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White House Press Secretary Jay Carney is moving towards the exit. He tendered his resignation earlier this afternoon after serving nearly four years as Obama’s Press Secretary; four years of dodging questions and answering with some variant of “I don’t know” over 1900 times since his first briefing back in 2011.
These little factoids were calculated by Yahoo! News back in June of 2013. They analyzed the 444 press briefings Carney held from his first on February 1, 2011 to June 18, 2013 – and noted that he found 9,486 ways to avoid answering a question from the White House Press Corps:
A Yahoo News analysis of the 444 briefings through June 18 that Carney has held since becoming White House press secretary has identified 13 distinct strains in the way he dodges reporters’ question. Since Carney held his first daily briefing with reporters in the White House Brady Press Briefing Room on Feb. 16, 2011, for example, he’s used some variation of “I don’t have the answer” more than 1,900 times. In 1,383 cases he referred a question to someone else. But will he at least speculate on hypotheticals? No. In fact, he has refused to do so 525 times.
I’m sure that figure is a lot higher, but it also proved that he was – citing the job description – a decent, albeit annoying, press secretary.
At times, Carney’s been placed in impossible positions, especially on Syria; where Obama’s constant redrawing of his red lines on the matter must’ve created headaches for his press office, especially after Assad crossed it by using chemical weapons.
Carney, In December 2012: “On The Issue Of Syria’s Chemical Weapons, We Have Been — And The President Has Been — Exceedingly Clear About The Red Line That You Mentioned.”
CARNEY: “We have worked with our international partners to help the Syrian opposition form itself and to take steps to prepare for a post-Assad Syria in which there is a government that reflects the will and wishes of the Syrian people, and respects the liberties of the Syrian people. The fact of the matter is that Assad’s brutality has earned him a dismal place in history, and we continue to work with our partners to help hasten the day when that regime is no longer in any control of any part of Syria. In the meantime, on the issue of Syria’s chemical weapons, we have been — and the President has been — exceedingly clear about the red line that you mentioned. And we continue to make clear that, if the Assad regime were to use chemical weapons in response to the fact that the opposition has been making gains and that their brutal crackdown has not worked, or if they were to engage in proliferation, there will be consequences. And this is a grave matter, and one that the President takes very seriously as do our many international partners on this issue.” (Jay Carney, White House Press Briefing, 12/4/12)
Carney, In April 2013: “We Have Made Clear, As The President Did I Believe From This Podium, That The Use Or Proliferation Of Chemical Weapons Is A Red Line As Far As He’s Concerned When It Comes To The Syrian Regime.”
QUESTION: “Quick related question on that. DNI Clapper was on the Hill today, and in some important testimony he said directly that if Assad falls, he said, it’s a ‘tough call whether or not the chemical weapons stockpile can be secured.’ How worried are you about that? It sounds like a pretty dramatic statement from the DNI.”
MR. CARNEY: “Well, there’s no question, as we’ve stated all along, that the disposition of chemical weapons in Syria is a matter of concern to the United States and our allies and partners — a matter of great concern obviously to countries in the region. And we have made clear, as the President did I believe from this podium, that the use or proliferation of chemical weapons is a red line as far as he’s concerned when it comes to the Syrian regime.” (Jay Carney, White House Press Briefing, 4/11/13)
Carney, In April 2013: “The President Has Made Clear … That The Use Of Chemical Weapons Or The Transfer Of Chemical Weapons To Terrorist Groups Would Cross A Red Line.”
QUESTION: “Jay, on Syria, where exactly is that red line?”
CARNEY: “The President has made clear, as he did again Friday, that the use of chemical weapons or the transfer of chemical weapons to terrorist groups would cross a red line. What we have made clear, and we can go over it again, is that we have established with varying degrees of confidence that there have been incidents of chemical weapons used, sarin, in particular, in a limited fashion in Syria. We are now working to build upon that evidence to increase the amount of evidence to find specifically what happened, what occurred, who was responsible and build that case, if you will.” (Jay Carney, White House Press Briefing, 4/29/13)
Jay Carney, In May 2013: “The President’s Use Of The Term Red Line Was Deliberate And Was Based On U.S. Policy.”
QUESTION: “When the President made his comment about the red line for the first time in an August news conference almost a year ago, did he go further than he had intended? Further than he and the staff had discussed?”
CARNEY: “The President’s use of the term red line was deliberate and was based on U.S. policy. The world knew that the Syrian government possessed chemical weapons, and we had a concern that as the regime was increasingly beleaguered, it might use chemical weapons against the Syrian people in desperation. The message that the President delivered that day was the same message that he was delivering in private. It was one that he and others in the administration have reinforced on multiple occasions ever since. And, as I said, it was consistent with what we were saying both to the Assad regime and to others privately.” (Jay Carney, White House Press Briefing, 5/6/13)
Carney, On If The White House Was “Doubling Down On The Red Line Comment”: “What The President Made Clear Is That It Was A Red Line And That It Was Unacceptable…”
QUESTION: “So you’re doubling down on the red line comment. Is there no concern that by doing this you’re raising expectations for some kind of action? Because you’re now being criticized for not acting.”
CARNEY: “Well, what the President made clear is that it was a red line and that it was unacceptable and that it would change his calculus as he viewed the situation in Syria because the use of chemical weapons represents the kind of escalation and threat that I just described.” (Jay Carney, White House Press Briefing, 5/6/13)
But, he’s gone now. Goodbye, Mr. Carney.
Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest will be replacing Carney.
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