Senior White House Adviser David Axelrod tried to downplay the White House's war with Fox News during an appearance on CBS' Face the Nation this morning -- even while being questioned about inflammatory statements Rush Limbaugh made about the president on Fox News Sunday today.

"We're not at war with anyone," Axelrod said. "We're at war only with people who represent mistruths as truth. And that's true of any network whether it's Fox, CBS, or any other network. When errors of fact are stated or when opinion is offered as fact, we will challenge that."

Axelrod also joined fellow White House adviser Valerie Jarrett in questioning the GOP's direction in the special NY-23 congressional election, in which prominent Republicans like Sarah Palin and Tim Pawlenty backed a Conservative Party candidate over a more moderate GOPer -- who subsequently suspended her campaign.

"Certainly Mr. Limbaugh and others were behind that," Axelroad said today. "And I think it sends a clear message to moderates within that party that there's no room at the inn for them."

Axelrod also tried to downplay Abdullah Abdullah's withdrawal from the presidential runoff election in Afghanistan, saying that "he's made a political decision to withdraw from this contest and that doesn't markedly change this situation."

And a public health insurance option? "I think that some version of it will be in the bill" the president signs, Axelrod said.