Politics

Lesson Learned from Gibbs' Gaffe: Perception is Everything

By Lauren Seifert

July 14, 2010 / 5:20 PM EDT / CBS News

Democrats: Preparing for the Worst in November? 08:52

The fallout for Robert Gibbs continues and after much of this week spent backtracking, the White House Press Secretary is still feeling the heat over his comments that Democrats could lose control of the House come November, this time from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats.

According to reports, the speaker and other Democrats held a closed-door meeting and took aim at the top White House aid in the room; grilling him about the impact of Gibbs' comments.

On Wednesday's Washington Unplugged, CBS News Capitol Hill Producer Jill Jackson spoke with host Bill Plante and said, "The speaker was very upset. Democrats are very upset. Perception is everything."

Gibbs' comments could be welcome relief for House Republicans who faced some negative press in recent weeks, from Rep. Joe Barton's (R-Texas) "apology" to BP to House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) comparing the financial reform bill to "killing an ant with a nuclear weapon."

Jackson told Plante, "Republicans are using this in their messaging. They're going to be able to use that at every press conference, on the Floor. They're going to be able to use that to raise money, which is a huge thing between now and November."

Pelosi's backroom grilling Tuesday evening also shed light on tensions that have plagued the relationship between the White House and House Democrats. "There's been some resentment over the past year or so from House Democrats," Jackson said.

She continued, "[Pelosi] has said we've done everything you've asked, the House has passed every piece of legislation that's part of the 'Obama agenda' and where's the credit? It seems like you're not fighting for us."

Plante noted that this kind of relationship between the administration and Congress is nothing new. Jackson responded, "This is not unusual at all. House members are very focused on 2010 right now whereas the White House is probably more concerned with 2012 and that means that sometimes messages will cross."

Watch Wednesday's "Washington Unplugged" above, also featuring Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Karim Sadjadpour on Iranian scientist Shahram Amiri and CBS News' Christina Ruffini with a report on France's burqa ban.

"Washington Unplugged," CBSNews.com's exclusive daily politics Webshow, appears live on CBSNews.com each weekday at 2 p.m. ET. Click here to check out previous episodes.