President Obama praised Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz “for her incredible efforts” on behalf of the party at a women’s forum Friday, amid speculation the Florida congresswoman had fallen out of favor with the White House.
After greeting Wasserman Schultz with a hug and a kiss on the cheek, Obama extolled her work at the top of his remarks to the forum.
{mosads}”I want to thank Debbie for the great work she is doing to keep our party strong,” Obama said. “Nobody anywhere works harder than Debbie Wasserman Schultz. I want to thank her for her incredible efforts.”
Earlier this week, Politico published a story chronicling dissatisfaction with Wasserman Schultz within the West Wing. Sources in the story depicted Obama as annoyed with the Florida congresswoman over her management style and said that the president and the DNC chairwoman rarely spoke. Anecdotes in the story included Obama chiding Wasserman Schultz for asking to take a picture with him and dismissing her enthusiasm after the DNC retired its debt from the 2012 campaign.
Since the release of the story, the White House has worked hard to dispel the notion of a feud. White House adviser Valerie Jarrett told AURN that Wasserman Schultz had the president’s “full support” and said she had called the chairwoman to discuss the story.
“I spoke with her yesterday,” Jarrett said. “I have a great deal of respect and admiration for her. She works so hard she travels all around our country.”