Posted on 02/18/2006 4:31:49 AM PST by frankjr
It's been a rough and tumble week in the White House press room over the Cheney hunting story. Many viewers have written me with praise and plenty of criticism about my questioning of press secretary Scott McClellan.
Let me say at the outset that I was wrong to lose my temper at Scott McClellan. I've worked well with Scott since we first met during the 2000 campaign. Monday, he suggested my aggressive questioning about the disclosure of the hunting accident was a stunt for the cameras. He said this during a morning OFF CAMERA briefing, which undercut his point. Furthermore, I considered it a cheap shot. I said, "Don't be a jerk to me personally, just answer the question." I regret saying that because it's never appropriate to speak that way and because it created a distraction from the issues at hand.
Putting that aside, I do not apologize for asking tough questions about this story. I'm in the business of getting information -- as much of it as possible....I have not made any judgments about the facts of this story as it pertains to what happened on the Armstrong ranch....Mr. Cheney, in my view, acted as if he had something to hide.
Yet the debate playing out in the blogosphere, cable airwaves and on talk radio pits the Vice President against an allegedly left-wing, overly cynical, prissy White House press corps in a tizzy because it wasn't the first to know and angry because it hates the President and Vice President anyway. This is nonsense....Have you Googled transcripts from the Clinton administration at the height of the Lewinsky scandal?
(Excerpt) Read more at dailynightly.msnbc.com ...
"Monday, he [McClellan] suggested my aggressive questioning about the disclosure of the hunting accident was a stunt for the cameras. He said this during a morning OFF CAMERA briefing, which undercut his point."
No, it didn't undercut Scott's point, because here is what Scott actually said:
"“David, hold on… the cameras aren't on right now,'' McClellan replied. "You can do this later.''"
So David, McClellan said hold your antics until the cameras were on...because Scott knew it was an off camera briefing.
Just a small example of where Gregory distorts the truth (i.e. lies) on even the smallest of points.
I was just going to point out that little lie by Gregory, but you did it so well that I don't need to.
He knows he was ridiculous and now he's making excuses for himself. Sorry, Greg, you are still ridiculous.
In my view, Mr. Gregory acted like a four year old.
He should apologize.
Asking the same question, stupid of not, over and over again because you did not like the original answer is not tough journalism, it is thick headed idiocy. When you ask the same question over and over, you are literally calling the person who gave you the answer, a liar. Gregory is a thick headed pompoused arse.
David's comment that it "looked like Cheney had something to hide" says it all about this "journalist" (read democrat). He immediately put on his tin foil hat and looked for the worst, without giving any consideration to the victim in this story. Typical. David did great damage to the Washington "press corps" because his antics demonstrated yet again, that this group of arrogant, elite, self-absorbed individuals think they are the center of the universe. He was mad because the story was released to local media instead of the ever-self-important press corps.
Yep. I mailed him a box of Pampers yesterday by Priority Mail. I wonder if he'll report THAT!
Translation:
I received a couple of emails from DUers in praise of my snobbish attitude,
and
our server about crashed due to the overwhelming amount of negative mail I received.
(Otherwise, why would he be writing an article in his defense...ever heard of that happening from a WHPC guy before.)
If I were chairing a meeting where one of the 'invited' participants called me a jerk, that person would be un-invited quite promptly.......
Would he answer that?
I'd like to ask him one of his Junior High Lunchroom questions, "Mister Gregory, what does the President of NBC News think about Tim Russert given your behavior?"
Gregory's theme in some questions was sort of, "What did Sally tell you about what Suzy said to her about me?" "Would Suzy like me if I liked her?"
Those things may be important, may be real in the make believe world of journalism, but hardly count when you're doing real work.
One more thing that shows his mindset...he compares Clinton's coverup of the Lewinsky scandal to Cheney's hunting accident....there is no comparison to be made.
I was calling him Dick Gregory too. Now was it a mistake or a subliminal comment?
I remember Clinton not having a press conference at all for about a year, and the press corps ceasing to ask any questions at all to the press secretary after about a week.
The guy has destroyed himself and done a LOT of damage to the "press". Everyone in the country is laughing at the WH press corps.
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