You Can't Stop McClellan, You Can Only Hope to Contain Him

File this under the "Republicans have their cake and eat it, too" department:

Q Does the President believe it's appropriate for the RNC to continue to weigh in on this matter? They put out another memo today, with a top-10 Joseph Wilson lies. If indeed it's an ongoing investigation and it's improper for the White House to discuss it, does he think it's proper for the Republican Party to weigh in on it?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: You know, Geoff, I appreciate the question, and as you heard me say yesterday, we are not going to prejudge the outcome of the investigation based on media reports. And I'm not going to get into --

Q What about the RNC, though, Scott?

McCLELLAN: No, I said, I'm not going to get into discussing matters relating to an ongoing investigation. We'll let the investigation come to a conclusion, and then I'll be more than happy to talk about it, as will the President.

-- White House press briefing, July 14

***

What else can White House Press Secretary McClellan decide is "relating to an ongoing investigation?"

The Republican National Committee weighs in on the investigation, trying to change the discussion from White House leaks to Joe Wilson's "lies" -- even though RNC Chair Ken Mehlman is resorting to "distortions and falsehoods" to do so.

The White House, of course, has a rooting interest in what Mehlman is doing. And what the RNC does in reaction to the news isn't related to the investigation, just as what Democrats say isn't related to the investigation. If someone in the press corps wants to ask, for example, about a "fact sheet" circulated by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) discussing whether Rove violated his obligations under his "Classified Information Nondisclosure Agreement," McClellan should be able to answer -- without giving his official "answer."

McClellan, I realize, is probably following the advice of White House counsel to keep his mouth shut, to avoid making statements that can later be used against him. He knows the press corps is only going to ask so many questions "relating to an ongoing investigation" before they realize that McClellan is a) stonewalling; b) going to turn to a questioner for a new topic; c) wishing that J.D. Guckert were still available to bail him out of tough situations.

along w GOP 'talking points.'

If the RNC is putting out false talking points
and speaking deceptively in media ....
can't they be persecuted?

At minimum it seems like libel... if not conspiracy

is the word you are looking for. Most GOPers it seems claim to be persecuted in some fashion. Even though they're in charge of almost everything.

is or has the reporter written a piece for his newspaper?

You could try to cross-check with reporters nationwide named Geoff who cover the White House.

I did a Google search, but no luck.

there is more hope than ever. Wonder why someone would want to post such sentiments?