Rumble @ Gaggle:"Well, first of all, I ask the questions, I don't answer"

[sabra]

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001918446

Scott McClellan on Domestic Spying: "It is What it Is"


NEW YORK Wednesday's White House press briefing centered on continuing debate over National Security Agency monitoring, with out a warrant, that many call "domestic spying" and the president this week re-labled a "terrorist surveillance program." Reporters today challenged Press Secretary Scott McClellan on the re-naming and downplaying of the "domestic" angle.

Among other things it led to McClellan switching sides and demanding that a reporter answer a question. The reporter replied: "I ask the questions, I don't answer them."

<snip>

***
Q. You mentioned General Hayden -- well, General Hayden made it clear that this kind of surveillance has been going on under his authority, because he had the authority to do that. The difference is that on the domestic side, whoever was on, say, that telephone call was identified as person one or person two, and the information about that individual domestically was never shared throughout the government. With the President's authorization after 9/11, that changed, and then you began more specifically monitoring people domestically who were in contact with somebody overseas. So how can you say that that's not domestic?

MR. McCLELLAN: It's an early warning system. It's not aimed at long-term monitoring, like the FISA court was set up to do for a different enemy in a different time period when we were in the Cold War, remember. This was set up as an early warning system to detect and prevent attacks. So you're talking about for a shorter period of time. Its one purpose is to detect and prevent attacks.

Q That's totally off point. You're challenging the notion of domestic spying, when the truth of the matter is that heretofore the person domestically that was being surveilled was never identified, was never tracked in any real fashion. That changed when the President --

MR. McCLELLAN: Let me ask you this. Is an international communication overseas by an al Qaeda member coming into the United States, that is monitored overseas, is that a domestic communication?

Q Well, first of all, I ask the questions, I don't answer them. Number two --

MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sure you don't want to answer that question.

Q No, because I'm not in the business of setting the rules on this.

MR. McCLELLAN: That's a very simple question. I can put it right back to you.

Q I'm a reporter, I'm not responsible for authorizing these things. You speak for the President --

MR. McCLELLAN: Okay, okay.

Q -- so that's why I ask the questions.

MR. McCLELLAN: Okay, you don't want to answer that question. Got it. (Laughter.)

[Fridays Child]

1. Fsssssssssssssssssst.

That's what it sounds like in my fantasy, when I let the air out of Scotty and he deflates like a balloon.

[sabra]

2. from the transcript this one sounds like it's a keeper...

[Beaverhausen]

3. who was the reporter? was it the fabulous David Gregory?

[katty]

4. this is just a game for the Bushketeers...accountable for nothing

[boobooday]

5. Quack, Quack

I love it when Mike Malloy quacks along with Scotty. He's such a fussy little smugster.