Taylor Marsh – TaylorMarsh.com – News, Opinion and Weblog on Progressive Politics

Death by Press Gaggle

You just can't make this stuff up.

Keith Olbermann showed a clip of Scott McClellan's rhetorical waterboarding
today, compliments of the White House press corps and especially David Gregory,
one of my favorites. I haven't seen anything this excruciatingly delicious since
Condi responded to Richard Ben-Veniste about the infamous August 2001 PDB that
Bush never read. I can see her now, eyes averted, hands down, as the wrinkles
in her exquisite face screamed s$@*!

As I watched Keith's clip all I could think was bingo.

…. Well, not really bingo, more of a yowza.

… but then again, maybe it was a SHAZAAM!

It's then I saw visions of a pudgy, balding white guy being frog-marched out of
the White House, or at least dragged through the headlines yet again, this time
with real feeling. Hey, a girl can dream.

mmmm… This is really good.

Because since Abramoff is involved with Grover Norquist and Ralph
Reed & Co., with Scanlon, Ney and Tom Delay, you can be sure Bush-Cheney
re-elect is not far behind. After all, these guys weren't meeting just to elect
House members. They wanted the whole shebang, and baby, they got it, so I hope they get it.

Makes you realize to the depths of your Democratic soul, John
Kerry never had a chance. To beat these guys we'd have to take political crookedness
to heights Democrats have never seen. Besides, we're just not that organized.

Reading isn't seeing it in action, but it's still a mighty fine
ride. We now join Scotty's
death by press gaggle already in progress.

Q: Another topic, if you would.
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid and others sent a letter to the President
today regarding Abramoff, asking for the President make public any contacts
that he had with Abramoff, as well as senior administration officials; and
any kind of benefits or access that they may have gained from this connection.
They said, “The American people need to be assured that the White House
is not for sale.” Is there any plan for the President or the administration
to make that information available?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, this President expects everybody
in his administration to adhere to the highest ethical standards. I've already
talked to you all about this matter. If you have anything specific to bring
to my attention, please do. But, remember, this is a guy who has admitted
wrongdoing. He's being brought to justice by the Justice Department under
this administration. And he's also someone where he and/or his clients contributed
to both Democrats and Republicans. So I think that needs to be put in context,
as well.

Q: So would the White House be open to complying with
the Democrats' request to go ahead and provide that kind of information, the
contacts Abramoff had with senior staff, that type of thing?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well,
I've already indicated to you a general description of any contacts that were
there.

Q: Can you be more specific about the contacts
with the senior staff? You said you were going to get back to us on that.
Can you give us —

MR. McCLELLAN: I did check. There were a few staff-level
meetings. As I indicated there were — I think I previously indicated that
he attended three Hanukkah receptions at the White House. It is actually only
two Hanukkah receptions that he attended.

Q: And the years?

MR. McCLELLAN: I think it was the earlier years, earlier
2000 — early in the 2000 time period. I can double-check that. And so that's
—

Q: Specific staff? You were going to get back
to us on the specific staff —

MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, my understanding from the check
that we did was that there are just a few staff-level meetings in addition
to those.

Q: Who was in the staff meetings?

MR. McCLELLAN: I don't get into discussing staff-level
meetings.

Q: Why not?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, if you got something to
bring to my attention, Elisabeth, I'll be glad to look into it. If you've
got something specific, I'll be glad to take a look into it.

Q: Did he meet with Karl
Rove, for example?

MR. McCLELLAN: We don't — we don't ever tend to get
into those staff-level meetings.

Q: Scott, what was the subject matter
when Jack Abramoff met with staff here?

MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry?

Q: What was the subject —

MR. McCLELLAN: I just indicated earlier to Elisabeth's
questions that we just don't get into discussing White House staff-level meetings.
We never really have.

Q: Can you say who Mr.
Abramoff was representing when he came in here?

MR. McCLELLAN: No. Again, we don't get into
discussing staff-level meetings. If you have something specific to bring to
my attention, I'll be glad to try to look into that. But I'm not aware of
anything specific that you have.

Q: What got him in the
door here? How did he qualify for meetings here?

MR. McCLELLAN: Again, I checked on this. What I was
asked is to go and check on this, and I did. And there were only a couple
of holiday receptions that he attended, and then a few staff-level meetings
on top of that. And that's the way I would describe it.

Now, what I can't do is go and say with absolute certainty
that he did not have any other visits. We did a check at your request and
what I have learned from that request is exactly what I am telling you.

Q: Was it senior staff, at that level?

MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry?

Q: Would you qualify it as senior staff that
he met with here?

MR. McCLELLAN: I'm just saying staff-level meetings
is the way I would describe it. And if you have anything specific, I'll be
glad to take a look into it.

Q: Well, we're counting on you for the specifics —

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, if there's any reason for me to
check into it, please bring it to my attention.

Q: He's pled guilty to some serious charges.

MR. McCLELLAN: And so are you insinuating something?

Q: We're just trying to find out the facts.

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, if you've got something to bring
to my attention, do so, and then I'll be glad to look into it.

(DAVID GREGORY) Q: Scott, that's not a fair
burden to place on us. This is a guy who is a tainted lobbyist, and he has
connections — we want to know — with whom in the White House. You shouldn't
demand that we give you something specific to go check it out. I mean, this
guy is radioactive in Washington. And he knows guys like Karl Rove. So did
he meet with him or not?

MR. McCLELLAN: I know of nothing that —

Q: Don't put it on us to bring something specific.
It's a specific question about a specific individual.

Q: Can you tell us if he met with Karl Rove?

MR. McCLELLAN: Because we don't discuss staff-level
meetings —

Q: Of course you do, whenever you want to discuss
staff-level meetings. And if Karl Rove, who has ties to Ralph Reed, which
he does, we want to know if he has ties to Jack Abramoff, and if they met
—

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I can answer that.

Q: Oh, great. Well, before you said —

MR. McCLELLAN: No, I
mean, about if he knows — yes, he knows — he knows Mr. Abramoff. They are
both former heads of the College Republicans. That's how they got to know
each other way back, I think it was in the early '80s. And my understanding
is that Karl would describe it as more of a casual relationship, than a business
relationship. That's what he has said.

But if you've got specific matters that I need
to look into, it's my point that I think it's your obligation to bring that
to my attention and I'll be glad to take a look into it.

Q: Well, I don't —

MR. McCLELLAN: There's been no —

Q: — no, no, but I don't think it's our obligation
to do anything. If we want to know whether there was pending business that
Abramoff represented to members of the staff here at the White House, what
do we need —

MR. McCLELLAN: There's been no suggestion of anything
like that out of this White House.

Q: — some kind of an affidavit to bring you to —

MR. McCLELLAN: There's been no suggestion of anything
like this in this White House.

Q: I'm just asking. I'm not suggesting.

MR. McCLELLAN: No, you're insinuating. Go ahead. … …

(eventually fade to black)