By: E&P Staff White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan held another contentious press briefing at midday Tuesday as reporters once again pressed him for information or explanation about the lag in reporting the shooting incident in Texas involving Vice President Cheney.
A further complication arose later, when news surfaced that he had been told that the victim, Harry Whittington, suffered a mild heart attack this morning?but McClellan did not mention this at the briefing. After the briefing, McClellan told ABC News that he didn't feel it was "appropriate" to be the first to comment on Whittington's medical condition.
The New York Times later reported that Vice President Cheney had learned of the victim's setback at 7:45 a.m. on Tuesday but his staff failed to tell McClellan, who soon made a joke about the shooting with reporters. This continuing lack of communication has reportedly strained relations between the offices of the president and vice president.
And it is sure to invite more questions for McClellan on Wednesday, especially following the lag on officially reporting the Cheney shooting.
For the second day, McClellan on Tuesday got into it with NBC?s David Gregory. After Gregory shouted out several demands that the press secretary respond fully to his questions, McClellan said, ?David, now you want to make this about you, and it's not about you, it's about what happened.?
Excerpts from a transcript follow.
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Q Let me ask you this. Is the president concerned that the vice president made decisions about the public disclosure of this incident that are clearly at odds with how you and others advising the president disclose personal information about the president's activities?
MR. MCCLELLAN: Let me just say this, because I sense that there are some follow-up questions that you all have.
First of all, I think we went through this pretty thoroughly yesterday and I worked to answer the questions to the best of my ability and in a forthright manner, based on the facts that I knew. There were some very legitimate questions that were asked.
As I indicated, I always believe that you can look back and work to do better. I indicated that yesterday. I think today where we're focusing our efforts is on what are the most pressing priorities before the American people. And that's where we're focusing.
Q Right.
MR. MCCLELLAN: I understand you still have some -- if you want to continue to spend time on that, that's fine. But we're moving on to the priorities of the American people. That's where our focus is.
Q That's fair, and that's your prerogative. And I've got my job to do, which is to try to get you to answer that question. Does the president think it's appropriate for the vice president to essentially make decisions at odds with the public disclosure process of this White House?
MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, I think that I've expressed my views, and we went through this yesterday. That's what I was -- that's what I was trying to --
Q But that's your view.
MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, that's why I was trying to indicate to you --
Q Does the president have a view about how the vice president's conducted himself?
MR. MCCLELLAN: Again, that's what I've -- I indicated to you yesterday what our views were, and we went through this --
Q I don't recall you sharing the president's view.
MR. MCCLELLAN: Yeah. But can I finish responding? I am glad to answer your questions. I was very respectful --
Q You didn't answer that question --
MR. MCCLELLAN: I was very respectful and responsive to you all --
Q The vice president basically decided on his own to not disclose this, which is at odds with how you do business and how the president does business. Right?
MR. MCCLELLAN: I don't want to make this about anything other than what it is. It is what it is, David. I was very respectful and responsive to your questions yesterday. I provided you the information I knew, based on the facts that were available.
Q (Off mike) -- haven't answered --
MR. MCCLELLAN: And we've been through this pretty thoroughly and I'm just not --
Q Just one final question.
MR. MCCLELLAN: Wait! Wait! I'm just not going to go back through it again. I'd appreciate if you'd let me respond fully before you jump in.
Q All right. But hold on a second, I've got one last question --
MR. MCCLELLAN: Well --
Q Now wait a second!
MR. MCCLELLAN: -- other people in this room have questions and we've got an event coming up.
Q I understand that. But I'm not getting answers here, Scott. And I'm trying to be forthright with you. But don't tell me that you're giving us complete answers when you're not actually answering the question, because everybody knows what is an answer and what is not an answer.
MR. MCCLELLAN: Well --
Q And the final --
MR. MCCLELLAN: -- David, now you want to make this about you, and it's not about you, it's about what happened. And that's what I'm trying to -- and I'm trying to provide answers to the questions.
Q I'm sorry that you feel that way, but that's not what I'm trying to do.
I have one final question, since that one wasn't answered. Is it appropriate for the vice president to have waited 14 hours after the incident before he spoke with local law enforcement officials? And do you think that an average citizen would have been accorded that same amount of time before having to answer questions about a shooting incident?
MR. MCCLELLAN: That was what was arranged with the local law enforcement authorities. You ought to ask them that question.
Q Scott?
MR. MCCLELLAN: Suzanne, go ahead.
Q Is the president satisfied that he learned of the details about the shooting through Karl Rove than Andy Card and not directly from the vice president?
MR. MCCLELLAN: He was informed about it, and there are lots of different ways to keep the president informed about events. And that was the way it was -- happened in this instance.
Q Was he satisfied that he didn't hear directly from his aide?
MR. MCCLELLAN: Yeah, again, Suzanne, if you all want to continue to focus on this, you all can spend your time on it. We're going to keep focusing on the pressing priorities of the American people, like talking about how to make health care more affordable and accessible. We've got important work to do for the American people, and that's where we're going to keep our focus. You're welcome to continue to focus on these issues. I'm moving on.
Go ahead, David.
Q Two timeline questions on this that I don't think was fully addressed yesterday. Could you tell us who it was in the vice president's party that first informed the Situation Room? And could you tell us how it was that Mr. Rove learned of this and got involved enough then to call --
MR. MCCLELLAN: I did answer that question yesterday. Karl spoke with Mrs. Armstrong.
Q Yeah, but who informed -- I'm trying to understand the chain of custody of the information prior to that. In other words, who from the vice president's party first informed the Situation Room --
MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, he has an entourage that travels with him. I'm not going to get into the -- I'm not going to --
Q (Off mike.)
MR. MCCLELLAN: He has an entourage that travels with him from the military aides to secret service personnel. I'm not going to get into discussing specific people. I don't think that -- I don't think that's -- I don't think it's necessary.
Q Can you tell us if it was a military aide or if it was a secret service person --
MR. MCCLELLAN: David, I think I just answered your question. I'm just not going to get into naming specific people.
Q You're not going to tell us who informed the Situation Room?
MR. MCCLELLAN: It was from the vice president's traveling team.
Q (Off mike) -- when you tell us who informed the Situation Room.
MR. MCCLELLAN: I just told you.
Q Okay. And then, on the second question, can you tell us who then informed Mr. Card? Was it Andy -- I'm sorry. Who informed Mr. Rove? Did Andy Card? Was it somebody else?
MR. MCCLELLAN: I don't know where he first heard it from. He may have heard it from the Situation Room. I know Andy spoke to him pretty quick after he heard about it.
Q Okay. And then the third issue related to this is, we -- no one established yesterday through you that the president heard about it on Saturday evening. Could you explain to us why it is that a piece of information that was important enough for the president to hear about, relatively quickly, within three hours of the event --
MR. MCCLELLAN: No, David, as I --
Q -- but it was not important enough then to --
MR. MCCLELLAN: -- as I indicated, there are some pressing priorities before the American people, and they want us to spend our time on that. And that's where we're going to keep our focus today.
Q It's our briefing. We get to ask the questions.
MR. MCCLELLAN: You do, but I've indicated to you where I am today, and that's where I'm going to continue to focus.
Go ahead, Jim.
Q Can you talk about -- when the vice president travels, does he -- does he bring with him any special medical group, given his heart condition, anything that -- above and beyond what vice presidents typically bring?
MR. MCCLELLAN: I mean, you can check with his office for specifics because I don't travel with him, but he does have a medical team that travels with him similar to what the president does.
...
Q Scott, was it Karl Rove's idea that Katharine Armstrong contact the local press? I know that they spoke on the phone.
MR. MCCLELLAN: No, I think Mrs. Armstrong has said how that idea came about.
Q But did they discuss it while they were on the phone?
MR. MCCLELLAN: Not that I know of.
Q Could you find out for us?
MR. MCCLELLAN: I just said I don't believe so.
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