Scottie 2 Hottie got caught in a lie volcano of the administration’s own making today when he dodged reporter’s questions about Karl Rove subverting national security for political gain. If it wasn’t so serious it would be hilarious.
UPDATE: C&L has the video.
QUESTION: Scott, can I ask you this: Did Karl Rove commit a crime?
MCCLELLAN: Again, David, this is a question relating to a ongoing investigation, and you have my response related to the investigation. And I don’t think you should read anything into it other than: We’re going to continue not to comment on it while it’s ongoing.
QUESTION: Do you stand by your statement from the fall of 2003, when you were asked specifically about Karl and Elliot Abrams and Scooter Libby, and you said, “I’ve gone to each of those gentlemen, and they have told me they are not involved in this”?
QUESTION: Do you stand by that statement?
MCCLELLAN: And if you will recall, I said that, as part of helping the investigators move forward on the investigation, we’re not going to get into commenting on it. That was something I stated back near that time as well.
QUESTION: Scott, this is ridiculous. The notion that you’re going to stand before us, after having commented with that level of detail, and tell people watching this that somehow you’ve decided not to talk.
You’ve got a public record out there. Do you stand by your remarks from that podium or not?
MCCLELLAN: I’m well aware, like you, of what was previously said. And I will be glad to talk about it at the appropriate time. The appropriate time is when the investigation…
QUESTION: (inaudible) when it’s appropriate and when it’s inappropriate? MCCLELLAN: If you’ll let me finish.
QUESTION: No, you’re not finishing. You’re not saying anything.
Come on, Dugger, where are you? I need a hit of that sweet, sweet snark! Here’s an easy setup line for you to smack out of the park with your smug, ignorant wit: “Is there anything that the Bush Administration does that you *won’t* apologize for?” Come on, I know you got it in you!
Hotty Scotty is a pretty good tap dancer. That is why he is the White House press secretary? Did he have an ear piece in his ear? Was Karl Rove telling him what to say?
The best part for me was when you tried to generate sympathy for Scott McClellan by calling the reporter a jerk — first class, no less!
Classic.
Dugger.
“Dugger, Yes, That Liberal Media”
Because the librul media would never have asked a Democratic administration such prying questions if a high level official was under suspicion of having committed a crime. They would have covered it up, right?
Scotty Too Hotty (LOL) (Very Clever Oliver) So I guess his response looked something like the Worm right? I degress.. Comparing a paid liar to a really spastic wrestler with moves called the Worm would be bring down the discussion. From now on I will refer to Scott Appleseed, because he is just delivering seeds to AMerica.
Yes! It’s a home run! HA!
QUESTION: Scott, earlier this week you told us that neither Karl Rove, Elliot Abrams nor Lewis Libby disclosed any classified information with regard to the leak. I wondered if you could tell us more specifically whether any of them told any reporter that Valerie Plame worked for the CIA?
McCLELLAN: I spoke with those individuals, as I pointed out, and those individuals assured me they were not involved in this. And that’s where it stands.
QUESTION: So none of them told any reporter that Valerie Plame worked for the CIA?
McCLELLAN: They assured me that they were not involved in this.
Scott McClellan
Press Briefing
October 10, 2003
It takes a special kind of man to tell lies knowingly while understanding his audience also knows they re lies.
Maybe he’s been paying visits to Baghdad Bob in whatever cell we keep him in? (Do I recall that correctly? We caught Bob alive, right?)
It takes a special kind of man to tell lies–knowingly–while understanding his audience also knows they’re lies.
My guess is Scottie will punch out of the WH early today, go home, mix up a big pitcher of martinis and drink until he loses the realization that all the work he’s done to reach the pinnacle of his career has culminated in being held up and exposed as a ridiculous liar.
The fact the WH is now stonewalling doesn’t bode well for Rove. Remember, this is an administration that normally responds to criticism with attacks. These folks are seriously hunkered down which means they’re in the hurt locker and theoptions don’t look good.
Apparently Rove never leaked Plame’s name, just her job and her status as Joe Wilson’s wife. But not her name.
Sometime ago, I remember when this sort of response would be considered “Clintonian.”
Dugger,
QUESTION: No, you re not finishing. You re not saying anything.
I m happy to stick by the assertion that a reporter who speaks thusly is a jerk; and a jerk with a liberal bias in all likelihood.
How was the reporter a jerk? For making an honest assessment of the situation? McClellan basically pleaded “the fifth” for christsake, which is tantamount to actually NOT SAYING ANYTHING.
You might get off by being spoonfed spin by this administration, the rest of us want answers, and the truth behind those answers.
Apparently in DuggerWorld, good, unbiased reporters respond to transparent dodges and obfuscations with “Thank you, sir. May I have another, please?”
Maybe Rove was telling the truth. Maybe the leak came from tricky Dick Cheney. It looks like no one is admitting they did it.
Furthermore, let’s not talk about bias in the WH press pool unless you are prepared to condemn these comments/questions from the very same gaggle:
“Q Scott, since President William Howard Taft became Chief Justice after his presidency, you would not rule out the President nominating former law school professor Bill Clinton to the Supreme Court, would you? And if you wouldn’t, we can report that President Clinton is under consideration, can’t we?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, that’s the first time I’ve heard that name suggested. I know there are a lot of names being suggested out there, and you know that I’m not going to get into speculating about any particular names.
Q One follow-up. Considering the widespread interest and the absolutely frantic Democrat reaction to Karl Rove’s excellent speech to conservatives last month, does the President hope that Karl will give a lot more speeches?
Notice how the reporter uses the the right’s favorite pejorative “Democrat”, and then categorizes Rove speech, the one where he basically calls all Liberals & Democrats unpatriotic, as excellent.
So, Dugger, or you genuinely concerned about bias in the press pool, or are you just blowing so much hot air again? Repudiate this moron or sit down and shut up altogether.
Calm down TomY. As Martha Stewart says, cyber-hyperventilation is not a ‘good thing’.
Now:
“QUESTION: No, you re not finishing. You re not saying anything.”
I’m happy to stick by the assertion that a reporter who speaks thusly is a jerk; and a jerk with a liberal bias in all likelihood.
Dugger
Dugger,
Maybe the White House press crew wouldn’t be so “jerky” if the people they cover weren’t so openly contemptuous and hostile to them. Blatantly lying to their faces every day? Assigning them condescending nicknames? Using them to punish political enemies? Letting them rot in jail cells to cover their crimes?
Come along, kids, as the Quaker cranks up the WaaaayBack machine to October 6, 2003:
and a jerk with a liberal bias in all likelihood.
Oh and Dugger….I called ‘911′ for you, so keep an eye out for the “waaambulance”.
wow, that is some amazing tap dancing. scotty is doing a great impression of gregory hines. mighty fine softshoe.
Poor Dugger, he comes here day after day, attempting to sway you poor mislead liberals to believing in your fine American leadership and all you do is throw facts at him until his responses are more indicative of a rabid monkey smoking crack than the fine upstanding member of society he so obviously is.
On the other hand, that was one of the best press conferences I’ve seen in awhile. Almost makes me start to respect the press…. Nah
Somehow I get the feeling that the Bush administration does not like freedom of the press.
What’s going on here? What Liberal Media? Scotty and Dugger are wishing for the good old days when Jeff Gannon asked all the questions.
[...] hat I essentially agree with Matt Yglesias here that any sort of conclusion drawn from the relatively harsh questioning (well, at least compared to the usual g [...]
The remarks were disrespectful to the office. There has to be a minimum level of civility. You can be outraged all you want about any administration or any person or policy not up to your or my unique wonderful standards, but older and wiser folks know that none of us are always right and that simple fact of life calls for some restraint. If you are not smart enough to know you may not always be right or that other people are just as “moral” as you, then you don’t understand life and humanity.
Dugger, CEO DuggerWorld,
Shorter Dugger: Suck Bush’s dick or I’ll call you uncivil!
Disrespectful to the office of “administration spokesman”? Disrespectful to the office of Press Secretary? Disrespectful to the office of “liar caught red-handed”?
On one hand, we have a spokesman who has denied–for two years straight–that anyone inside the White House had anything at all to do with revealing the identity of a CIA agent. When finally caught out, the spokesman suddenly chooses to avoid answering questions.
On the other hand, we have a reporter who says: “You’re not answering the question.”
The latter is the one who is disrespectful of the office?
Quaker,
Yes. Disrespectful. You are saying their crude/rude behaviour was Ok because you and other leftists magically know they were lying. That lying thing again. It is very typical of modern leftist thought to take that which they don’t like and call it a lie. Your world view evidently does not allow for good intentions on the part of Bush or just errors or slips of the tongue by those with whom you disagree. No, the opposition must always have evil intentions – always lying. But maybe I’m being unfair. Perhaps you believe leftists lie just as much, but since they are lying for mankind’s ultimate good, its OK.
Dugger
Dugger