This is not the first time the Obama administration (and the Dems in Congress) have thrown someone under the bus in knee-jerk reaction to some unfounded accusation by Fox or others on the "Right."   They did the same thing to ACORN (because of doctored videos, selective reporting of parts of the story, and distortions of the truth) and to one of Obama's first cabinet nominees (whose name I'm blanking on at the moment).
George W Bush and the Republicans, either out of loyalty, principle, stubbornness or just plain chutzpah, seemed to stand by "their own" regardless of how valid or how important the accusations made against them. But Obama, like Bill Clinton, seems way too reticent to defend the people and organizations that he has supported and vice versa.   Where's the backbone? Where's the loyalty? Where's the intention to get at the truth before reacting?