At today's gaggle, WH press secretary McClellan was his usual self, but his utter refusal to discuss the Plame leak and his curt manner was quite interesting:
Q Scott, on the CIA leak situation, a judge has ruled that the two reporters have to testify before the grand jury. Does the White House agree with this, or have any thoughts on it? And can you tell us, do you know whether Robert Novak has been divulging the source of the person who leaked the name originally?
MR. McCLELLAN: First of all, on the first part of your question, that's a matter that's before the courts. I don't know the facts surrounding that matter, so I think we'll leave it to the courts to address that matter.
Q Anything on Robert Novak?
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I don't.
Q So the President thinks that they should testify or go to jail?
MR. McCLELLAN: The President has made it very clear that when it comes to this matter that anybody who has information ought to come forward and present that information so that the people investigating this can get to the bottom of it. That's what the President's views are. I don't know the facts about these individual reporters and what they may or may not know that would be helpful. That's a matter that the courts are working to address. But the President has made it clear that he wants to get to the bottom of this matter, and that anyone who has information that relates to this that can help the prosecutors move forward and get to the bottom of it should provide that information to the prosecutors.
Q But just to be clear -- because you're suggesting that the President believes there's no First Amendment privilege, is that what he believes?
MR. McCLELLAN: No, that's not what I said. I said I don't know the facts regarding the circumstances of these two reporters. That's a matter before the courts. I don't know the facts regarding it, that's not what I'm saying at all.
Go ahead, Greg. [...]
Q Scott, back on the leak-gate situation. What has changed here at the White House as it relates to your office and other offices here as it relates to us? How has -- how have things changed?
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't know of any changes. I hope that our relationship has continued to improve.
Q I mean, is there any more kind of a filing system, of sorts, of emails? Is there a filing system of phone calls? What has changed since leak-gate?
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't know of any changes that have occurred in recent months.
Q All right, well, and a follow-up question on this. Some are saying that it's curious that the White House, all the documentation that is out there now in the hands of the courts, that there is no information as to who gave the reporter the information. What do you say to that?
MR. McCLELLAN: What do I say to that? The same thing that the President has said previously and what I said to Norah earlier.
Sarah, go ahead.
Q Thank you. Scott --
Q What did the President say earlier? Can you reiterate that?
MR. McCLELLAN: I did. I addressed it to Norah in response to her question. No one wants to get to the bottom of it more than the President of the United States, and that's why he's urged anyone who has information that can help prosecutors get to the bottom of it to provide that information to those officials.
Q So the paper trail has ended here at the White House --
MR. McCLELLAN: Sarah, go ahead.
Q Thank you. Scott, Colombian President Uribe and Venezuelan President Chavez are meeting today...
Evasive. Flustered?
Also, I had read this moments before reading the Gaggle. The WH Correspondent's Association met with McClellan to discuss credentialing, but apparently not to change anything, just to clarify what the rules are. And in the midst of that article, I read this:
Although no changes to the system were discussed at the meeting, some WHCA members had said prior to the meeting that a number of potential changes were being considered. Those included tighter restrictions on who can receive daily press passes, such as those Guckert had obtained, and a more active role by the WHCA in approving requests for credentials, which are now solely handed out by the White House Press Office.
The more I read, the more I feel that the WH was complicit in this. There is MUCH MUCH more behind Guckert, I think.
Anyway, just thought I'd mull outloud a bit.
Update [2005-2-15 20:38:38 by georgia10]:: Skimming through past WH briefings, I notice McClellan saying this back a few days ago:
MR. McCLELLAN: Wendell, the President has made it clear that he wants to get to the bottom of this investigation. The leaking of classified information is a very serious matter. The President directed everybody at the White House to cooperate fully in the investigation. I, obviously, want to do my part to cooperate. And if there's something that can help those who are leading this investigation get to the bottom of it, I am more than happy to share that information with them...We want to be as helpful as we can to those who are leading that investigation. That includes me personally, as well.
Share, Scotty! Share! Telling us how Guckert got in and why he was called on will help us connect the dots to Plame. Come on....you said you'd do it!
Ha! Sneaky fellas, those WH people. As you read through the press briefings from 2003, they started labelling the Plame thing "leak investigation" then it changes to "alleged leak investigation."
