What happened during today's briefing. . .

[wndycty]

Josh Marshall writes:

(October 10, 2003 -- 02:06 PM EDT // link // print)

I hear an intrepid reporter may have picked up the ball at the daily briefing today and walked it a few yards down field. More in a bit.
-- Josh Marshall
-snip-


http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/

[hang a left]

1. oooh do tell.

[wndycty]

2. Did anybody see it. . .

. . .or were we all Kobe all the time!

[jbfam4]

3. I would put my money

on David Gregory....

[LittleApple81]

4. Watch it at

http://www.whitehouse.gov/

[idontwantaname]

5. such a tease...

.

[Warren Stuart]

6. It figures, on a Friday before a Holiday

Yeah, people will talking about this (whatever it is) on Tuesday.

Josh did a devastating piece about Novak and his use of the word "operatives". He only used the word operatives to describe undercover agents.

[wndycty]

7. Here is an update

Here's the exchange ...

QUESTION: Scott, earlier this week you told us that neither Karl Rove, Elliot Abrams nor Lewis Libby disclosed any classified information with regard to the leak. I wondered if you could tell us more specifically whether any of them told any reporter that Valerie Plame worked for the CIA?

MCCLELLAN: Those individuals -- I talked -- I spoke with those individuals, as I pointed out, and those individuals assured me they were not involved in this. And that's where it stands.

QUESTION: So none of them told any reporter that Valerie Plame worked for the CIA?

MCCLELLAN: They assured me that they were not involved in this.

QUESTION: Can I follow up on that?

QUESTION: They were not involved in what?

MCCLELLAN: The leaking of classified information.

QUESTION: Did you undertake that of your own volition, or were you
instructed to go to these --

MCCLELLAN: I spoke to those individuals myself.

So, when McClellan was asked to be more clear, he opted for a meaninglessly vague statement and then fell back on the "leaking of classified information" dodge.

Can we all take note of this now? That denial wasn't what it seemed to be. In fact, I doubt it was a real denial at all.

There's more there. Why not find it?


-- Josh Marshall