White House Reaction to CBS Report, Firings

White House Press Briefing ^ | 1/10/2005 | White House press briefing

[ConservativeMajority]

JIM ANGLE, FOX NEWS: The other thing is, today CBS has fired four of its personnel who were involved in the story about the President's service in the National Guard. Any comment on that?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, we felt all along that it was important for CBS to get to the bottom of this. CBS has taken steps to hold people accountable, and we appreciate those steps. We also hope that CBS will take steps to prevent something like this from happening again. I think that the report by the panel that investigated the matter makes some recommendations it says CBS should consider. And that's what our position is.

(LATER)

JEFF GANNON, TALON NEWS: I want to go back to "Rathergate" for a minute. Four people have been fired. There's a 224-page report and an eight-page statement --

MR. McCLELLAN: I see you have it there in your hand.

JEFF GANNON, TALON NEWS: -- that's been released. Not a single word of apology to the President for this episode. Is the White House disappointed in that? Or is that --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, in fairness, I think CBS has previously expressed regret about this story airing. In terms of the specific report, it's just been released this morning. I'm not sure if everybody has had a chance to fully review the report and look at what the recommendations are, and look at all the issues they looked at to come to their conclusions.

(LATER)

ED CHEN, LA TIMES: How did the President learn of the CBS development? And what was his direct reaction?

MR. McCLELLAN: His reaction is my reaction to the report. And he was reformed -- informed this morning right after reports hit the wires.

[plain talk]

Sean challenges leftists every day. Rather than totally trashing him, you may just want to send him an email pointing out the opportunity he missed. Like I said, no one is perfect. But Sean is one of the good guys.

[OldFriend]

Why Sean cannot discuss substance without being obsequies is beyond me.

[cyncooper]

I need to go bleach my mind after those visuals you conjured up there.

LOL

Thanks for the added details (I think...hehe)

Why am I not surprised Bob Schieffer didn't think it was that important?

[malia]

Chris Cox ----- I like that idea!!!! Would he need to be 'approved'. He has made some dem enemies.

[ConservativeMajority]

Absolutely. She should be in jail for receiving evidence from an investigation being conducted by the Pentagon.

[Marine_Uncle]

"I'll bet you he doesn't.".
I hope your right on this one. I believe in the Lord having the final say on things we do down here. But for a national security advisor to be able to stuff docs in his cloths and then just walk out of a secured area, man if they let him off the hook on this one..............not to meantion what went on in Sandia Labs etc., on his post.

[OldFriend]

Scheiffer meant the National Guard story was not important. He was right.

Scheiffer also went on to comment about Kerry making the election about Viet Nam. It was not a favorable story.

[cyncooper]

Thanks for the details.

As soon as I read the report this morning I see I was correct when I posted how CBS would spin it.

There are many levels of factual data that disprove the "mistake" line.

[OldFriend]

Cox has worked on other national security issues with democrats and has worked well. I cannot remember the exact report they issued but it was relatively well accepted by both sides.

He would definitely need congressional approval.

[cyncooper]

That's because CBS still stands by the story, if not the documents, and this report lets them by giving them the wiggle room they needed.

[beyond the sea]

Asking good questions in the midst of french kissing Scheiffer. Asking over and over if Scheiffer would step in and take Rather's place. As if the job was Sean's to give. ............. Sean was blatantly kissing Scheiffer's butt. ............... Scheiffer did acknowledge that he personally did not think the story was all that important.

Thank you, OldFriend. When I said a similar thing, I was thought to be outrageous!

Let's all get together and work to expose CBS.

[OldFriend]

I don't mind that Sean did not attack Scheiffer, I mind that he was fawning all over the man. AAACCKKKKKK

[nicmarlo]

How can they "stand by" forged documents? How can they "support" a story that should have been proven was aired to influence an election. They know they never would have done this had it been a Clinton "story."

[cyncooper]

Well he didn't take the documents just for his own private collection. Common sense says the investigation wants to gather solid evidence of who directed him to do it and what happened with the documents.

It's not enough to say we all know who, they need proof.

I've long said that until the new Attorney General is sworn in you will see not activity. But I'm confident the case is being worked.

Oh, yes, it is.

[beyond the sea]

I do wish he would have hit Scieffer harder when he denied the presence of political motivations with Rather and the producers.

I hear you. You and I would love to hammer these lefties I guess, but Sean has to keep his job!

I guess it's most times a lot easier for us to propose questions than to actually have them asked.

[OldFriend]

Scheiffer's Face the Nation is a pathetic exercise in bias.

[cyncooper]

Oh---well, thanks for clearing that up.

Hmmmmmmmmm