Did Judd Gregg even tell Obama that he was withdrawing?
The NYT account:
Mr. Obama, traveling in Illinois, told reporters that he had spoken to Mr. Gregg on Wednesday but that he did not know he planned to withdraw until Thursday. He said that the senator had had a "change of heart" and that he intended to keep his pledge of a bipartisan cabinet.
Notice the passive construction. So Obama somehow learned of the decision. From Gregg? From his staff? From the media?
Here's the WaPo:
The timing of Gregg's communication with the White House about his decision was murky through much of the day, as the president's aides scrambled to revise their sometimes conflicting statements about when Obama was notified. Returning to Washington from Springfield, Ill., Obama told reporters on Air Force One that he learned just yesterday of Gregg's decision. He later clarified that he had spoken with the senator from New Hampshire a day earlier but "wasn't sure whether he'd made a final decision."
A little clearer, but still passive voice, which is what reporters do when they don't really know and can't assert one way or the other.
Adding it up it sure sounds like Gregg may have signaled to Obama that he was getting cold feet but never quite told him directly that he was out. As a friend of mine asked this morning, was this man raised by barnyard animals?
Advice: don't try this with prospective employers.
