Yesterday’s press briefing by White House press secretary Scott McClellan was one of the most frustrating Q&A sessions imaginable. McClellan, obviously on the defensive, was willing to acknowledge almost nothing about the Wilson/Plame scandal.
McClellan came in with his talking points memorized, and in a remarkable demonstration of rhetorical discipline, refused to budge. Here’s what the press corps got out of him: the illegal leaks are “a very serious matter,” the matter has been referred to the Justice Department, and if leakers are identified, they’ll be fired. That’s about it.
Reporters seemed most interested in whether the White House was prepared to lift a finger on its own to get to the bottom of the illegal leaks. Every time a journalist asked the question (in about a dozen different permutations), McClellan gave the same answer: No specific information has come to the White House’s attention to indicate White House involvement with the leak.
This is not an actual denial. McClellan never said the White House didn’t leak the information and out an undercover CIA agent, he repeated — ad nauseam — that he hasn’t seen any information indicating that the White House was involved.
When one reporter asked if the White House would “take a proactive role” in identifying the leakers, McClellan asked, “Do you have any specific information to bring to my attention suggesting White House involvement?” A few minutes later, a reporter asked if the president thought this was such a “serious” matter, why he wouldn’t want an internal investigation. McClellan asked, “Do you have specific information to bring to my attention?” Another reporter noted that the president could “end this controversy today” by simply asking his senior staff about the leaks. McClellan responded, “[D]o you have specific information to bring to our attention?”
And on and on it went. I counted eight separate occasions in which McClellan dared the press corps to offer “specific information” tying the White House to the leaks.
It’s an almost-clever, albeit desperate, strategy. Some of these same reporters were approached about the leak in the first place. The reporters already know the identity of the leakers because the leakers called them. So why don’t they just say so? They can’t divulge their source. Whoever leaked the information did so off the record. That’s why McClellan kept daring them to introduce proof that the White House was involved. He knows full well that they can’t.
Of course, there is at least some specific information proving the White House’s involvement. Bob Novak’s column in July quotes two “senior administration officials” outing Plame. Novak doesn’t have the security clearance to get that information on his own; he had to get it from his White House sources.
This generated a vicious cycle during yesterday’s briefing that reminded me of Bill Murray’s Groundhog Day.
A reporter notes the seriousness of the charge and asks if the White House is willing to investigate this…McClellan says there’s no information linking the White House to the leaks…the reporters note Novak’s anonymous sources…McClellan says he can’t “chase down every anonymous report” that appears in the newspaper…the reporters note that this anonymous report involves felonies committed by White House officials…McClellan says that’s why it’s been referred to the Justice Department…the reporters ask if it’s that important, why the White House isn’t willing to investigate this… [repeat until you need a painkiller]