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02/14/2004 Archived Entry: "This does my heart good."
This does my heart good.
Helen Thomas is obviously getting to Wee Scottie.
Scott McClellan finally lost it Friday, according to White House reporters. He doesn’t see it that way.The White House press secretary had kept his cool all week as reporters pounced on him about President George Bush’s 1970s service in the National Guard. Facing perhaps his toughest week as press secretary, McClellan got testy Tuesday under questioning by CBS correspondent John Roberts during the televised briefing. He then blew up at old pro Helen Thomas during the private “gaggle” for reporters on Friday.
Thomas had gotten a tip that Bush might have been absent from duty in Alabama because he was performing court-ordered community service in Texas in 1972. She asked McClellan if that was accurate.
According to reporters in the press room, McClellan got red-faced and became so angry, it looked to some as if he were ready to pounce. He characterized the question as coming from “gutter politics.”
Thomas, who has covered every president since Dwight Eisenhower and now writes a column for Hearst, was not fazed. “I think they are getting pretty nervous about this,” she said Friday afternoon. “I’ve learned over the years that when you put out records, it often leads to more questions.”
[...]
The confrontation created talk among White House correspondents as to whether McClellan could stand the pressure as it builds during the 2004 campaign season.
“Scott is trashing reporters for asking questions,” says one veteran correspondent. “He’s dissipating the goodwill he had for not being Ari Fleischer. He’s proving to be as testy and disdainful as Ari.”
Josh Marshall has the best part of the transcript. The venerable Ms. Thomas handed McClellan his head. And much to my surprise, she actually got some support from the rest of the press corps. Beautiful.
Replies: 4 people speak up
My favorite part of that article is this quote: "“He’s dissipating the goodwill he had for not being Ari Fleischer."
Haha.
Posted by Jason @ 02/14/2004 05:12 PM NY
apparently he wants her to read the boston globe. does he have some stock in the company or something? or does he just not want to be the one to actually say what the allegation is?
Posted by justin @ 02/14/2004 07:49 PM NY
I guess any questions about a President's activities that don't involve blowjobs is just politics and a waste of time. I love the integrity of the republican party
Posted by j_ope @ 02/14/2004 07:57 PM NY
Helen Thomas has great big steel ovaries. Wouldn't it be fun to see Helen and Molly Ivins do a tag team on the hapless Scott?
It's a hoot to see these women showing the boys in the press corps how to be "very manly", as Jesus' General would helpfully put it.
Posted by Khaki Snat @ 02/15/2004 05:39 PM NY
