McClellan Takes Aim at Cheney

[kpete]

McClellan Takes Aim at Cheney

By Dana Milbank
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 14, 2006; 12:12 PM

After a not-entirely-successful effort on Monday to explain the vice president's hunting accident, press secretary Scott McClellan reloaded this morning and took aim at Dick Cheney himself.

President Bush, he announced, would be on the South Lawn with the national champion University of Texas football team. "The orange they're wearing is not because they are concerned that the vice president will be there," he deadpanned.

The reporters, so recently his tormenters, guffawed. "Although," he continued, pointing to his orange tie, "that's why I'm wearing it, so hopefully none of y'all will --''

If McClellan finished that thought, it was lost in more laughter. But the goodwill ended quickly.

.................

The spokesman seemed grateful when Helen Thomas hectored him about Hamas, or when another wondered if Bush still has confidence in embattled Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.

The New York Times's Elisabeth Bumiller tried to sort out the shooting timeline. "Why didn't the vice president call the president?" she pressed. "I don't get it."

"Karl spoke with the vice president."

"He's not the president."

O'Donnell tried a different tack on the lack of a phone call between Bush and Cheney. "Should we interpret that there's any strain in the relationship?

"No," McClellan said with a forced laugh, "you shouldn't."

The irrepressible Ken Herman of Cox News challenged: "Why don't they go hunting together?"

The spokesman wouldn't nibble at a question about how the shooting would have been handled if Cheney had been the victim rather than the shooter ("I don't engage in hypotheticals"), and he wouldn't say firmly that Cheney had not been involved in other accidents or medical problems that weren't disclosed. "Not that I know of," he said. "You'd want to check with his office on that."

..................

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/14/AR2006021400869_pf.html

[jilln]

1. "Why don't they go hunting together?"

good idea

[0007]

2. Todays news conference was a farce. "We're gonna move on

and do the business of the American people" We talked about this yesterday and nothing has changed.