1115.org

Consider the following exchanges from Thursday and Friday’s White House press briefings:

Press Briefing (6/23/05):

Q Last night Karl Rove, in a speech, accused the Democrats of trying to send the terrorists into therapy and not responding appropriately to 9/11, whereas the Republicans, he felt, responded appropriately. He’s been called on to make an apology. Will Karl Rove will apologize, and is this elevating the discourse, the way you said the President will do?

McClellan: Talking about different philosophies and different approaches? That’s what Karl Rove was talking about. He was talking about the different philosophies and our different approaches when it comes to winning the war on terrorism. And I don’t know who is even making such a suggestion.

Q: Harry Reid.

Q: Nancy Pelosi.

McClellan: Well, I would think that they would want to be able to defend their philosophy and their approach. I mean, I know that the Democratic leadership at this point is offering no ideas and no vision for the American people, but Karl was simply pointing out the different philosophies and different approaches when it comes to winning the war on terrorism.
[…]
Q So will the President ask Karl Rove to apologize?

McClellan: Of course not, Jessica. This is simply talking about different philosophies and different approaches. And I think you have to look at it in that context. If people want to try to engage in personal attacks instead of defending their philosophy, that’s their business. But it’s important to point out the different approaches when it comes to winning the war on terrorism. And that’s all he was doing.

Press Briefing (6/24/05):

McClellan: There’s no reason — no reason for [an apology]. It’s still puzzling why Democratic leaders were coming to the defense of liberal organizations like Moveon.org and people like Michael Moore. Karl was talking about the conservative philosophy and the liberal philosophy when it comes to the war on terrorism. And I think that he– again, go back and look. He was speaking to a political organization, the New York Conservative Party, and he was talking about different political philosophies. I think that’s what you do when you speak to political organizations.

It’s interesting that in Thursday’s briefing, McClellan had every opportunity to clarify Rove’s statement as not being directed at Democrats when the reporter mentioned Reid and Pelosi by name. He didn’t, instead implying that they were unable to defend their position. There was no mention of Michael Moore or Moveon.org in the entire briefing.

24 hours and a storm of vaguely negative media attention later, McClellan plays a little sleight-of-hand by wondering aloud why the same Democratic leaders he previously maligned would defend Moore and Moveon.

Nice try Scottie, but we’re paying attention, even if no one else is.