"Clown Journalism 101"

This is getting to be like Groundhog Day.

Like every day so far this week, the White House Press Corps was positively mesmerized with the Vice President's hunting accident. They STILL are whining about how the story came out and tossing around conspiracy theories.

Michelle Malkin characterized the situation as "circus antics of clown journalism 101."

She's got that right.

From Thursday's White House press briefing, a stupid question: There have been accounts that Republicans on the Hill feel that this has damaged the party, in general. Is that a message that was conveyed to the President when they had breakfast here with him?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, again -- no. And nothing that I've heard from that breakfast yesterday -- are you talking about yesterday? Well, that was a bipartisan leadership meeting --

Q But some of the Republicans later --

MR. McCLELLAN: I'm not aware that that topic came up. I know that what they did talk about were our foreign and domestic policy priorities. They talked about important priorities like the ones I mentioned at the beginning that we're working to move forward on to keep America the most competitive and most innovative economy in the world. So I don't think that that issue came up at all, and I haven't heard anyone express that. In fact, I heard -- a short time ago the President met with some House Republican leaders on another important bipartisan priority, which is making sure that we succeed in Iraq. They had a very good discussion, and I think some members in there expressed their appreciation for the Vice President.

Why would the Republican Party be damaged because of this unfortunate accident?

How ridiculous! IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!!!

Another idiotic question:

Q Scott, back to the reaction to Mr. Cheney's statements yesterday. The House Democratic Leader, Nancy Pelosi, says that this is analogous or comparable to the administration's inability to come clean, and suggested that the delay of it and the administration's unwillingness to come clean is analogous to a lack of cooperation with the Abramoff investigation and even the response to Katrina. Can you react to that?

MR. McCLELLAN: I think that just shows that the only ones who are making such allegations like that are the most partisan of people or the conspiracy theorists that live out there, and they try to take this matter and paint with a broader brush. I think most Americans reject that wholeheartedly.

Q I have another question. On the subject of the NSA surveillance program and its regular review, et cetera --

MR. McCLELLAN: And I would say, too, that I think some want to use this to distract from the real issues, because they don't want to talk about the agenda, they don't want to talk about their ideas for America, they don't want us to engage in a debate on the substantive issues that matter most to the American people.

Way to go, Scott!

He focuses on Pelosi's ugly tactics, including her among "the most partisan of people or the conspiracy theorists that live out there, and they try to take this matter and paint with a broader brush."

The lib media and the Dems trying to score political points on this are shooting themselves in the foot.

More stupidity:

Q Scott, going back to the Vice President, you said yesterday on Air Force One that you speak for the White House, on behalf of the White House and the President, and you also reiterated --

MR. McCLELLAN: I am the White House Spokesman. I believe that statement is fact.

Q And you also reiterated that in talking about the way the Vice President's information came out, you said you can always look back at these issues and learn to do better in the future. Did the President -- if so, did the President communicate that view to Vice President Cheney?

MR. McCLELLAN: I think as I indicated earlier, I'm not interested in going back and rehashing what has already been said on this matter. I don't know that there's anything else I can say that I haven't already said about these issues. You all heard from the Vice President on this issue, as well, yesterday, and heard his views. And he talked about his rationale behind that. And I think there are a lot of people that understand that his focus was first and foremost where it should be, on making sure that his friend was getting the medical care he needed. And also, after that, secondary to that, making sure that all the facts were together and that the American people were provided an accurate account of what occurred. And the public was informed about this very matter.

Are these people really that dense? Asking the same questions over and over again for days makes them look like fools.

Predictably, the alcohol factor became the focus.

Q Scott, the Vice President spoke yesterday to Brit Hume, but everything is still not in a nice, neat package that the White House wants to make it look like it is. Some are still concerned with the fact that the Vice President was not interviewed by local police until the day after. And now we're hearing that there was alcohol at lunch, a couple of hours prior to, and the investigators did not get a chance to talk to the Vice President or find out the level -- the blood level -- or what alcohol level at that time. That is not a nice, neat package. And there's still a concern about --

MR. McCLELLAN: I don't think you characterized the full picture there, April. I think you ought to look at what law enforcement officials have said on that very matter. And I think most Americans believe that this issue has been covered thoroughly, and most Americans recognize that the Vice President is first and foremost concerned about his friend. So I reject this characterization. I think this room and this town sometimes gets overly caught up in this. But the American people appreciate the answers to the questions that have already been asked.

Q But the Vice President himself addressed the issue that he had alcohol prior to -- hours prior to. And no one tested --

MR. McCLELLAN: I'll refer to --

Q -- no one tested in the hours prior to. And no one tested --

MR. McCLELLAN: April, if you want to continue to pursue this, you can do that. I think most Americans recognize this is what it is, which is a hunting accident, a terrible hunting accident, where someone was injured --

Q If an average person --

MR. McCLELLAN: -- and our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Whittington. We want to see him recover fully.

Q That is very true.

MR. McCLELLAN: If you want to over interpret things, that's your business. The American people have heard the answers.

Q But Scott, what the average American -- if that situation were to be the case, they would be investigated, and a blood alcohol level tested and taken that day.

MR. McCLELLAN: Maybe you ought to look at what the sheriff's department put out about that very matter. And they interviewed people, April. Because you are not giving people a full picture when you characterize it that way. It's already been provided by law enforcement officials, by eyewitnesses. And the Vice President has provided those answers, too. He was very thorough in his responses to the questions that were asked yesterday.

Again, if you want to continue to pursue this, that's your business. We're going to continue to focus on the priorities of the American people.

They are nuts!

The clown journalists are echoing the conspiracy theories of the radical Left nutjobs.

There is no story here. The case is closed.

The sheriff's department closed its investigation Thursday into Dick Cheney's accidental shooting of a hunting partner and said no charges will be filed.

The Kenedy County Sheriff's Department issued a report that largely supports the vice president's account of the weekend accident that wounded 78-year-old lawyer Harry Whittington.

Whittington, interviewed in the hospital, assured investigators no one was drinking when the accident occurred and everyone was wearing bright orange safety gear, according to the report.

Sheriff's dispatcher Diana Mata, speaking for the department, said the case is closed and no charges will be filed. She said Sheriff Ramon Salinas would have no comment on the report.

That has to come as a deep, deep disappointment to the drooling media libs.

They are so self-absorbed. They just won't let it go.

The Dems and media libs have even criticized Cheney for giving an interview to Britt Hume. They demanded that the Vice President personally speak about the accident; then when he did, it's not good enough.

Senator Frank Lautenberg released a statement saying, "Now that [Cheney] feels forced to talk, he wants to restrict the discussion to a friendly news outlet, guaranteeing no hard questions from the press corps."

Media Matters has a transcript and video of what transpired on CNN's February 15 The Situation Room.

Jealous Jack Cafferty, anchor for the low-rated CNN, was taking shots at America's top-rated cable news outlet, FOX.

BLITZER: First of all, Jack, what did you make of Dick Cheney's interview today?

CAFFERTY: Well, I obviously didn't see it 'cause it hasn't been released in its entirety yet, but I -- I would guess it didn't exactly represent a profile in courage for the vice president to wander over there to the F-word network for a sit down with Brit Hume. I mean, that's a little like Bonnie interviewing Clyde, ain't it? I mean, where was the news conference? Where was the -- where was the access to all of the members of the media? I don't know. You know? Whatever.

BLITZER: You still think he needs to do a full-scale news conference in front of all of the cameras, all of the reporters, and ask whatever they want?

CAFFERTY: That's never going to happen. But, I mean, running over there to the Fox network to -- I mean that's -- talk about seeking a safe haven. He's not going to get any high, hard ones from anybody at the F-word network. I think we know that.

The lib media have really gone over the edge. I think they have finally cracked.

David Gregory raised his voice at Scott McClellan and said, "Don’t be a jerk to me personally when I’m asking you a serious question."

Dana Milbank appeared on MSNBC in blaze orange hunting attire.

Now Cafferty is referring to FOX as the "F-word network."

If these aren't the "circus antics of clown journalism 101," I don't know what would be.

How much more unhinged can they become? These clown journalists are truly an embarrassment to the "news" organizations they represent.

They are behaving like children. They have no journalistic integrity left to lose. They have thoroughly discredited themselves.

Perhaps some of the most serious and permanent injuries from last Saturday's hunting accident have been sustained by the libs in the media.