The Mirror

Politico Contradicts Its Own Reporting About Spicer’s Popularity

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

Betsy Rothstein Gossip blogger
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Politico is using 5-month-old data and a polling company that caters to celebrities and favors liberals to slime the reputation of ex-White House press secretary Sean Spicer.

But there’s more.

Tara Palmeri, the reporter who wrote the piece, has a clear, undisclosed axe to grind against Spicer. Which, at the very least, Politico editors should have made her came clean about in her story. The article, published Wednesday night, states that Spicer has been shaping his “brand” around and has been a “tough sell.” She says he had a “testy” relationship with the White House press corps.

In late March, 2017, Spicer called Palmeri “an idiot with no real sources” in a Breitbart News story by Matthew Boyle.

“Who uses 5-month old data?” a Mirror spy remarked. “This is her saying ok, my turn.”

Mirror sources tell me there will soon be news of Spicer’s immediate future that has been in the works for awhile. Sources close to him say he’s extremely content and not worried about a post White House popularity contest.

Politico reports that Spicer’s popularity on E-Score is a 13 — a notoriously unlucky number. This, compared to NBC’s Megyn Kelly, whose score is 52 and Oprah, who slides in at 96. Noted national pervert Anthony Weiner‘s score comes in lower than Spicer’s at a 2.

The story cites E-Score’s Director of Marketing Randy Parker, who says, “In fairness, the picture changes quite a bit when we limit responses to Republicans.”

The most stunning part of Politico‘s report on Spicer Thursday is what they left out — which is their own reporting, which sharply contradicts what Palmeri wrote. Even a story by Palmeri from back in April — the same month this supposed E-Score rating of Spicer was assessed — wipes out her new reporting.

“White House aides grapple with newfound celebrity,” blares a headline of a story with a co-byline of Anni Karni and — you guessed it — Tara Palmeri. The story discusses White House officials “who have transformed into bona fide national celebrities.”

And guess who that would be?

Yup. Spicer.

“Press secretary Sean Spicer’s name recognition was above 60 percent nationally in a POLITICO/Morning Consult poll this month,” the women wrote. “That finding was in line with a Quinnipiac University poll in late February, the first time the polling institute ever polled the favorability of a White House press secretary, according to pollster Tim Malloy.”

The story even said Spicer “appears to be trying to tamp down” the attention.

Asked about Spicer’s reputation, a White House reporter said on background, “He had a tough job. He was a nice guy in person. He started off on an awful foot with a bunch of lies in his first presser.”
Asked about Spicer’s relationship with the press, another Washington reporter who has covered the White House told The Mirror, “I do think it was strained. I think Politico was a little over the top — he hated them, so that’s probably why — but he did treat most reporters pretty rudely.”
When asked to expand on this, the reporter explained, “I just remember it having the overall vibe that people hated his guts. I think people were entertained by him, but thought he was incompetent for that job, which is true. So when he was rude, it was just another factor on top of that.”

Doug Heye, a CNN contributor and a longtime Washington GOP operative, says Spicer’s reputation is intact.

“Sean has been a friend for 20 years,” Heye said. “He’s popular among his colleagues and he takes his job – whether at the White House, RNC, or on the Hill seriously. He also has a depth of policy knowledge most comms people don’t – present company included. Even among non-Trump fans, there was a soft spot for Sean.”

In the paparazzi world, Washington celebrity photog Mark Wilkins says Spicer is still a hot commodity. He says he’s looking to “pap him” in New York on September 11.

“Everyone that worked for President Trump is good to get,” he said. “Mooch worked for the White House for 10 days and he is still a rock star.”

Arthur Schwartz, an Anthony Scaramucci pal who previously worked in public relations at MWW, the firm that briefly hired Weiner, went on the offensive.

“You literally spent seven months asking people for ‘anything bad’ on @seanspicer,” Schwartz wrote Palmeri in a direct attack on Twitter. “That’s not journalism, hack.”

“He snapped, “They said the same about Howard Stern, genius.”

Palmeri shot back, “Stern is a radio guy, not TV.”