McClellan must miss Guckert

September 6, 2005

If you have a few minutes, you should definitely read the transcript of today’s White House press briefing. Remember a couple of months ago when the reporters smacked Scott McClellan around for an hour over the Plame scandal? It was about as bad today.

There were too many heated exchanges to list them all, but this one stands out:

Q: The person who says that he found out about the Convention Center seeing it on the media — that is to say the FEMA Director — is still in place. Is that satisfactory that somebody would have responded like that?

McClellan: Again, this is getting into — we’re somewhat engaged in a blame game. We’ve got to —

Q: It’s not a blame game. That’s accountability —

McClellan: Terry, we’ve got to —

Q: It’s accountability.

McClellan: Yes.

Q: Is “Brownie” still doing a “heck of a job,” according to the President?

McClellan: We’ve got to continue to do everything we can in support of those who are involved in the operational aspects of this response effort. And that’s what we’re going to do. There will be plenty of time —

Q: If he fails at it, he’s not going to be good at it going forward. That’s what Bob is saying.

McClellan: There are people working round-the-clock with FEMA. The Secretary, the FEMA Director and many others who are working round-the-clock. And we’ve got to do everything we can in support of their efforts to make sure people are getting what they need.

And that wasn’t even the most confrontational of the exchanges. McClellan used the phrase “blame game” at least seven times by my count, and after a while, the reporters were visibly sick of it.

McClellan: We can engage in this blame-gaming going on and I think that’s what you’re getting —

Q: No, no. That’s a talking point, Scott. […]

Q: Is he confident…that he can secure the American people in the event of a major terrorist attack?

McClellan: We are securing the American people by staying on the offensive abroad and working to spread freedom and democracy in the Middle East.

Q: That’s a talking point. That’s a talking point.

When McClellan said people suffering are going to get answers “but now is not the time,” Terry Moran from ABC shot back, “No, it is the time, Scott.”

When McClellan said there were health concerns in Louisiana, one reporter said:

Q: Scott, you’re not up to date with what’s happening there. Dysentery has already started —

McClellan: April, I’m going to move on, because I don’t think —

Q: But it sounds like you are not up to date.

McClellan: No, I don’t think you have all the facts correct —

Q: No, I have enough facts.

When McClellan said the president had met directly with people who have suffered, one reporter shot back, “Beyond Trent Lott?”

Call me crazy, but I’d say the press corps has just about had it with White House b.s. Like I said, watch the video.

If the press corps can keep this up, I’ll take back all the nasty things I’ve said about them.

“No, it is the time, Scott.” I love it.

  • I hope the press realizes they truly have the power here, and do not need to cowtow to the White House in order to gain political access any longer. Truth is on their side.

    I’d love to see someone confront Scott about the staged photo ops for the president that the German station reported–but I suppose that’s small potatoes compared to larger issues.

  • Here’s a question: why, on the transcript page that Carpetbagger linked to, are the following phrases–and only the following phrases–bolded?

    Katrina response efforts

    terror attack

    proposal for this tax cut

    terrorist attack

    tax cut made permanent

    Is it me, or is this like a window into Karl Rove’s subconscious?

  • ” Call me crazy, but I’d say the press corps has just about had it with White House b.s. Like I said, watch the video.”

    Nah, not crazy. Just wishful thinking. I think it’s short lived.

    Two questions I’d have asked:

    Why didn’t the prez address the nation from the Oval Office,
    and in particular, demand that the oil companies cease
    and desist from exploiting the tragedy by price gouging?

    Why hasn’t the prez called a rare press conference of
    his own to answer all these questions, and more?

    Finally, if the president did conduct a press conference,
    would the press corps be as bold and demanding?

    But of course, little bubble boy’s handlers would never
    allow that.

  • Too many senior reporters — like Shepard Smith, Brian Wilson, even Geraldo — are calling the Rove bluff…

    All you poli sci PhD wannabes: your thesis awaits.

  • Anybody noticed that the evacuees are being shipped to states with GOP governors, like Oklahoma, Utah and Texas? Did I hear Bush say he would reimburse 100 percent for every dollar spent on the evacuees? Do you imagine there will be much checking what those governor’s bill the federal government? Is this another pork barrel scheme? I noticed FEMA held up a flight of 400 to D.C. yesterday while they evaluated where they wanted to send them. The folks finally got off today. Interesting.

  • The press finally has the opportunity to score some real points in this game. I’m surprised no one called for Scotty boy to resign- that is
    before he wets his pants and goes to his room to cry.
    It is obvious that Bush doesn’t have the balls to deal with real questions.
    Nor does his old man. Complete bloody disgrace! Maybe we can
    erase numbers 41 and 43 from the presidential roster. This is family
    that revels in political incompetence. After all, Bush jr. is a direct
    descendant of that other “success” story, Franklin Pierce. Hasn’t America suffered enough under these people?
    It’s time the press laid it on them and asks the hardball questions they
    only reserve for Democrats. If I were the Republicans I think it would
    be time to change my underpants. They’re gonna get messed.

  • How long before the transcripts and videos of these gaggles are no longer put on the White House site?

  • McClellan is your typical republican schmuck. He can’t answer a direct question, instead he dances around and tries to skate by saying”we have to stay focused.” Not to make light of the devastation created by Katrina, but the world is still revolving and we can’t just forget about everything else going on.

  • I don’t think it would be a whole lot different if Kerry or another Demo had won in 04, because:
    – this issue had been one in Clinton’s 8 years and no one had done anything then (or any time in the past 20 years) either,
    -and because this country as a whole (from president to congress, on down to us) is really out of touch in one way or another with dealing with things like this. And even given a perfect disaster response from FEMA et al., it’s hard to forsee everything. A more competent administration & a democratic congress might have made a difference – but what if these didn’t make a difference? What then?

  • It’s a nice change, but I don’t expect it to last. What I’d like to know is where the hell are the Democrats on this? Dean has issued a couple of critical statements, as have some members of the Black Caucus, but we know how much influence they have with the so called “leaders” in the party.
    I’d love to think this will be the alarm clock that finally makes people wake up to what has been going on in this country, but Bush, Rove and Co. have proven themselves masters of media manipulation and I’m not ready to believe the press is ready to do it’s job just yet. The article mentioned how the press got spunky once over the Plame scandal. That’s my point, once, one day they asked tough questions, how much have you heard since? Within a few days they will be the good old lapdogs we have come to know and love.

  • What choice do I have but to be grateful that our media are rousing themselves from their slumber in fits and starts. But forgive me for not buying flowers to express my gratitude.

    These are not a bunch of rookies fresh on the trail and ready to make their mark. Many are reporters that have been on the beat since before 2000. The river of bullshit that they have been paddling on runs deep and wide. It’s been like that since the beginning. If they had been less mesmerized all along we might be less screwed up than we are now.

    It still seems to take a good hot-foot to get the MSM to make a move. When the public is starting to get ahead of them they figure they’d better get busy.

    A wet, blabbery raspberry to our exteemed media.

  • I’m as thrilled as anyone to see the press corpse awaken and start doing its job.

    That said, I can’t be the only one who’s watching this and thinking, “Where the f*** were you people during the 2004 campaign?”

    If the press had done its job then we wouldn’t be in the situation we’re in now.

  • It’s about time they woke up. I hope it lasts but this country has the attention span of a gnat.

  • These people (the White House press corps) have a lot to answer for. For more than 5 years they have been bamboozled into propagating the Rove/Cheney/Rummy river of bullshit. They are accomplices in the rape of our resources, of the killing of thousands and of the willingness to follow their lead, simply for access and privilege.

    Let’s not jump for joy, yet, for the catastrophe is still in progress, and, at this point, they would not be able to look themselves in the mirror were they to not “play the blame game”.

    Comment by Frank Espada

  • As I watched the so-called press conference, I actually found myself cheering for the reporters to “GET HIM” just as if I were at a football game instead of my living room. I’m so sick of McClellan’s repetitive, evasive, nonsubstantive remarks and answers, that I root for every agitated White House correspondent who refuses to accept Scott’s innane answers. Every time I hear “as we go forward,” or “as we stay on the offensive for freedom and democracy in the Middle East,” or one of his other worn-out phrases, I want to reach into the T.V. screen and wring his neck. Why would any self-respecting person agree to stand up in front of reporters and a nation-wide T.V. audience and allow himself to appear so puppet-like and devoid of responses beyond the latest rehearsed Rovian refrains.

  • Scotty Doughboy deserves a good tar and feathering. He will continue to serve up the Big Lie but at least the press corp is not letting it be spoon fed to them.

  • Let’s put this in perspective. Scotty did exactly what scotty does… They don’t care what the press corp thinks. Scotty wins until they walk out on him.

    They all need to stand up and say what is the point of us being here since you don’t answer our questions anyway just talking points over and over and we’ve heard all that a million times now and walk out. They should have walked out a long time ago…

    Until then same old same old been watching these things since bush got in and it won’t matter till they walk…

  • Hey hetzphar # 7;
    They’re (FEMA) is stopping them from coming into San Diego also. At least that’s what the kiss-the-ass-of-the-Shrub local TV outlet said this evening. We’ve got a gop gov, Herr gropenator, but, even though he plans to veto gay marriage he isn’t neo enough I guess. (Who cares about gay marriage? My guess is latent homosexuals. I can’t imagine a less important issue.)

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