Laddie. Don't you think you should... rephrase that?
Poor Scotty McC

What with all the Washington press corps taking journalistic steroids and the swirling secrets and lies surrounding PlameGate and Iraq War intelligence, Scotty McC (aka, White House press secretary Scott McClellan) has been having to work overtime to dodge and parry the avalanche of probing questions. Dan Froomkin at the WaPo has some details from yesterday's contentious press gaggle:

Press secretary Scott McClellan was questioned repeatedly and persistently about what sort of exemption the White House is requesting from a proposed congressional ban on torture.

He wouldn't say. And when the journalists in the room wouldn't back off, he lost his cool.

When Hearst columnist Helen Thomas kept interrupting McClellan's talking points and demanding a "straight answer" about the exemption, McClellan shot back: "You don't want the American people to hear what the facts are, Helen, and I'm going to tell them the facts."

After NBC's David Gregory jumped in -- again, asking McClellan to explain why the White House feels an exemption is necessary -- McClellan accused his interlocutors of being, essentially, anti-American.

"Well, obviously, you have a different view from the American people," McClellan said. "I think the American people understand the importance of doing everything within our power and within our laws to protect the American people."
[...]
Later, when American Urban Radio reporter April Ryan took up the question again, McClellan accused her of "showboating for the cameras" and told her she needed to "calm down."

Surprisingly, there's no outcry in today's coverage over McClellan's tactics. But it does make you wonder how much longer he can trade on his accumulated good will with the press corps.

ThinkProgress also has this note on an attempt at quick revisionist history:

There is a brewing controversy about what exactly was said at the White House press conference on October 31. Everyone agrees NBC’s David Gregory said this:

Q Whether there’s a question of legality, we know for a fact that there was involvement. We know that Karl Rove, based on what he and his lawyer have said, did have a conversation about somebody who Patrick Fitzgerald said was a covert officer of the Central Intelligence Agency. We know that Scooter Libby also had conversations.

Congressional Quarterly and FNS both transcribed Press Secretary Scott McClellan’s answer as “That’s accurate.” The White House transcript lists McClellan’s answer as “I don’t think that’s accurate.”

If you listened to the clip, it’s clear McClellan says “that’s accurate.” Nevertheless, the White House is trying to get CQ and FNS to change their transcripts. They’ve refused.

Be sure to check out the ThinkProgress post, which features the exchange in streaming QuickTime for all to see and determine the accuracy.

[ed. note - the headline is a Star Trek Scotty quote from The Trouble with Tribbles episode--see more here]