Scotty McClellan takes high heat fast ball over the inside corner...

[JohnnyRingo]

...steps back from the plate and looks for next pitch, called strike one:

From the White House briefing 2/1/05:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/02/20050201-7.html

Q: Scott, last night, in an amicus brief filed before the U.S. Supreme Court, the Justice Department came down in favor of displaying the Ten Commandments in courthouses and statehouses around the country. The question is, does the President believe in commandment number six, "Thou shalt not kill," as it applies to the U.S. invasion in Iraq?

MR. McCLELLAN: Go ahead. Next question. Ken, go ahead.
<snip>

A short time later, It was out of the park, thanks to a friendly lob from a reporter (unknown) with a question he was more than happy to address:

Q: Yesterday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was criticizing the President's proposal for -- to reform Social Security, particularly the part about the transitional costs, which she said were going to be off the budget. Isn't the reality of the Social Security debate is that the entire system is off the budget and the President's plan will actually bring it back on to the budget?

[jswordy]

1. Scotty should have retorted that...

...fundies long ago altered that commandement to read, "Thous shall not MURDER."

Thus, war and capital punishment are exempt.

;-)

[paineinthearse]

2. Who is Q?

Does anyone remember press conferences of Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon.....
The reporters ALWAYS identified themselves and their media affiliation.

In these days of "ink-for-pay" and day passes, we must get the WH press corps to reinstate that fundamental practice. If it's good enough for Helen Thomas, it's good enough for Jeff Gannon.

I have sent this idea to the appropriate people at the Boston Globe, NY Times and Chicago Tribune. Would appreciate support from DU to give it to other "ombudsmen" & "peoples' editors", as well as to McClellan.