what Senator Kyl says he said, but do you have the White House’s version of what he did say, how that conversation went, or can you get that?

MR. BURTON: No. I mean, what the President — the President’s feelings on immigration are crystal clear. I went over them earlier in the briefing.

Q    Well, why not release the quote? Why not release what –

MR. BURTON: Well, there’s not a transcript of the meeting.

Q    Is there a taping system in the Oval Office? (Laughter.)

Q    There’s not a steno — actually, there’s not a steno?

MR. BURTON: No.

Q    There’s not a — there’s not anybody taking notes at that meeting?

MR. BURTON: There’s no — there’s no stenographer.

Tommy Christopher: Will there be one now?

Q    There’s no — nobody taking notes at these meetings with the Senate –

MR. BURTON: If it’s just one-on-one, unless one of the people in the room is taking notes.

Q    This happened at a leadership meeting.

Q    It was just a one-on-one, right, that you –

MR. BURTON: What Senator Kyl said was one-on-one. Now, at the leadership meetings, there are more people in there and some people take notes, but even in that, there is no stenographer.

Q    But in these one-on-ones, there’s nobody else in the room?

MR. BURTON: Not if it’s one-on-one.

Q    Right. Now, the original denial came from Dan. Did Dan talk to the President specifically about that?

MR. BURTON: Rahm discussed it with the President.

Q    So it went from the President to Rahm to Dan?

MR. BURTON: Yes.

It doesn’t appear that Burton had heard Kyl’s pushback, which makes it less likely that Kyl simply misspoke. According to Burton, the President says it’s not true, and Kyl says it is. Maybe it’s time for the President to start having a stenographer around when meeting one-on-one with Republican leaders.

Arizona Immigration, barack obama, Bill Burton, Dan Pfeiffer, Immigration Reform, Jon Kyl, Jon Kyle

felixw

What Barack Obama cutting back room deals that might jeopardize the nation?

“I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!”
Puter Boi

I’m SHOCKED!!! SHOCKED I tell ya…..that T.C. is still slouching….

This slouching must end!!!
MichelleF

Maybe it’s time for the President to start having a stenographer around when meeting one-on-one with Republican leaders.

That would be great! Maybe it could also be present when Andy Stern is meeting with him. Of course, as much as he is around, that would be a full-time job, eh TC.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Tommy-Christopher/1054638341 Tommy Christopher

PB, keep in mind I’m rockin’ the laptop.
Moderate

“Maybe it’s time for the President to start having a stenographer around when meeting one-on-one with Republican leaders. ”

It doesn’t work that way in Chicago unless the FBI is the one doing the recording.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Adkins/1585417987 Bill Adkins

Jon Kyl lie?

“I’m shocked, shocked, I say, that a Republican would lie!” But then, his lips were moving. He’s a Republican. That equation equals Republican is lying.
Ination

The kettle sure loves to call the pot black. Bravo.
TfT

Hmmmm, who to believe? Given the finger pointing and blame throwing that teh one does on a regular basis, I’ll go with Kyle as the one telling the truth.

Perhaps the media should start demanding that “transparency” we were promised. Transcripts from all meetings, all day (at least when himself is not playing golf, singing with Paul, partying at state dinners, barbeques, etc., or going to baseball games).
TfT

I think we should ask Mika, of Good Mourning Joe, given she admitted today she is working with the WH on appropriate talking points.

Bwaahaahaa.

An MSNBC host(ess) admits the collusion between media and the WH. Snicker, snicker.
valkyrie101

Kyl has a history of making stuff up. Here is a classic Daily Show where Stewart calls out CNN for not fact checking Kyl’s statements that tort reform would save 100-200 billion in healthcare costs: http://www.blogforarizona.com/blog/2009/10/jon-stewart-eviscerates-cnn-and-calls-out-sen-jon-kyl-for-being-a-liar.html (at 2 minutes 50 seconds)
timzank

I don’t think Kyl is lying, but it really doesn’t matter. Anybody who DOESN’T think Obama is using border security for leverage is blind.

There are only two reasons for his lack of border enforcement, he’s using it as leverage to get amnesty for his party’s future faithful, or he’s just your garden variety frickin’ idiot.

Tough call,I know.
http://apostrophejones.com Apostrophe jones

Where’s Family Guy Gibbs ? Why did he send out Junior Weasel ? Who cares ?
Bootleghaircut

KYLE IS A CERTIFIED CONGENTIAL MORON-NOT HIS FAULT-HE CAN’T HELP BUT PROJECT IMPORTENCE AND STUPIDTY.

GUYS LIKE KYLE ARE THE DEMS BEST WEAPONS!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Kam-Fet/572005492 Kam Fet

If it sounds like a lie its a lie, when verified.
http://twitter.com/SailRabbits Magister

@writer: The six years prior to last summer, I lived in southern New Mexico and though the guy next door worked the border in Arizona and through him I met a few of his buds, concern over border security just wasn’t a big issue due to the demographics of NM and because whenever there was an on-going issue, bill Richardson never hesitated to call out the National Guard.

I’m sure that I met lots of illegals while I was there; There were always truckloads getting busted and whenever we’d have our monthly jailbreak, folks would run for the border, but it just wasn’t a big topic on the news or in social conversations.

With that said, you state that Obama’s “lack of border enforcement” may be an issue, but I haven’t really seen anything to say that president Obama is doing anything less than any of his predecessors and in fact, I’m under the impression that he’s doing a bit more.

IOW: Before someone accuses me of playing the “blame game”, I just want to know if President Obama has cut the Border Patrol or if it’s at or greater than Bush-era levels and if that is the case, since president Bush supported the Kennedy-McCain immigration plan was he playing politics to get the bill passed?
Sean68

“Kyl has a history of making stuff up. Here is a classic Daily Show where Stewart calls out CNN for not fact checking Kyl’s statements that tort reform would save 100-200 billion in healthcare costs: http://www.blogforarizona.com/blog/2009/10/jon-stewart-eviscerates-cnn-and-calls-out-sen-jon-kyl-for-being-a-liar.html (at 2 minutes 50 seconds}”

Do you have a link to the episode where Stewart calls out Obama for lying about not taking private campaign contributions?
notsofast

Burton lost his argument when he broght up comprehensive immigration reform. That’s code for we will do nothing until we get our plan passed.

Kly was right.

Oh, and BHO, why don’t you release the audio tape?

I’m sure you recorded this.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jonathan-A-Cohen/1421861353 Jonathan A Cohen

Sean-While I do not have, nor have I looked for, Stewart’s clips that you asked about I have looked for and found the information in several very well known fact-check sites. And I have a funny feeling that what they say is not what you have been lead to believe at all.
Sean68

“Sean-While I do not have, nor have I looked for, Stewart’s clips that you asked about I have looked for and found the information in several very well known fact-check sites. And I have a funny feeling that what they say is not what you have been lead to believe at all.”

Well, Jonathen, what I say is this: As soon as it was advantageous for him to do so, Obama changed his position on public/private financing of campaigns. Do I err somewhere?
valkyrie101

The nature of politics is changing your position on occasion. Obama has done it, McCain, Bush, really, probably every politician at some time or another. Even Reagan approved higher taxes.
Thomas G Williams

Kyl has been caught lying and mis-representing DOZENS of times, and isnt it so CUTE how KYL is betraying the confidence of the President and doing so in a way that will now haunt him forever, no one will want to alone with him ever again, he will not be a trusted figure or allowed to be involved in sensitive matters because no one will feel secure about what he will do LATER>

besides I do not think this happened as KYL says, it is a BIZARRO RETHUG WORLD casting of events and that is never based on reality or truth.
http://none pyrope

When I hear the tape, I’ll believe the WH.
Integr8d

@Magister

Correct. Neither president has lifted a finger. No signature from Obama. No booze-induced drool on the X mark from Bush.

Wakey, wakey, kids! This is what you get. This is what you voted for.

You have to laugh at guys like RRK, Bill Adkins, Gordon Bloyer. Always with the left and right. ‘A Republican opens his mouth = lies’. No shit, dude. For 99% of them, that’s true… Too bad you’re so myopic that you can’t see it from your own ‘team’. You’re being played for the same fool as the born agains on the right.