At today’s White House news briefing, WND asked presidential press secretary Scott McClellan about .
WND: Friday a week ago, the AP reported from West Allis, Wisconsin, that the crowd booed the president’s good wishes for President Clinton’s recovery. But after two Milwaukee talk-radio stations broadcast what was all applause and no boos, the AP on Saturday sent out a retraction saying there was no booing. And my question –
McCLELLAN: Let me state for the record that I think the Associated Press corrected that within a very short period of time, on the same day.
WND: No, it was the next day.
McCLELLAN: No, it was the same day, I believe.
WND: All right. Are you concerned that there is no AP reporting of what they have done to the reporter whom they report put an untruth on the national wire? And I have a follow-up.
McCLELLAN: The reporter made a correction and we appreciated him making that correction quickly – because it did not happen.
WND: Presuming that you would not provide Kitty Kelley a reserved, front-row seat in these briefings, or at presidential news conferences, why do you continue to do so for a network that nationally televised forgeries that malign the president? (Laughter.)
McCLELLAN: Les, I’m not even going to respond to that question.
WND: You’re not going to respond?
McCLELLAN: [To another reporter]Go ahead.
REPORTER: Thank you. A follow-up on the Middle East question. On the imminent Israeli pullout from Gaza –
McCLELLAN: Let me just say I appreciate working with each and every one of you in this room – most of the time, at least. (Laughter.) Go ahead.
Later in the briefing, Jeff Gannon of Talon News asked the following about the CBS controversy.
TALON NEWS: Thank you. One more time with the documents. CBS, even today, is standing by the documents –
McCLELLAN: Does everybody agree, just one more time? (Laughter.)
WND: Just one more time for me. (Laughter.) Even today they’re standing by the documents that nearly every expert has determined are probably fake. Since it’s brought the network’s credibility and objectivity into question, is the White House considering pulling out of the debate that CBS is to moderate?
McCLELLAN: Well, in terms of the debates – and I wouldn’t connect the two here – those are ongoing discussions between the two campaigns, and I don’t have any update from here at this point.
