Ron Suskind, President Obama and women

Recently I criticized Joe McGinness for his hatchet job against Sarah Palin. Today I criticize Ron Suskind and the media reporting about his book on one major issue: women. Ernest Hemingway advised writers to write one true sentence, and on this matter the true sentence is this: Once President Obama learned that many women felt they were not treated well in his administration he became personally involved, and personally fixed any problems that might have existed.

In the famous Anita Dunn quote, reported in today's Washington Post in full, what she actually said was "if it weren't for the president this place would be in court for a hostile workplace.” Dunn was praising the president's sensitivity to women in power. In fact the president stepped in and solved the problem. This truth was lost because of the failure of Suskind and media rushing to sensationalize his book to correctly report the one true sentence on this important matter.

So let’s set the record straight. The president deserves credit for how he handled this situation. The president was always seen by women, including and in addition to Anita Dunn, as being sensitive and fair in his treatment of women. The women in the White House were heard. Any problem was solved. Any other rendition, either for promoting a book or rushing misleading excerpts to press, is a big lie and not a true sentence.