FOX: White House Spokesman Often in Tough Spots (McClellan - Plame)

[sabra]

<<SNIP>>
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,165007,00.html

White House Spokesman Often in Tough Spots

WASHINGTON — When details began emerging in 2003 to suggest that senior administration officials may have leaked the name of CIA agent Valerie Plame (search), White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters that anyone in the White House found to be involved "would no longer be in this administration."

McClellan also denied, based on all "available information," that White House senior adviser Karl Rove (search) and other high-level administration officials were involved in the leak, calling the suggestion "ridiculous."

Fast forward to July 11, 2005. McClellan finds himself on the hot seat in front of a hostile White House press corps, days after it is revealed that Rove told Time magazine reporter Matt Cooper that the unnamed wife of Ambassador Joe Wilson had played a role in sending Wilson to Niger in 2002 to investigate whether Saddam Hussein was attempting to buy enriched uranium from the African nation.

....

McClellan's critics have suggested that his credibility with the press corps was severely damaged on this story from nearly the beginning because almost immediately the CIA asked for a Justice Department probe into whether White House officials were guilty of leaking a covert agent's name to reporters. McClellan's earlier remarks also appeared to jumpstart the record that Bush's desire was to see fired anyone involved in the leak.

<</SNIP>>

[Pawel K]

1. "unnamed wife"

what the hell is wrong with these people? She was named, Wilson only had one wife. I can not stand the Republican spin machine, thank god for David Brock and his group that are starting to cut through this bullshit.

[GracieM]

7. Unless Wilson is a Mormon...

saying "his wife" did something pretty well names her...

[specimenfred1984]

2. Bush's Unnamed Fat Ass Valium Stepford Wife

Hey, I didn't name anyone!

[wishlist]

3. Fox analyst Bill Sammon says "there really isn't a disconnect"

"While McClellan's critics have questioned his credibility because of what appears to be different positions on the leak probe, senior Washington Times White House correspondent Bill Sammon said the seemingly mild-mannered McClellan need not be concerned.

"I think the press is parsing Mr. McClellan's and Mr. Bush's words," said Sammon, also a FOX News Channel analyst, who added that put into context, Bush and McClellan's statements have been pretty consistent. "If you look at what the words mean, there really isn’t a disconnect."

This guy is out of touch with reality for him to say there is no inconsistency when McClellan denied WH involvement and called the suggestion of WH involvement in the leak ridiculous, and now we know that Bush and Cheney's chiefs of staff Rove and Libby were key players.

[rodeodance]

5. when Fox writes thngs such as this they ASSume that people are

really stupid!!

[Skidmore]

4. Scotty only finds himself in positions where his total lack

of personal integrity get him.-- right where his willingness to sell his soul for pottage leads. That's what happens when you are willing to do anything for the job.

[Supersedeas]

6. any suggestion of involvement is ridiculous -- uuuhhhh -- no comment

[applegrove]

8. It is hard to be a spokesman when your bosses lie to you. That is

a difficult place to be.