FishbowlDC has the scoop, straight from the briefing room! Highlights:
"Hardly a seat was available, and many late-arriving correspondents ended up standing in the aisles. "We're here for the barbeque," one reporter said."
Scott McClellan walked in and "promptly launched into introductory remarks about the Supreme Court vacancy and the economy. Hardly a pen moved in the audience. No one was here for that."
McClellan was "more obviously nervous than we've ever seen him at the podium."
The first volley (and many subsequent ones) came from CBS's John Roberts, who asked whether the President should revoke Karl Rove's security clearance. McClellan: "Any individual who works here at the White House has the President's confidence."
ABC's Terry Moran (who challenged McClellan back in May over the Newsweek flap): asked about circulating Republican talking points and what the White House was doing behind the scenes. "McClellan tried to answer, his voice momentarily cracking, before he launched into what was becoming the standard: can't discuss things related to the context of the ongoing investigation."
More questions, more evasions: "Ongoing investigation. Ongoing investigation. Can't discuss. Ongoing investigation." Another reporter wanders down a tangent. The briefing is wrapping up and nothing new has been learned. McClellan doesn't give an inch, but not talking isn't the same as satisfactorily answering.
"What's sure is that this story, now that it has finally arrived, isn't going to go away. As one reporter said in the briefing, the much-cited ongoing investigation means that this will be an ongoing news story today too."
UPDATE: "Scott, there's a difference between what's legal and what's right." The transcript is online here.
Click here to receive mediabistro.com's Daily Media Newsfeed via email.
FBNY twitter feed loading...
