Sen. Dick Durbin's assertion that an unnamed House Republican leader insulted President Barack Obama was the result of a 'miscommunication' between the White House and Senate Democrats and is not true, an Obama administration official said today.
The controversy began Sunday when Durbin posted on Facebook:
'Many Republicans searching for something to say in defense of the disastrous shutdown strategy will say President Obama just doesn't try hard enough to communicate with Republicans. But in a 'negotiation' meeting with the president, one GOP House Leader told the president: 'I cannot even stand to look at you.''
Obama spokesman Jay Carney told reporters Wednesday that he looked into Durbin's story and spoke to somebody who was at the meeting, and 'it did not happen.' But Durbin's office stood by his account.
Today, a White House official issued this statement:
'While the quote attributed to a Republican lawmaker in the House GOP meeting with the president is not accurate, there was a miscommunication when the White House read out that meeting to Senate Democrats, and we regret the misunderstanding.'The statement did not say which official or officials at the White House conducted the 'readout,' or briefing, with Democratic senators.
The original Durbin Facebook post remained up today.
On Wednesday, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner called on Durbin to immediately retract the 'reckless allegation' and apologize. But a Durbin spokesman said the senator was standing by his statement.
At the National Republican Senatorial Committee, spokeswoman Brook Hougesen's comments mirrored Buck's. 'Senator Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, is at the crux of the partisan divide in Washington,' she said. 'How can voters trust anything this man says? Durbin should either reveal his 'source' or retract his partisan attack immediately and apologize. His credibility is waning.'
Durbin, 68, who is No. 2 in the Senate Democratic leadership, is up for re-election next year.
kskiba@tribune.comTwitter @KatherineSkiba
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