White House Spokesman Often in Tough Spots
Sunday, August 07, 2005
By Kelley Beaucar Vlahos
Being deliberately misleading or disingenuous would be a serious charge against any spokesperson and most are careful not to cross any lines, said Will Haynie, a columnist and former spokesman for Rep. Charles Taylor, (R) N.C. "If you start covering tracks or being evasive, you can lose your credibility with both the public and the press," Haynie said. "But you are under tremendous pressure." And press secretaries are acutely aware that every word will be dissected by reporters and could get the boss in trouble – which is why they rarely go out on a limb. Caution is the key word, experts say.
Such is the life of a White House spokesman when the administration is the target of an independent prosecutor and media frenzy. Former Capitol Hill spokesmen, reporters and public affairs specialists say McClellan is the latest in a long line of embattled front men and women who have to walk a fine line between informing the press, protecting the boss and preserving their own credibility.
"The spokesman in my view has the toughest job in the White House," said Peter Roussel, former deputy press spokesman for President Ronald Reagan. "You have to be responsible to not one but two entities – the administration you are representing and also to the press corps. Each day a spokesman has to go out there and serve both of those."
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 FOXNews Channel analyst, who said 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."
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,165007,00.html