Woodward: I Didn't Say That
This is CNN:The charge that Saudi Arabia made a secret pact with President Bush to lower gasoline prices in time to help him in the November presidential election was denied Monday by the White House, the Saudi ambassador to the United States -- and even by journalist Bob Woodward, who raised the specter of such a quid pro quo in a book released Monday.
"I don't say there's a secret deal or any collaboration on this," Woodward told CNN's "Larry King Live" Monday. "What I say in the book is that the Saudis ... hoped to keep oil prices low during the period before the election, because of its impact on the economy. That's what I say."
The Saudi ambassador to the United States, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, who appeared on the program with Woodward, said his characterization of Saudi policy was "accurate."
"We hoped that the oil prices will stay low, because that's good for America's economy, but more important, it's good for our economy and the international economy," he said. "This is nothing unusual. President Clinton asked us to keep the prices down in the year 2000. In fact, I can go back to 1979, President Carter asked us to keep the prices down to avoid the malaise."
"So yes, it's in our interests and in America's interests to keep the prices down. But that was not a deal."
Matt's Chat
John Effing Kerry is at it again. And yes, the Partisan MediaTM will repeat this lie too... Objective journalists would hound Kerry until he relented and apologized for smearing the President.Mark's Remarks
Well, Bob W., it seems you should quit pandering to the Left by writing in accusational tones if they are going to misquote you, or take your statements out of context. Mr. Woodward, in the last few weeks, quotes from your work have been manipulated by the Left. And yet all we hear is this whiny retort on a joke of a program like King? Come on, you know if it were Conservatives you would take to every media outlet, claiming how devilish they are. Sir, you need to take a stand, if you are indeed capable of such, or have you been in the Partisan Press so long that your backbone has been eaten away? You need to lambast Kerry and Co. for using your work for political gain, or is that really want you wanted them to do in the first place?
