- The Washington Times - Monday, January 26, 2015

Patrick Griffin, a political insider who served as a White House liaison during the years of former President Bill Clinton and former Speaker Newt Gingrich, said those turmoil-filled times are nothing compared to now — that under President Obama’s terms, all rules and courtesies seem to have dissipated.

“There appear to be no rules anymore,” Mr. Griffin told Politico. “[The atmosphere is] if you can do it, do it.”

His comments come on the heels of Speaker John Boehner’s go-around of the White House to invite Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Congress to speak — but Democrats, at least privately, say the White House is just as guilty of violating longheld professional protocols, Politico reported. And Republicans, meanwhile, see hypocrisy.

For instance, Barry Jackson, a former chief of staff for Mr. Boehner, said the White House previously promised South Korea’s leadership an opportunity to speak before Congress, without first checking with Mr. Boehner, Politico reported.

“This is not the first time where [the executive branch] got cross-wise thinking the House was not an equal branch,” Mr. Jackson said, expressing surprise that the White House was now slamming Mr. Boehner for violating “protocol,” when Team Obama has done similarly to Congress, Politico reported.

Josh Earnest, press secretary for the White House, said in the wake of Mr. Boehner’s reach-out to Mr. Netanyahu: “The well-established protocol is that the leader of a foreign country would be in touch with the leader of this country about a possible visit. That didn’t occur.”

• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.

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