Earnest on Whether WH Will Punish "Chickenshit" Source: "I Don't Know Of Any Effort Like That Underway"
ROBERTA RAMPTON, REUTERS: About a year ago, the White House investigated the source of some other anonymous comments. A person who was tweeting anonymously and directing vitriol towards White House officials. And you made sure that person was punished, fired lost his job, so is the White House committed to seeking out who made these comments, the chickenshit comments and punishing that person?
JOSH EARNEST: Anonymous comments that are contrary to administration policy are not particularly unqiue. I don't know if they are a daily occurrence. They may not rise to the level of the comments you are citing today, perhaps because the comments you are citing today are rather colorful. What I can tell you is that in the clearest terms possible, in the most open forum possible, those comments as they were reported do not accurately reflect at all this administration's view about the nation of Israel, about the strength of the relationship between our two countries, or the leadership of that important ally.
RAMPTON: Can you say whether the White House is going to attempt to find out who said it and punish that person?
EARNEST: I don't know of any effort like that that's underway right now. Again, there are anonymous comments like this shared with reporters like comments yourself on a pretty regular basis. What we have found to be the most effective tactic is to help all of you understand the proper context for those comments. In this case I am not sure there is a proper context; they are so directly in opposition to the true view and policy of this administration.
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