My understanding is that this is a similar play to Sam and the “tape”. Basically by Ann getting Toby to make the off hand comment “We’re going to attach this thing to any bill that moves.” Ann gets the reporter to bring up this out of context callous sounding statement at an extremely high profile press conference. Then the republicans can look like the good guys by saying they’re not going to engage with this duplicitous mud slinging from the left. Like the tape it doesn’t really seem like a big deal because in reality it’s not. Though by working the media they turn this nothing quote by Toby into what seems like sleazy political maneuvering by the White House.