Obama administration auto czar Ron Bloom told the House oversight committee on Thursday that he flubbed his late June testimony when questioned about reports that he had said “I did this all for the unions.”
Detroit News reporter David Shepardson and author Steven Rattner both quoted Bloom saying that he “did this all for the unions” at a dinner. During a June 22 oversight subcommittee hearing, however, Bloom denied — several times while under oath — that he had made the comment. Shepardson then confirmed for The Daily Caller that Bloom did, in fact, make the comment in question. White House officials have yet to ask him or Rattner for corrections. (Appropriations Committee slaps GAO ahead of Issa)
Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa, California Republican, and Reps. Dan Burton, Indiana Republican, and Jim Jordan, Ohio Republican, fired off a letter to Bloom to see if he’d like to clarify his comments for the official congressional record. Bloom then changed his mind and now says he doesn’t recall making the comment. He also said he’s not sure if he didn’t make the comment. It’s a non-denial denial.
“I do not recall making the alleged comment that was the subject of Congressman [Dan] Burton’s inquiry,” Bloom said in a letter to Burton, Jordan and Issa. “Nonetheless, given the amount of time that has passed since the dinner in July 2009 and the fact that others may have a different recollection, I cannot say with absolute certainty that I did not make the alleged comment.”
Even though Bloom’s letter still leaves some holes open regarding what really happened, and Bloom doesn’t outright deny saying he did everything he did for big labor, the House oversight committee was pleased Bloom replied and corrected the record.
“Chairman Issa appreciates Mr. Bloom’s reply and the revision of his account that was so clearly contradicted by other published sources,” oversight committee spokesman Jeffrey Solsby said in an email to TheDC.