Working Together

Q All right. The New York Times this morning has a photograph of you above a five-column headline, “Another White House Briefing, Another Day of Mutual Mistrust,” while on the bulletin board behind us, posted by one of those on the front row, is the cover of National Review Magazine with the headline, “The Gang That Won’t Shoot Straight and the Madness of the White House Press Corps.” And my question: As the Bush administration’s person who most frequently deals with the White House press corps, will you be fair enough to admit that some in this press corps were not involved in such madness? (Laughter.)

SCOTT McCLELLAN: Les, I have a lot of respect for the people in this room and the job that they do. You all in this room work very hard to report important information to the American people, and do so in a fair way. And I appreciate it when you do.

Q All right, wait a minute, wait a minute.

Q We’re all in it together. (Laughter.)

Q The Washington Times this morning noted –

MR. McCLELLAN: We’ve been talking about how we can work together, remember — (laughter.)

Full Transcript

Jumping

Q Back to DPW. Prior to finding this, what you call “middle ground” –

SCOTT McCLELLAN: Didn’t you already have a question? (Laughter.)

Q Yes, I did.

MR. McCLELLAN: You’re jumping in on some of the others. Let me come back to you.

Q Go ahead.

MR. McCLELLAN: No, that’s okay. I forgot. Nice try. (Laughter.) Go ahead, Connie.

Full Transcript

Happy Birthday

Q I want to get back where we started and the question asked by Kerry, who, unfortunately, in his advancing years continues to have trouble making himself clear, apparently. (Laughter.) The question, very simply, was –

SCOTT McCLELLAN: Happy birthday. It was yesterday. (Laughter.)

Full Transcript

Can’t Remember

Q Are there going to be any new little details today about the initiative at all?

ALLAN HUBBARD: I didn’t hear your question.

Q Are any new details coming out today about the initiative, or –

MR. HUBBARD: Well, the — it’s hard for me to remember what’s out there, and what’s not out. (Laughter.)

Q That’s okay. Don’t worry about that. (Laughter.)

Full Transcript

Which Week?

Q Scott, to revisit a subject from this morning –

SCOTT McCLELLAN: And from the last week. (Laughter.)

Q Does President — not last week, this week.

MR. McCLELLAN: I said, from the last week.

Full Transcript

Talk to Canada

Q There are Canadian news reports that the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal has contended that one of the sexual orientations is sadomasochism, while in Ottawa, the Justice Department has called for the legalizing of polygamy. And my question: Does the President recognize these developments as logical progression from the current demand for same-sex marriage by the sodomy lobby?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: Are you talking about Canada? (Laughter.)

Q Canada, yes.

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, direct your questions to Canada.

Q No, no, no, I wanted to know what does the President think about this.

Q So you’d rather go back to Saturday? (Laughter.)

MR. McCLELLAN: I’m glad to answer your questions, but I think we went through it thoroughly yesterday. It is what it is, and I think it’s time to move on for the American people.

Full Transcript

Cheney Shooting: Non-Answers

Q Okay, let me ask you this — is the President concerned that the Vice President made decisions about the public disclosure of this incident that are clearly at odds with how you and others advising the President disclose personal information about the President’s activities?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: Let me just say this, since there’s some follow-up questions that you all have. First of all, I think we went through this pretty thoroughly yesterday and I worked to answer the questions to the best of my ability and in a forthright manner, based on the facts that I knew. There were some very legitimate questions that were asked. As I indicated, I always believe that you can look back and work to do better. I indicated that yesterday. I think today what we’re focusing our efforts is on what are the most pressing priorities before the American people. And that’s where we’re focusing. I understand you still have some –

Q That’s fine, and that’s appropriate.

MR. McCLELLAN: If you want to continue to spend time on that, that’s fine. We’re moving on to the priorities of the American people. That’s where our focus is.

Q That’s fair, and that’s your prerogative, and I’ve got my job to do, which is, try to get you to answer that question. Does the President think it’s appropriate for the Vice President to essentially make decisions at odds with the public disclosure process of this White House?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think that I’ve expressed my views, and we went through this yesterday.

Q But that’s a non-answer.

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, that’s what I was trying to indicate to you –

Q Does the President have a view about how the Vice President has conducted himself?

MR. McCLELLAN: Again, that’s what I — I indicated to you yesterday what our views were.

Q No, I don’t recall you sharing the President’s view.

MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, but can I finish responding? I’m glad to answer your questions.

Q You didn’t answer that question. It was very respectful –

MR. McCLELLAN: I was very respectful and responsive to you all –

Q The Vice President basically decided on his own to not disclose this, which is at odds with how you do business and how the President does business, right?

MR. McCLELLAN: I don’t want to make this about anything other than what it is. It is what it is, David. I was very respectful and responsive to your questions yesterday. I provided you the information I knew based on the facts that were available, and we’ve been through this pretty thoroughly.

Q You don’t have an answer to this question. All right, one final question.

MR. McCLELLAN: Wait, wait, I’m just not going to go back through it again. I’d appreciate it if you’d let me respond fully before you jump in.

Q All right, but — well, hold on one second. I’ve got one final question.

MR. McCLELLAN: Other people in this room have questions, and we’ve got an event coming up.

Q I understand that, but I’m not getting answers here, Scott, and I’m trying to be forthright with you, but don’t tell me that you’re giving us complete answers when you’re not actually answering the question, because everybody knows what is an answer and what is not an answer.

MR. McCLELLAN: David, now you want to make this about you, and it’s not about you, it’s about what happened. And that’s what I’m trying to –

Q I’m sorry that you feel that way, but that’s not what I’m trying to do.

MR. McCLELLAN: And I’m trying to provide answers to the questions.

Q I have one final question, since that one wasn’t answered. Is it appropriate for the Vice President to have waited 14 hours after the incident before he spoke with local law enforcement officials? And do you think that an average citizen would have been accorded that same amount of time before having to answer questions about a shooting incident?

MR. McCLELLAN: That was what was arranged with the local law enforcement authorities. You ought to ask them that question.

Full Transcript

Cheney Shooting: Let’s Be Clear

Q But let’s just be clear here. The Vice President of the United States accidentally shoots a man and he feels that it’s appropriate for a ranch owner who witnessed this to tell the local Corpus Christi newspaper, and not the White House press corps at large, or notify the public in a national way?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: Well, I think we all know that once it is made public, then it’s going to be news and all of you all are going to be seeking that information. And the Vice President’s Office was ready to provide additional information to reporters. There was no traveling White House press corps with the Vice President, as there is with the President in a situation like this –

Q Right, that’s a distinction without a difference, really. I mean, we have Blackberries –

MR. McCLELLAN: So there is some different circumstances. And the other circumstance here was that someone was injured and needed medical care. And the Vice President’s team was making sure he was getting taken care of and that he got to the hospital and received additional treatment. . . .

Q I’m sure his first reaction — absolutely. But why is it that it took so long for the President, for you, for anybody else to know that the Vice President accidentally shot somebody?

MR McCLELLAN: Well, early the next morning, Mrs. Armstrong reached out to the Corpus paper — that’s her local paper –

Q Oh, come on.

MR. McCLELLAN: — to provide them information.

Q But that’s ridiculous. Are you saying that you don’t know within the White House? What took you so long?

MR. McCLELLAN: Listen again to what I said. The first priority is making sure Mr. Whittington is receiving medical care. Secondary to that is making sure you get the facts together and then as quickly as possible provide that information to the public. Now, the Vice President agreed with Mrs. Armstrong that it was best that she provide that information publicly first –

Q Understanding that, but he doesn’t even –

MR. McCLELLAN: — because she was –

Q That’s fine if you want to deal with the public that way –

MR. McCLELLAN: — hang on, hang on — she was an eyewitness to what occurred and could provide the facts to the press. And the Vice President’s Office was ready, they were on point to provide additional comment on the incident that took place.

Q Scott, do you think it’s appropriate for a private citizen –

Q Scott, the Vice President has a –

MR. McCLELLAN: Go ahead, Bill. We’ve got three people from each news organization here –

Q The Vice President has a Secret Service detail and has communications which are up to date, operating and in place. How is it that the word of the shooting and the fact that the Vice President was involved could have been confused or delayed, given the fact that that was almost –

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think the initial information is coming from his team on the ground with him, and they’re just providing an initial report, an accident has taken place. They might not know all the facts at that point, Bill.

Q Are you kidding? They’re right there, they’re out there with him. They have communications –

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, the ones that are providing that information may have not been right there, physically, with him and saw exactly what happened — I don’t know. But I’m telling you –

Q And it also –

MR. McCLELLAN: Hang on. Can I finish? Okay. But I’m telling you the facts as they occurred and as I know them. And if there is additional information you want, you can direct those questions to the Vice President’s Office.

Q And it also sounds as though your suggestions about how to handle this were disregarded by the Vice President’s Office.

MR. McCLELLAN: Again, I’ll keep those conversations private.

Q Well, you might as well say that.

Q I just want to clarify one thing. Is it appropriate for a private citizen to be the person to disseminate the information that the Vice President of the United States has shot someone?

MR. McCLELLAN: That’s one way to provide information to the public. The Vice President’s Office worked with her — I should say, the Vice President — the Vice President spoke with her directly –

Q You make it sound like it’s up to her to decide when this comes out.

MR. McCLELLAN: — and agreed that she should make it public and that they would provide additional information.

Q But why should it be up to a private citizen to decide when it comes out?

MR. McCLELLAN: It came out Sunday morning. I’ve told you the way that I’ve operated and the way I’ve provided information in similar circumstances.

Q This is certainly different.

Full Transcript

Nice Try

Q Are you trying to get more declassified?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: I said we’re always looking at ways to be able to provide the American people important information about the war on the terrorism.

Q The specific incidents that the President has cited before, are you trying to get those all declassified?

MR. McCLELLAN: We’ll keep you posted if there’s additional information to provide. Nice try. (Laughter.)

Full Transcript

Should the President Obey the Law?

Q Does the President think he should obey the law? He put his hand on the Bible twice to uphold the Constitution. Wiretapping is not legal under the circumstances without a warrant.

SCOTT McCLELLAN: Well, I guess you didn’t pay attention to the Attorney General’s hearing earlier today, because he walked through very clearly the rationale behind this program. And, Helen, I think you have to ask are we a nation at war –

Q There is no rationale to disobey the law.

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, he’s not — are we a nation at war?

Q That’s not the question.

MR. McCLELLAN: No, that is the issue here.

Q No, the question is, the point is there are means for him to go to war, get a warrant to spy on people.

MR. McCLELLAN: Enemy surveillance is critical to waging and winning war. It’s one of the traditional tools of war.

Q Nobody says he doesn’t have running room to –

MR. McCLELLAN: And the Attorney General outlined very clearly today how previous administrations have used the same authority and cited the same –

Q That doesn’t make it legal.

MR. McCLELLAN: — and cited the very same authority.

Q If they broke the law, that’s too bad. You know what happened to Nixon when he broke the law.

MR. McCLELLAN: And we’re going to continue doing everything we can within our power to protect the American people. This is a very different circumstance, and you know that.

Q No, I don’t.

Full Transcript

Mother McClellan

Q My second quick question is, how is your mother repaying you for your loyalty, a new pair of boots or home cooking? (Laughter.)

SCOTT McCLELLAN: My mother is doing great, thank you. I just saw her this weekend.

Full Transcript

McClellan. Scott, McClellan.

DR. MARBURGER: And I’m John Marburger, and I’m the President’s Science Advisor and the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

MR. McCLELLAN: Scott McClellan, White House Press Secretary. (Laughter.)

Full Transcript