Transcript: (Wormtongue) McClellan Explains Machine Gun Cheney Incident

Press Briefing by Scott McClellan

12:27 P.M. EST

MR. MCCLELLAN: Good afternoon, everyone. Let me begin with one update on the schedule today. The President will today -- or today is submitting his 2006 Economic Report to the Congress. The Council of Economic Advisors will be hosting a press briefing here shortly, at 1:30 p.m. today. Our economy is strong and growing stronger. The U.S. right now is experiencing a very healthy job market, with nearly 4.8 million jobs created since the summer of 2003. And for 2006, the Council of Economic Advisors projects a steady growth rate, in the range of 3.4 percent, which is in line with the view of other economic forecasts in government and the private sector.

The report will also look at key areas that we're working to address, like making sure we have a skilled and educated workforce for the 21st century, looking at rising health care costs and issues related to that, making sure that we continue to keep America open to free and fair trade, and looking at energy issues, as well.

That's all I've got to begin with, so I'll be glad to go to your questions. Terry.

Q Scott, do you think that the shooting accident involving the Vice President on Saturday should have been disclosed to the public on Saturday?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think that the first priority was making sure that Harry Whittington, Mr. Whittington was getting the medical care that he needed, and I think that's where everybody's attention should have been focused and was focused when the hunting accident took place. And in terms of here in Washington, there was information that we were continuing to learn about throughout the course of that evening and into early Sunday morning. The initial report that we received was that there had been a hunting accident. We didn't know who all was involved, but a member of his party was involved in that hunting accident. And then additional details continued to come in overnight.

And it's important always to work to make sure you get information out like this as quickly as possible, but it's also important to make sure that the first priority is focused where it should be, and that is making sure that Mr. Whittington has the care that he needs. And the Vice President went to the hospital yesterday to visit him. The Vice President was pleased to see that he was doing well and in good spirits. And the President is, as well.

Q Well, I assume that people -- he got immediate medical attention. Aside from the medical attention, which I'm sure was swift, isn't there a public disclosure requirement that should have kicked in immediately?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, and the Vice President's Office was working to make sure information got out. We learned additional information overnight -- throughout the night, we were learning additional information here in Washington. The Vice President spoke with Mrs. Katherine Armstrong and they agreed that she should make that information public. She was an eyewitness, she saw what occurred and she called her local paper to provide those facts to the local paper. And the Vice President's Office was ready to comment on it at that point.

Now, keep in mind that there's not a traveling press corps that was along with the Vice President on this trip. With that said, though, as I said, I think it's always important to get information out as quickly as possible. As you know, the way we have typically approached things, that I typically approach things -- I think of a similar incident when the President was in Gleneagles, Scotland, and he had a biking accident with a police officer there, and I quickly tried to give that information to the press through the pool reporter and provide that information to you all.

Q Scott, is it really appropriate for the --

Q So as the Press Secretary, are you satisfied with the way this was handled?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I know that the Vice President's Office was working to pull together information and make sure that information got out. And the Vice President felt that Mrs. Armstrong should be the first one to go out there and provide that information to the public, which she did -- and she reached out early Sunday morning to do so.

Q And you're satisfied with the way --

MR. McCLELLAN: You can always look back at these issues and look at how to do a better job.

Q Well, it's not really a hindsight issue here. I mean, the Vice President made a decision about how the public should be notified that basically is at odds with the standard practice of how the President's own press operation and this White House notifies the public; isn't that right?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, again, this was handled by the Vice President's Office. The Vice President thought that Mrs. Armstrong should be the first one to give that information out, since she was an eyewitness.

Q But let's just be clear here. The Vice President of the United States accidentally shoots a man and he feels that it's appropriate for a ranch owner who witnessed this to tell the local Corpus Christi newspaper, and not the White House press corps at large, or notify the public in a national way?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think we all know that once it is made public, then it's going to be news and all of you all are going to be seeking that information. And the Vice President's Office was ready to provide additional information to reporters. There was no traveling White House press corps with the Vice President, as there is with the President in a situation like this --

Q Right, that's a distinction without a difference, really. I mean, we have Blackberries --

MR. McCLELLAN: So there is some different circumstances. And the other circumstance here was that someone was injured and needed medical care. And the Vice President's team was making sure he was getting taken care of and that he got to the hospital and received additional treatment.

Q I know you had a chance to speak to, I assume, the President and the Vice President today. Did the Vice President follow all of the appropriate safety procedures that are familiar to hunters in this case?

MR. McCLELLAN: I think if you've got specifics about that, probably direct them to the Vice President's Office. I don't know all the specifics about it, but I think Mrs. Armstrong spoke publicly about how this incident occurred. And if I recall, she pointed out that the protocol was not followed by Mr. Whittington, when it came to notifying the others that he was there. And so, you know, unfortunately these types of hunting accidents happen from time to time. And all of us were most concerned about Mr. Whittington. And as I said, the Vice President was glad to see he was doing fine yesterday and that he's in good spirits. He is someone that many of us here know and have great respect for, and we look forward to him getting out of the hospital soon.

Q Scott, there's a report coming out of a Sheriff's deputy there who said that he was prevented from interviewing the Vice President by the Secret Service. Do you know anything about that? And is that appropriate?

MR. McCLELLAN: No, I don't know anything about that. You ought to direct that to the Secret Service. My understanding was that Secret Service took the appropriate steps to inform law enforcement. But, again, check with Secret Service.

Q Scott, what was the input of the White House? What was your input, once you learned of this? Did you just turn it over to the Vice President's Office? Did you know they were turning it over to a private citizen to inform people?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, in terms of my involvement, first of all, Saturday night I find out that there was a hunting accident -- it was late Saturday night -- of a member in his party. But I did not know who was involved in that hunting accident. It wasn't until very early Sunday morning that I found out that the Vice President was involved in this accident. And, of course, in a position like mine, I was urging that that information be made available as quickly as possible and the Vice President's Office was working to get that information out.

Q So as of Saturday night, you didn't know, the White House did not know that Vice President Cheney was involved?

MR. McCLELLAN: No, there were details coming in throughout that night and into the morning. There was additional information coming in at 3:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m., and even after that.

Q But, again, Saturday night, you did not know the Vice President was involved, you just thought someone from his hunting party was --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I, personally, was informed by the Situation Room that there had been a hunting accident, and that is was a member of the Vice President's hunting party. But I didn't have additional information other than that at this point. Obviously, I asked questions about -- is he okay, and who was involved -- and they didn't have those facts at that point.

Q So Sunday morning you first learned that it was the Vice President?

MR. McCLELLAN: Early Sunday morning, that's correct.

Q And then what was your reaction about letting the public know? Did the Vice President's Office tell you that they would turn this over to Katherine Armstrong, and that --

MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, I had additional discussions, and I knew that the Vice President's Office was working to get information out. I'm not going to get into all the discussions that I had -- but it was the Vice President's Office that took the lead on this.

Q But were you aware they were just going to allow a private citizen to inform a local paper of this, and not beyond that? Did you not have a suggestion on how to inform the public?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I'm not going to get into all the discussions or suggestions that I make about specific matters like that. I can only tell you the way I've done it in the past, for you all.

Q What time on Sunday morning did you learn that Vice President Dick Cheney was the shooter?

MR. McCLELLAN: It was early. I was woken up.

Q Do you have any -- was it 6:00 a.m., 5:00 a.m.? Can you give me at least just some sort of sense of how early --

MR. McCLELLAN: It was probably in the 6:00 a.m. range or so. Usually I'm up at 5:00 a.m., but it was Sunday.

Q And who woke you up and told you?

MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry?

Q Who told you?

MR. McCLELLAN: I just had discussions with staff. I'll leave it at that.

Q Was it Cheney's gun? Is that his gun, that shotgun?

MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry?

Q Was it the Vice President's gun?

MR. McCLELLAN: You ought to talk to the Vice President's Office and check that fact.

Q You don't know?

MR. McCLELLAN: You can check with their office.

Q You said this morning that the President was informed Saturday night by Karl Rove and Andy Card.

MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, initially by Andy Card.

Q At that point, what was he informed? Was he informed that the Vice President had accidentally shot somebody?

MR. McCLELLAN: No, I think initially, again, Andy had the same report that I had, or a very similar report to what I had. And so we didn't know who was involved. But then there was additional information that was coming in later in the night, or later in the day and on into the morning.

Q They knew exactly what happened --

Q -- to not reach the Vice President to find out that he was the shooter? How is that possible?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, Kelly, I can only tell you what the facts are.

Q This doesn't make any sense, though. This happens at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, and you're saying that until the morning, the President of the United States --

MR. McCLELLAN: No, I didn't say that. I said there was additional information coming in later that evening and into the morning hours of Sunday.

Q You've got to clarify this timeline, Scott; it just doesn't make any sense.

Q When did the President know that the Vice President was the shooter? What time?

MR. McCLELLAN: Again, there was additional information coming in that night. And the details continued to come in throughout the morning, into the Sunday morning time period.

Q The Vice President did not call the President to tell him he was the shooter?

MR. McCLELLAN: Suzanne, go ahead.

Q Katherine Armstrong talked to CNN Sunday evening. She said that she thought this was going to become a story, so she was going to go to the local press. She also told CNN that she did not believe the Vice President's Office was aware that she was going to go to the local press. How do you square that with your account that they were coordinating their --

MR. McCLELLAN: The Vice President spoke with her directly and they agreed that she would make it public.

Q So you're saying that she is lying, that her statement is not correct?

MR. McCLELLAN: No. You ought to check with her.

Q Well, we did check with her. So you're saying that's not correct?

MR. McCLELLAN: The Vice President spoke directly with Mrs. Armstrong and they agreed that she would make the information public.

Q Scott, it's getting very confusing to try to figure out who knew what when, and why, you know, once Mr. Whittington's immediate medical needs were being addressed, it sounds like everything just shut down. Was there no staff member with the Vice President --

MR. McCLELLAN: No, actually, as I pointed out, there was information that was coming into people back here, all the way at 3:00 a.m. in the morning and beyond. So additional information was coming to light from what occurred down in the Corpus Christi area of Texas.

Q Over the roughly 12 hours or so, none of that information -- it took 12 hours for someone to tell someone up here that the Vice President had fired the weapon?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, again, Jim, keep in mind two things. One, the very first priority was making sure Mr. Whittington was getting the medical care, and that's where all efforts were focused. There wasn't a press corps traveling with the Vice President, he didn't have his full entourage that he might have on other trips, official trips. This was a weekend hunting trip. And then, secondary to that is gathering the facts. And so you want to get the facts together so you can provide that information to the public. And I think that's important to do, and so they gathered facts together and those facts were coming back to us throughout the evening and into the morning hours of Sunday.

Q Who was gathering the facts? Who was doing that?

MR. McCLELLAN: I think there's the information on the ground there, as well as information then being provided -- from the ground there being provided back here.

Q Right, and who was doing -- who was doing the providing, and who were they providing it to?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, people with the Vice President's Office. I think you can probably -- I would check with his office on more specifics.

Q So when did the President definitively know that the Vice President had shot somebody?

MR. McCLELLAN: He was learning additional details into that evening on Saturday --

Q It wasn't a detail that it was the Vice President that pulled the trigger? When did that detail --

MR. McCLELLAN: We didn't know the full details, but I think he was informed because Karl -- I think his Deputy Chief of Staff had spoken with Mrs. Armstrong and provided him additional update that evening. So there were more circumstances --

Q Deputy Chief of Staff Rove talked to --

MR. McCLELLAN: -- known Saturday evening. So the President was getting more information about who was involved, and that was late Saturday evening.

Q So he knew Saturday evening? Scott, definitively, did the President know or --

Q -- the question.

MR. McCLELLAN: -- some additional information, yes, and the Vice President --

Q -- or hear that it was the Vice President?

MR. McCLELLAN: -- and that the Vice President was involved, but didn't know the full facts of what had occurred.

Q How is that possible?

Q He did know -- wait -- details here. Scott, he knew Saturday night?

MR. McCLELLAN: Carl, go ahead.

Q Straight chronological questions. We don't have to yell it.

MR. McCLELLAN: Sure.

Q If the Deputy Chief of Staff had a conversation with the President late Saturday night, what time was that conversation? And did the information, though developing at the time, contain the fact that the Vice President had actually been the shooter --

MR. McCLELLAN: I don't know the specific time. I know that Andy Card talked to him initially, probably in the -- my sense is probably in the 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. range, initially. And then it was later that evening when he found out additional information, but we still didn't have all the details at that point and additional details were coming into Andy Card at even 3:00 a.m. in the morning and beyond.

Q So could we just -- and so what --

MR. McCLELLAN: Let me finish this, because what we're trying to do from here in the course of the night is get more information and find out exactly what occurred.

Q All right, if I may then, the Chief of Staff, at 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., tells the President that there was an incident. Later in the evening, the Deputy Chief of Staff tells the President that the Vice President was, in fact, the shooter; is that what you're telling us?

MR. McCLELLAN: That's correct.

Q And then the further details, then, unfolded throughout the course of the early morning Sunday?

MR. McCLELLAN: That's correct, additional details, additional information was coming out.

Q On Sunday morning at 6:00 a.m., you were clear, personally, that the Vice President had, in fact, been the shooter?

MR. McCLELLAN: That's correct. That's correct.

Q Thank you.

Q Wait, wait, hold on. Human beings are not normally this inefficient. I mean, was the Vice President immediately clear that he had accidentally shot his friend, or not? Or did that information become available later? You make it seem like there's all this information that had to develop.

MR. McCLELLAN: I wouldn't suggest that at all. I'm sure that that was the case. I mean, Mrs. Armstrong was there and saw that --

Q I don't understand what information had to trickle in?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, David, again, what's important when it happened was to make sure the medical care was getting to --

Q Fair enough.

MR. McCLELLAN: -- Mr. Whittington.

Q Fair enough.

MR. McCLELLAN: That's where all the attention was focused, and making sure he was getting to the hospital --

Q That's been stipulated here. Everybody agrees that that's fine.

MR. McCLELLAN: That's correct.

Q And it doesn't seem to me that that would take an inordinate amount of time, it certainly wouldn't take 22 hours.

MR. McCLELLAN: This is happening Saturday evening.

Q But you've got a Situation Room here, you've got people who monitor stuff -- it's impossible to find out -- I mean, the Vice President knew immediately, oh, no, I've shot somebody accidentally, and it takes 22 hours for that --

MR. McCLELLAN: And you know what his first reaction was? His first reaction was go to Mr. Whittington and get his team in there to provide him medical care.

Q I'm sure his first reaction -- absolutely. But why is it that it took so long for the President, for you, for anybody else to know that the Vice President accidentally shot somebody?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, early the next morning, Mrs. Armstrong reached out to the Corpus paper -- that's her local paper --

Q Oh, come on.

MR. McCLELLAN: -- to provide them information.

Q But that's ridiculous. Are you saying that you don't know within the White House? What took you so long?

MR. McCLELLAN: Listen again to what I said. The first priority is making sure Mr. Whittington is receiving medical care. Secondary to that is making sure you get the facts together and then as quickly as possible provide that information to the public. Now, the Vice President agreed with Mrs. Armstrong that it was best that she provide that information publicly first --

Q Understanding that, but he doesn't even --

MR. McCLELLAN: -- because she was --

Q That's fine if you want to deal with the public that way --

MR. McCLELLAN: -- hang on, hang on -- she was an eyewitness to what occurred and could provide the facts to the press. And the Vice President's Office was ready, they were on point to provide additional comment on the incident that took place.

Q Scott, do you think it's appropriate for a private citizen --

Q Scott, the Vice President has a --

MR. McCLELLAN: Go ahead, Bill. We've got three people from each news organization here --

Q The Vice President has a Secret Service detail and has communications which are up to date, operating and in place. How is it that the word of the shooting and the fact that the Vice President was involved could have been confused or delayed, given the fact that that was almost --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think the initial information is coming from his team on the ground with him, and they're just providing an initial report, an accident has taken place. They might not know all the facts at that point, Bill.

Q Are you kidding? They're right there, they're out there with him. They have communications --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, the ones that are providing that information may have not been right there, physically, with him and saw exactly what happened -- I don't know. But I'm telling you --

Q And it also --

MR. McCLELLAN: Hang on. Can I finish? Okay. But I'm telling you the facts as they occurred and as I know them. And if there is additional information you want, you can direct those questions to the Vice President's Office.

Q And it also sounds as though your suggestions about how to handle this were disregarded by the Vice President's Office.

MR. McCLELLAN: Again, I'll keep those conversations private.

Q Well, you might as well say that.

Q I just want to clarify one thing. Is it appropriate for a private citizen to be the person to disseminate the information that the Vice President of the United States has shot someone?

MR. McCLELLAN: That's one way to provide information to the public. The Vice President's Office worked with her -- I should say, the Vice President -- the Vice President spoke with her directly --

Q You make it sound like it's up to her to decide when this comes out.

MR. McCLELLAN: -- and agreed that she should make it public and that they would provide additional information.

Q But why should it be up to a private citizen to decide when it comes out?

MR. McCLELLAN: It came out Sunday morning. I've told you the way that I've operated and the way I've provided information in similar circumstances.

Q This is certainly different.

Q Has the Vice President always had a hunting license whenever he's gone hunting? There was an item in one of the wire stories this morning that he had a license prior to November, but other stories say he goes every year to Texas --

MR. McCLELLAN: Check with his office. I don't have those facts.

Q Do you know whether he's taken a hunting safety course?

MR. McCLELLAN: My understanding is that he had the hunting license for this hunting trip.

Q What about other trips where he's taken --

MR. McCLELLAN: You can check with his office.

Q Has he also -- has he taken a hunting safety course in Texas?

MR. McCLELLAN: I'd check with his office. I don't have those facts, Mike. I haven't checked into that.

Q Will the Vice President be available soon to answer all questions, himself, about the incident?

MR. McCLELLAN: I think you ought to direct questions like that to his office. He has a press office you can direct questions to.

Jessica -- keeping with the practice of at least two or three reporters from each news organization today.

Q You've repeatedly said that the Vice President's Office will share this information with us. Will you tell us -- will you now ask them to share this information with us, because they're not.

MR. McCLELLAN: Share what information?

Q Details of what happened during the shooting and more information about --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, Mrs. Armstrong provided that information. She was the eyewitness to what took place.

Q Can we get someone from his office in here to answer --

Q Why can't we get someone from his office to answer some questions?

Q Or get him?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, talk to his office. I think they have provided a response to the questions.

Q Not that information.

Q We're not getting any of that information.

MR. McCLELLAN: Go ahead, Connie.

Q Is it proper for the Vice President to offer his resignation or has he offered his resignation --

MR. McCLELLAN: That's an absurd question. Go ahead, Ken.

Q Can we get someone from the Vice President's Office in here to answer all these questions that you're deferring?

MR. McCLELLAN: I think you can ask questions to his -- direct questions to his office.

Q I'm sure they're overwhelmed. It seems like it would be more efficient --

MR. McCLELLAN: Understood, but they're the ones who can provide additional information if there is any to provide.

Q Or not.

Q You say Mrs. Armstrong was the eyewitness. There were other eyewitnesses. Can you tell us who they were, and --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think the Vice President's team was with him. You ought to check that with the Vice President's Office. But the Vice President's traveling team was with him, so you'd have his normal security detail, as well as military aide and others and doctor.

Q Who was the third hunter?

MR. McCLELLAN: Check with his office; I don't know.

Peter.

Q Scott, when you consider the chronology you're trying to go through here, and all of the various wrinkles of how long it took for the primary information that the Vice President was the person who shot this fellow to get through to the President, himself, is there any notion here of reviewing your own communications apparatus? I mean, this is sort of reminiscent of the levee story, frankly, you know?

MR. McCLELLAN: I reject that. I disagree with that fully, Peter. I don't know what you're referring to there, but I reject the insinuation there.

Q Well, when you look at how long it took for the information in that case to get through and the information in this case to get through, or you could look --

MR. McCLELLAN: Peter, there are certain facts that you don't know necessarily immediately; people are getting that information together, in terms of exactly what happened. I mean, I don't think you immediately know all the facts in situations that you bring up, particularly in terms of a hurricane that was unprecedented in terms of the scope of the damage that occurred. So I don't know how you can leap from here to that comparison.

Q Well, surely they immediately knew that the Vice President of the United States shot someone?

MR. McCLELLAN: And you know what the immediate response was? To makes sure he was getting the medical care.

Q Yes, we --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, no, you may know that, but people that are listening need to hear that, too. The Vice President went over to him and was making sure that his team was getting to him and taking care of him. That's what the first priority always ought to be. Now I know that it's important to inform the media, and I have told you I believe it's important to get that information out as quickly as possible.

Q The immediate --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think he was informed in a relatively reasonable amount of time.

Q Relatively.

Q Scott, in Texas is this kind of accident --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, we can always look back, Bill. We can always look back and say, here or there. But the important thing is, was that the information was provided to the public, and most importantly, Mr. Whittington is being taken care of.

Q Scott, under Texas law, is this kind of accidental shooting a possible criminal offense?

MR. McCLELLAN: I wouldn't even speculate on that, but I think the Sheriff's Office or the local law enforcement office has already commented on that and said it was a hunting accident.

Q Scott, would this be much more serious if the man had died? Would that change the --

MR. McCLELLAN: Of course it would, Connie. It would have been terrible. Personally, I don't know him very well, but I know Mr. Whittington and I have great respect for him from knowing who he is and what he's done. And it would be horrible news.

Q Do you think that it's such -- if the Deputy Chief of Staff told him sometime in the eight p.m. hour, told the President that it was Cheney that had pulled the trigger, who made the decision not to inform us and, specifically, not to inform you until, like, 6:00 a.m. the next morning?

MR. McCLELLAN: I don't think that's the way I would look at it. There were additional details that were coming in and we were trying to learn --

Q -- to make the decision, though? This is kind of a big deal, may or may not want to --

MR. McCLELLAN: We were trying to learn details, but I think it's important to have the facts together to be able to provide that information to the public.

Now, I also believe in a situation like this it's important to provide as much information to the public as quickly as possible.

Q Well, why were you waiting until Sunday morning --

Q Will the Vice President -- and the President, for that matter -- continue to go hunting? And is there some thought about maybe this is too dangerous an activity for such an important person?

MR. McCLELLAN: I haven't had any discussion with either of them about that. I don't know of any change.

Q Was there any consideration, to your knowledge, that the information should be delayed in order to avoid it becoming red meat on the Sunday talk shows on Sunday?

MR. McCLELLAN: Not that I know of. In fact, she reached out to the local paper that morning -- I don't know what time, but I was told she reached out that morning.

All right, let's go to a new subject.

<snip>

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/02/20060213-4.html

. . . stomach isn't strong enough for the whole thing.

But, something that strikes me . . . Scotty expects everyone to just believe that they were somehow out in the middle of nowhere, and communication was difficult. He doesn't come out and say that, no, but he acts as though the press and the people don't grasp that the VP has sophisticated communication available at all times. Everyone in the Administration COULD have known about it in SECONDS.

Unless they were ALL plastered like Snarlin' Dick.

Jeebus, this is totally surreal.

:wtf:

the brief economic update at the beginning. Like here's some fake economic data dear god please let them ask me about it and not that whole shooting someone in the face and failing to tell you about it thingy.

As earlier today I had posted this which is in GD and on Greatest Page. Not that we need stats to tell us about our daily lives. But the damn lies about the economy and oh yeah drunken? VP shoots guy in the face just as he declares preemptive bombing of everything on Earth.

Facts and figures on poverty in the United States
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x413146

From this article:
http://www.grist.org/news/counter/2006/02/13/poverty/

as all the spinning and excuse making that they did in the aftermath of the Katrina non-response.

I especially like the claim that they couldn't report this in a timely fashion because they had to make sure the victim got proper medical treatment. Beyond getting the guy into an ambulance, what else was there for Cheney and members of the party to do that would take hours and hours?

I'm dizzy from all the spinning.:crazy: