Lies, Damn Lies and More

Reading the transcript of the daily White House press briefing sheds a lot of light on both the duplicity and stupidity of the Bush administration. Take this exchange Tuesday between Presidential flack Scott McClelland and reporters:

Q Scott, recently, top Democrats in Congress, they had some tough words and some questions about President Bush. Congressman Pelosi says that -- said that "the President was obviously in denial," because she said she talked to him yesterday about Mike Brown and said that things were going wrong, and he said, What's gone wrong?" What hasn't gone right? And I'd like to ask you if you know if that's an accurate portrayal of the conversation.

MR. McCLELLAN: No, it's not, because they discussed a lot of other things. And I think the President was just wanting to know what she -- what she was most concerned about.

Q So it wasn't as if he knew -- he didn't know, wasn't aware that things had gone wrong?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, Terry, I just updated you on the President's day; I updated you yesterday. You all are well aware of how engaged this President is in the response efforts and making sure that we're meeting the immediate needs. The President has been participating in Cabinet meetings. He's been participating in meetings with key staff and Cabinet officials, and the President has been working to make sure that we have all the resources needed dedicated to this effort, and that the needs on the ground are being met.

We are focused on bringing everybody together to help the people in the region. And the President continues to act to make sure that we're addressing the ongoing problems. The President, very clearly to you all, over the last few days has talked about how he is not satisfied. I just said at the beginning of this how he is not satisfied. There are ongoing problems on the ground, and that's why we're working to address those issues. That's why the President held a meeting earlier today to talk about our plan for moving forward to deliver benefits to people who have been evacuated out of the area.

Q And then Senator Harry Reid is questioning whether the President's Texas vacation impeded any kind of relief efforts.

MR. McCLELLAN: The Senator -- the Senator must not be aware of all the updates that we were providing you all, because I cannot imagine that he would engage in such personal attacks if he did. You all, or your colleagues were covering us during that time. We were providing you regular updates on the President's participation in our efforts to prepare for what was then a tropical storm off the coast of Florida, and then we continued to keep you all updated over the course of the next several days about the President's participation in the preparations for what was coming.

And the President, if you'll recall, on Sunday morning, was in touch with Governor Blanco. He was in touch with Governor Barbour. He was in touch with Governor Riley and Governor Bush, as well, even later in the morning. I know he spoke to that Sunday morning -- he spoke to Governor Blanco around 9:00 a.m., had a good conversation with her about some of the things that needed to be done ahead of the hurricane hitting the Gulf Coast. So you all were well aware of what the President was doing and his involvement during that time.

Q Scott, can I follow up on what Terry was saying? One of the things that Harry Reid did say today was, why didn't President Bush immediately return to Washington from his vacation, and why didn't he recall key officials and staff members back from their vacations? And then he asks, would the President -- would the presence of key officials in Washington have improved the response?

MR. McCLELLAN: First of all, we are focused on getting things done and solving problems on the ground. And again, I go back to what I was just talking about, the President on Saturday, Saturday night issued -- this was Saturday night before the hurricane hit, which I believe was early Monday morning -- the President issued an emergency disaster declaration for the state of Louisiana. Then the next morning, he issued declarations for Mississippi and Alabama. So we were focused on the preparations that were being made prior to Hurricane Katrina hitting the Gulf Coast region.

Q So your answer to the Senator would be that the presence of officials in Washington would not have improved the response?

MR. McCLELLAN: I think that my answer is that you all are very well aware of what we were doing in terms of preparations for Hurricane Katrina. And I'd just assume that he is not informed of everything we were doing and all the updates that were being provided at that point.

Q Scott, does the President retain confidence in his FEMA Director and Secretary of Homeland Security?

MR. McCLELLAN: And again, David, see, this is where some people want to look at the blame game issue, and finger-point. We're focused on solving problems, and we're doing everything we can --

Q What about the question?

MR. McCLELLAN: We're doing everything we can in support --

Q We know all that.

MR. McCLELLAN: -- of the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA.

Q Does he retain complete confidence --

MR. McCLELLAN: We're going to continue. We appreciate the great effort that all of those at FEMA, including the head of FEMA, are doing to help the people in the region. And I'm just not going to engage in the blame game or finger-pointing that you're trying to get me to engage.

Q Okay, but that's not at all what I was asking.

MR. McCLELLAN: Sure it is. It's exactly what you're trying to play.

Q You have your same point you want to make about the blame game, which you've said enough now. I'm asking you a direct question, which you're dodging.

MR. McCLELLAN: No --

Q Does the President retain complete confidence in his Director of FEMA and Secretary of Homeland Security, yes or no?

MR. McCLELLAN: I just answered the question.

Q Is the answer "yes" on both?

MR. McCLELLAN: And what you're doing is trying to engage in a game of finger-pointing.

Q There's a lot of criticism. I'm just wondering if he still has confidence.

MR. McCLELLAN: -- and blame-gaming. What we're trying to do is solve problems, David. And that's where we're going to keep our focus.

Q So you're not -- you won't answer that question directly?

MR. McCLELLAN: I did. I just did.

Q No, you didn't. Yes or no? Does he have complete confidence or doesn't he?

MR. McCLELLAN: No, if you want to continue to engage in finger-pointing and blame-gaming, that's fine --

Q Scott, that's ridiculous. I'm not engaging in any of that.

MR. McCLELLAN: It's not ridiculous.

Q Don't try to accuse me of that. I'm asking you a direct question and you should answer it. Does he retain complete confidence in his FEMA Director and Secretary of Homeland Security, yes or no?

MR. McCLELLAN: Like I said -- that's exactly what you're engaging in.

Q I'm not engaging in anything. I'm asking you a question about what the President's views are --

MR. McCLELLAN: Absolutely -- absolutely --

Q -- under pretty substantial criticism of members of his administration. Okay? And you know that, and everybody watching knows that, as well.

MR. McCLELLAN: No, everybody watching this knows, David, that you're trying to engage in a blame game.

Q I'm trying to engage?

MR. McCLELLAN: Yes.

Q I am trying to engage?

MR. McCLELLAN: That's correct.

Q That's a dodge. I have a follow-up question since you dodged that one. Does the White House feel like it missed opportunities to alleviate or head off some of the damage in the New Orleans area, flood damage? Did it miss an opportunity to head any of that off?

If you have a strong stomach, you can read the rest on the White House web site.