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August 17, 2009
Obama EmailGate Passes Blame on Unsolicited E-Mails
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White House Passes Blame on Unsolicited Health Care E-Mails
The White House suggests third-party groups are to blame for unsolicited health care e-mails.
The White House for the first time Sunday seemed to acknowledge that people across the country received unsolicited e-mails from the administration last week about health care reform, suggesting the problem is with third-party groups that placed the recipients' names on the distribution list.
In a written statement released exclusively to FOX News, White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said the White House hopes those who received the e-mails without signing up for them were not "inconvenienced" by the messages.
"The White House e-mail list is made up of e-mail addresses obtained solely through the White House Web site. The White House doesn't purchase, upload or merge from any other list, again, all e-mails come from the White House Web site as we have no interest in e-mailing anyone who does not want to receive an e-mail," the statement said. "If an individual received the e-mail because someone else or a group signed them up or forwarded the e-mail, we hope they were not too inconvenienced."
The White House previously would not answer questions on how the e-mails landed unsolicited in so many inboxes. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs on Thursday said he couldn't give an answer until he saw who received the e-mails because he doesn't have "omnipotent clarity."
Yet the White House ignored repeated offers from FOX News to share with the administration such e-mail addresses, to help determine how the recipients ended up on the White House distribution list.
Shapiro said Sunday that those recipients can unsubscribe if they want, "by clicking the link at the bottom of the e-mail or (telling) whomever forwarded it to them not to forward such information anymore." He said the White House is trying to correct the problem.
"We are implementing measures to make subscribing to e-mails clearer, including preventing advocacy organizations from signing people up to our lists without their permission when they deliver petition signatures and other messages on individuals' behalf," he said.
One possible reason for the confusion is that advocacy groups, when dealing with online petitions, are sending in their membership lists whenever they make contact with the White House - the e-mail addresses affiliated with those members could then become embedded in the White House distribution list. The White House indicated its Web site managers are going to seek out and block online petitions so that people can only sign up for information individually.
FOX News viewers have said in some cases they received a copy of the president's speech earlier this year in Cairo; in other instances they received health care updates.
Most recently, FOX News had received hundreds of e-mails from people who said they got an e-mail last week from senior adviser David Axelrod, even though they had never requested any communication from the White House.
In the mass message, Axelrod defended President Obama's health care proposals and asked supporters to help rebut criticism circulating on the Internet.
Axelrod wrote that opponents are relying on tactics including "viral e-mails that fly unchecked and under the radar, spreading all sorts of lies."
"So let's start a chain of e-mail of our own," he wrote, inviting supporters to forward his message countering claims that Obama's plans would lead to rationing, encourage euthanasia or deplete veterans' health care.
The Axelrod e-mail is just the latest move by the White House to raise privacy questions.
The White House earlier drew criticism for asking the public to send in "fishy" information on health care reform the public receive via e-mail or find on the Internet.
Critics worried how the White House would use that information and accused the administration of playing "big brother."
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Wild Thing's comment.......
It’s always someone elses fault, not the WH, not Obama, not his staff, not his administration. I’m surprised they haven’t blamed it on the vast right wing conspiracy yet but they probably will get around to it. Typical.
It took them FOUR DAYS to think this one up???
Posted by Wild Thing at August 17, 2009 06:47 AM
Comments
Guilty as charged!!!
When do you reckon the Dhimmis will get off the campaign trail and down to governing?
I'm just a bit weary of the constant media barrage of just how good this POS and his henchmen are for the nation. One look at who they have in the Senate say's it all for the saps that put them there, Al Franken and the freaks on parade. Worse yet the GOP wets their lips and treats them as their own. I can count on one hand those I support as true Republicans, I'd respect them more if they dissociated themselves from the herd under any other party name. Thanks for growing a pair Major Garrett.
Posted by: Jack at August 17, 2009 07:44 AM
So far I've received two unsolicited E mails. I answered both and gave Axholerod an earfull. But as luck would have it some flunkie staffer probably deleted it and all that insult effort for nothing. But I am sure I made their 'shit-list', whihc is ok. They can make me their enemy I already know who mine are.
Posted by: Mark at August 17, 2009 01:36 PM
Jack, good point, they just won't stop
campaigning, this is one insane madness
from Obama and his team.
Posted by: Wild Thing at August 17, 2009 11:58 PM
Mark, I am so glad you did that.
Great repsonses too.
Posted by: Wild Thing at August 18, 2009 12:00 AM
