7/13 Press briefing by Scott McClellan

To bring you up to date, in spite of the most pressing issues of the day which should occupy the White House's time and energy in assuring the safety, health and wellbeing of the American people, questions asked at the 7/11 briefing were 71% Karl Rove/Valerie Plame. Tuesday's briefing was preoccupied by 74% Rove/Plame. Let's see how the MSM did yesterday in reporting to the American people the efforts of President Bush and his administration to protect and serve all Americans.

The issues that the MSM should be asking about:

1. Terrorism/GWoT
2. Our troops in Iraq
3. Supreme Court justices
4. G8 / African hunger/debt
5. HIV/AIDS
6. Social Security
7. Oil prices
8. Nuclear proliferation in Iran and Korea
9. A bloated, corrupt, inefficient United Nations
10. Economy

I replaced the hurricane aftermath issue with the economy because the MSM obviously doesn't give two hoots for the affected people in Florida and Alabama. When did that hurricane hit? Last year? I also dropped Valerie Plame from Karl Rove/Valerie Plame because the MSM doesn't care anything about her and cares everything about seeing Karl Rove brought to heel.

The issues in which the MSM actually has great interest in the order in which the questions are asked. Statements, speeches and accusations by members of the MSM are considered questions. McClellan gives a summary of the president's cabinet meeting where the major issues discussed were the improving economy, the budget, energy, the G8, the London bombings, GWoT and prescription drug benefits for seniors. The MSM responds:

Karl Rove: first 23 consecutive questions
China: 2 questions
Terrorism/GWoT: 6 questions
Social Security: 2 questions
Terrorism/GWoT: 1 question
Karl Rove: 3 questions
Iran/Korea: 2 questions
Economy: 2 questions
Terrorism/GWoT: 2 questions
Karl Rove: 9 questions
Iran/Korea: 3 questions
Supreme Court: 2 questions
Space Shuttle/Mars: 2 questions

That's roughly 59 questions asked. Here's the breakdown:

Karl Rove: 35 questions - 59%
Iran and Korea: 5 questions - 8%
Terrorism/GWoT: 9 questions - 15%
Supreme Court justices: 2 questions - 3%
Social Security: 2 questions - 3%
Economy: 2 questions - 3%
China: 2 questions - 3%
Space: 2 questions - 3%
Our troops in Iraq: 0 questions - 0%
G8 / African hunger/debt: 0 questions - 0%
HIV/AIDS: 0 questions - 0%
Oil prices: 0 questions - 0%
A bloated, corrupt, inefficient United Nations: 0 questions - 0%

Who is this Raghubir Goyal that keeps interrupting the Rove questions with actual meaningful questions? He is a reporter for the Times of India and obviously did not matriculate through the Columbia School of Journalism. He has his own agenda it is plain to see. He wants to report some real news. I'll bet he gets the cold shoulder from his American MSM colleagues and eats lunch alone every day.

Check out this brief exchange:

Q If I wanted to ask you about an ongoing investigation, I would ask you about the statute, and I'm not doing that.

MR. McCLELLAN: I think we've exhausted discussion on this the last couple of days.

Q You haven't even scratched the surface.

Q It hasn't started.

It hasn't started? Was that a threat? How can McClellan or his handlers permit a crack like this to lie there without a vigorous response?