After Valerie Jarrett finished her NN interview with Baratunde, I was hoping there’d be a press availability in which I might have the chance to ask a follow-up or two about some of the topics that came up on the stage. Unfortunately (or so I thought), when I got to the media room, it was empty. Well, I was hungry anyway. So I walked back to the hotel to find some eats.

And there she was. Right up front (not hiding), seated with Michael Strautmanis, her chief of staff.

I felt a little bit sick doing it (the adrenaline always does that to me), but the die was cast. I report for you folks, and this was an opportunity. I told her I knew it was rude and I knew I wouldn’t like it if someone was doing it to me, but I really have to ask if she wouldn’t mind me interviewing her for FireDogLake. I did the Flip-Cam quickdraw, and we were off to the races.

She didn’t know it at the time, but I sat through Baratunde’s interview barely containing myself. There were just so many answers that, in my opinion, unfairly suggested that all of us should carry the load for the President – that he bears no responsibility for the choices he makes. In other words, if we don’t make it politically untenable for him to do anything other than the right thing, we shouldn’t blame him for doing the wrong thing. That, obviously, is bull-doody.

Jarrett also went on to say that Obama does not believe punishment is a useful political tool. For me, that just doesn’t pass the laugh test – he came out of Chicago for cryin’ out loud.

So that’s what I asked about.

Look… there are a hundred different topics I could have engaged on. I would have loved to ask questions about Obama’s Bushian assertions of executive privilege and the state secrets doctrine. I’d have loved to ask about the financial crisis and the lack of prosecutions. Afghanistan? Don’t even get me started.

But… She was already going out of her way to make time for me (and us), my imposition wasn’t particularly graceful, and… well… Ultimately, I believe we’ve got decent people trying their best to do the right things in the White House. As much as I would have liked a free-ranging discussion of all the things many of us take issue with, they deserve time to eat their breakfast too.

Finally, when I left, Michael Strautmanis asked me to say “Hi” to Jane for him. That was unsolicited. Just to make this perfectly clear, the significance of his request is that it demonstrates that Jane’s work is noticed in high places. She’s obviously doing something right.


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