David Gregory: "Do you regret putting yourself out on a limb, Scott?"

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

Q Do you regret putting yourself out on a limb, Scott?

MR. McCLELLAN: I do want to talk about this, and we will talk about it once the investigation is complete.

Q Do you regret what you said in 2003?

MR. McCLELLAN: Go ahead.

Q Do you regret putting yourself so far out on a limb when you don't know the facts?

MR. McCLELLAN: David, you had your opportunity. I'll try to come back to you if I can, but I think I've responded to those questions.

Q Well, you haven't responded to that. Do you think you went too far two years ago?

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/07/20050712-4.html

HERE ARE THE REST OF SCOTTY'S DUCK & COVER MANEUVERS FROM TODAY'S PRESS CONFERENCE:

1). MR. McCLELLAN: John, the President -- first of all, let me back up -- some of you asked a couple of questions about does the President still have confidence in particular individuals, specifically Karl Rove. I don't want to get into commenting on things in the context of an ongoing investigation. So let me step back and point out that any individual who works here at the White House has the confidence of the President. They wouldn't be working here at the White House if they didn't have the President's confidence. And in terms of security clearances, there are a number of people at the White House that have various levels of security clearance. And I'm confident that those individuals have the appropriate security clearance. I haven't gone around looking at what those security clearances are.

2). Any individual who works here at the White House has the President's confidence. They wouldn't be working here if they didn't have the President's confidence. That's why I stepped back from this and talked about it in the broader context. Now, these questions are coming up in the context of an ongoing investigation, and I stated long ago, you all will remember, that the investigation is continuing, I want to be helpful to the investigation, I don't want to jeopardize anything in that investigation, and that's why I made a decision and the White House made a decision quite some time ago that we weren't going to get into commenting on questions related to that investigation.

3). Again, if I were to get into discussing this, I would be getting into discussing an investigation that continues and could be prejudging the outcome of the investigation. I'm not going to do that from this podium. You do point out some statements that were made. I remember well the comments that were made. After that point, I also remember going and testifying in this investigation. I remember well individuals who are involved overseeing this investigation expressing their preference personally to me that we not get into discussing what is an ongoing investigation. I think that's the way to be most helpful as they move forward, and that's why I'm in the position that I am. I'm not going to get into jumping on every news report as the investigation continues and trying to comment on them, because I don't think that's helpful. So I think you have to step back from any individual news story or individual reports. Let's let the investigation take place. I look forward to talking about some of these matters once the investigation is complete. I welcome the opportunity to talk about some of these questions, but I don't think it's appropriate to do so at this time.

4). Now, that's a question related to an ongoing investigation. The investigation continues, David. I think you know that very well. I've responded to that question. And if I were to start commenting on news reports or things related to the investigation, I'm getting into prejudging the outcome of that investigation. I don't want to do that from this podium. Let's let the investigation take place, and let's let the investigators bring all the facts together and draw the conclusions that they draw, and then we will know the facts at that point.

5). Well, I mean, you can state the obvious. I understand and appreciate that, and I appreciate you all. I know you all want to get to the bottom of this. I want to get to the bottom of it; the President has said no one wants to get to the bottom of it more than he does. We want to see it come to a successful conclusion. The best way to help the investigation come to a successful conclusion is for me not to get into discussing it from this podium. I don't think that --


6). Wait -- I don't think that helps advance the investigation.

7). You can talk to the RNC about what they put out. I'll let them speak to that. What I know is that the President directed the White House to cooperate fully with the investigation. And as part of cooperating fully with that investigation, that means supporting the efforts by the investigators to come to a successful conclusion, and that means not commenting on it from this podium.

8). And again, you're asking questions that are related to news reports about an ongoing, continuing investigation. And you've had my response on that.

9). John, I look forward to talking about this at some point, but it's not the appropriate time to talk about those questions while the investigation is continuing.

10). Yes, and I responded to these questions yesterday.

11). Well, you're going to have other opportunities to ask him questions. He takes questions on a fairly regular basis, Dick.

12). See, you're asking all these context in -- all these questions in the context of the news reports relating to an investigation --

13). We're continuing to move forward on our agenda, and the -- we're on the verge of accomplishing some very big things when it comes to the agenda. And --

14). Everybody who is working here is helping us to advance the agenda, and that includes Karl in a very big way.

15). Helen, I'm not going to get into any private discussions.

16). And, Helen, I appreciate you all wanting to move forward and find the facts relating to this investigation. I want to know all the facts relating to the investigation.

17). The President wants to get to the bottom of it. And it's just not appropriate. If you'll remember back two years ago, or almost two years ago, I did draw a line and I said, we're just not going to get into commenting on --

18). We're just not going to get into commenting on an investigation that continues. And I think you've heard me explain why I'm not going to do that. I do want to talk about this --

19). Ed, these are all questions that you're bringing up in the context of an investigation that is ongoing --

20). Well, it's clear that this is coming up in the context of news -

21). -- in the context of news reports. And I appreciate those questions. And I think you're trying to get at the specific news reports and wanting me to comment on those specific news reports and --

22). John, you can keep jumping in, but I'm going to try to keep going to other people in this room, as well. And we can have constructive dialogue here, I think, but that's not the way to do it.

23). I think you all in this room know me very well. And you know the type of person that I am. You, and many others in this room, have dealt with me for quite some time. The President is a very straightforward and plainspoken person, and I'm someone who believes in dealing in a very straightforward way with you all, as well, and that's what I've worked to do.

24). That's a question relating to the investigation. You've had my response on those questions.

25). Again, it's an ongoing, continuing investigation, and I think I've addressed why I'm not going to get into discussing it further at this time.

26). Next question. I'm not going to get into discussing the investigation at this point.

27). As I pointed out at the beginning, any individual that is working here at the White House and doing their job has the confidence of the President in the job that they are doing. They wouldn't be here if they didn't have the confidence of the President of the United States. And in terms of what we're doing here at the White House, we're trying to implement the President's agenda. We're going about working on helping him to make a decision to fill the Supreme Court vacancy that exists. We're moving forward on important pieces of legislation like the energy plan that the President outlined and that has been passed by both chambers, and that they're working to get passed. We're trying to move forward on passing the Central American Free Trade Agreement. There are a number of important priorities that we are focused on. And that's what everybody here at the White House is working on. There are -- anytime you have an investigation of this nature that is a criminal investigation, it's going to draw media attention. And there -- and anytime news reports come out about that investigation, obviously, it gets attention in the media. But we've got an important job to do on behalf of the American people. We're focused on moving forward on that agenda so people are going about doing their work here at the White House.

28). You're asking about the investigation --

29). I appreciate you asking this. It's in the context of the investigation, and you've had my response on that.

30). I'm just not going to go further on it.

31). Well, Bob, I think that if I started getting into questions relating to this investigation, I might be harming that investigation from moving forward. I don't want --

32). I know. I heard you question, and I appreciate your question, because I know you all have a genuine interest in seeing this investigation come to a conclusion and know what the facts are. And there are news reports that come out all the time in investigations. I'm not going to comment on news reports that come out in the middle of an investigation or during an investigation, because that could just prejudge the outcome of the investigation. We want to know what the facts are, and the way to do that is to let the investigators complete their work. As I said, they certainly expressed a preference to me and others that they would prefer that, from the White House, we not get into commenting about this in a public way. That's a preference that's been expressed to me personally, as well. And I want to be helpful to this investigation.

I also would like to be able to talk more about it, but I don't think that's an appropriate thing to do while it is continuing. That's the reason why I'm not going further than I am. And I think if the American people hear that, they can understand and appreciate that. It has nothing to do with whether or not I want to comment on anything that was previously said. There will be an appropriate time to talk about all this. The time for that, though is not now.

Thank you. Appreciate it.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/07/20050712-4.html

[cornermouse]

1. The worm is squirming. Lol.

[uppityperson]

2. We know you indeed.

good roundup of answers

[BrklynLiberal]

3. Isn't David Gregory the one who did such a good job covering for Tweety

on HARDBALL?

[Vinca]

4. I almost feel sorry for Scotty . . . NOT!

The past 2 days have been amazing. It's like the reporters are trying to outdo each other in the "real news" category. Maybe we shoulda locked one of 'em up a long time ago.

[UTdem]

7. HA!

Nice Vinca. I thought the same thing.

[xxqqqzme]

5. love the photo op w/ scotty & prez

getting his talking points 4 the ay approved?

[applegrove]

6. Scotty was hired the week Plame hit. They needed someone they

could push out on a limb to outright lie without knowing it. That man has his job because he had deni-ability. His job is to be on that limb.

Just a big monkey cage.