- Scott McClellan seems intent on saying that a dental
exam the president had at Dannelly Alabama Air National Guard base in January
1973 proves he fulfilled his Guard duty that year in Alabama.
-
- That, of course, and the ambiguous pay stubs -- a number
of which seem to show he was in Texas.
-
- This is, of course, all in addition to the fact that
the president has gone back on his promise to just make this whole thing
easy and release all his military service records -- something he, through
his aides, now refuses to do.
-
- But look at this testy exchange [Friday] morning about
whether the president was required to perform community service during
the time he was in the Guard ...
-
- ------------------
-
- Q: Did the President ever have to take time off from
Guard duty to do community service?
-
- Scott McClellan: To do community service? I haven't looked
into everything he did 30 years ago, Helen. Obviously, there is different
community service he has performed in the past, including going back to
that time period --
-
- Q: Can you find out if he actually had --
-
- Scott McClellan: Helen, I don't think we remember every
single activity he was involved in 30 years ago.
-
- Q: No, this isn't an activity. Was he forced to do community
service at any time while he was on --
-
- Scott McClellan: What's your interest in that question?
I'm sorry, I just --
-
- Q: Lots of rumors. I'm just trying to clear up something.
-
- Scott McClellan: Rumors about what?
-
- Q: Pardon?
-
- Scott McClellan: Rumors about what?
-
- Q: About the President having to do community service
while he was in the National Guard, take time out for that.
-
- Scott McClellan: I'm not aware of those rumors. But if
you want to --
-
- Q: Could you look it up? Would you mind asking him?
-
- Scott McClellan: That's why I'm asking what's your interest
in that? I just don't understand your interest in that.
-
- Q: It's what everybody is interested in, whether we're
getting the true story on his Guard duty.
-
- Scott McClellan: Well, you have the documents that show
the facts.
-
- Q: I'm asking you to try to find out from the President
of the United States.
-
- Scott McClellan: Like I said, it's well known the different
jobs he had and what he was doing previously, that we know. That goes back
to --
-
- Q: I didn't say "previously." I said, while
he was on Guard duty.
-
- Scott McClellan: But you're asking me about 30 years
ago. I don't think there's a recollection of everything he was doing 30
years ago.
-
- Q: Well, he would know if he had to take time out.
-
- Scott McClellan: Again, I mean, the issue that was raised
was whether or not the President was serving while he was in Alabama. Documents
reflect that he was --
-
- Q: Well, this is another issue.
-
- Scott McClellan: -- hold on -- that he was serving in
Alabama. That was the issue that was raised. We went through, four years
ago, other issues related to this.
-
- Q: So you won't answer the question or you won't try
to find out?
-
- Scott McClellan: Well, I'm asking you, what's your interest
in that question? I'm just curious, because rumors --
-
- Q: Did he have to do any community service while he was
in the National Guard?
-
- Scott McClellan: Look, Helen, I think the issue here
was whether or not the President served in Alabama. Records have documented
--
-
- Q: I'm asking you a different question. That's permissible.
-
- Scott McClellan: Can I answer your question? Sure it
is. Can I ask you why you're asking it? I'm just -- out of curiosity myself,
is that permissible?
-
- Q: Well, I'm interested, of course, in what everybody
is interested in. And we have a very --
-
- Scott McClellan: Let me just point out that we've released
all the information we have related to this issue, the issue of whether
or not he served while in Alabama. Records have documented as false the
outrageous --
-
- Q: I asked you whether he had to do any community service
while he was in the National Guard.
-
- Scott McClellan: Can I walk through this?
-
- Q: It's a very legitimate question.
-
- Scott McClellan: And I want to back up and walk through
this a little bit. Let's talk about the issue that came up, because this
issue came up four years ago, it came up four years before that -- or two
years before that, it came up four years before that --
-
- Q: Did my question come up four years ago, and was it
handled?
-
- Scott McClellan: Helen, if you'll let me finish, I want
to back up and talk about this --
-
- Q: Don't dance around, just give us --
-
- Q: It's a straightforward question.
-
- Q: Let's not put too fine a point on it. If I'm not mistaken,
you're implying that he had to do community service for criminal action,
as a punishment for some crime?
-
- Q: There are rumors around, and I didn't put it in that
way. I just --
-
- Q: Could you take that question? I guess apparently that's
the question, that he had to take time out to perform community service
--
-
- Scott McClellan: That's why I wanted to get to this because
--
-
- Q: -- as a sentence for a crime.
-
- Scott McClellan: No, that's why I wanted to get to this
because I want to step back for a second. I want to go back through a few
things. Look, the -- I think we've really exhausted the issue that came
up. The issue that came up was related to whether or not he had served
while he was in Alabama. Records have documented as false the outrageous,
baseless accusation that he did not serve while in Alabama. The conspiracy
theory of one individual, that the National Guard cleansed documents, has
been discredited.
-
- Q: How so?
-
- Scott McClellan: Read The Boston Globe today.
-
- Q: Well, we want answers from you, not --
-
- Scott McClellan: Read the Boston Globe. No, the answers
are from the people that would have knowledge of that. But read --
-
- Q: Why do you think this person made those allegations?
-
- Scott McClellan: Hang on, hang on.
-
- Q: What? Just read The Boston Globe --
-
- Scott McClellan: Just read The Boston Globe. Read The
Boston Globe. I would draw your attention to that. What I think we're seeing
now is just politics. And we're not going to engage in it, because there
are great challenges facing our nation, and there should be an honest discussion
of the actions the President is taking to make our world safer and better
and make America more prosperous and secure.
-
- You want me to go --
-
- Q: -- the personal record of a President is --
-
- Scott McClellan: No, hang on, Helen, hang on. I've said
from this podium, if we have new information that comes to our attention
that relates to this issue, we have made it clear we will share that information.
You're asking me to go and chase rumors. There was a conspiracy theory
--
-
- Q: I think --
-
- Scott McClellan: Hold on, hold on, Helen. There was a
conspiracy theory made by one individual, when everybody he accused of
being involved in that said, it's ridiculous, didn't happen.
-
- Q: This is not based on a conspiracy theory.
-
- Scott McClellan: And there was a lot of attention given
to this individual, and he's been discredited. There's a Boston Globe article
on it this morning. And there are some --
-
- Q: That says what? Your point --
-
- Scott McClellan: You can go read it. I mean, we've got
other things to move on to. I mean, you can go read it. But there are some,
unfortunately, who simply are not interested in the facts. Again, the documents
-- the records document that he did serve while in Alabama. And now there
are people that are bringing up issues that were addressed four years ago.
-
- Q: But you still haven't answered Helen's question. She
asked you a simple question.
-
- Scott McClellan: There are people that want to replay
the 2000 campaign all over again, Bill, and --
-
- Q: You still haven't answered her question about community
service.
-
- Scott McClellan: -- there are too many important -- there
are too many important policies and decisions that are being made that
we need to discuss.
-
- Q: Why does a "yes" or "no" elude
you on this?
-
- Scott McClellan: I didn't say that. I said that these
were all issues addressed four years ago. If there's additional information
--
-
- Q: This issue quite obviously wasn't addressed four years
ago.
-
- Scott McClellan: Oh, issues -- these issues were addressed
four years ago.
-
- Q: This issue was? The community service issue was addressed
four years ago?
-
- Scott McClellan: The issues -- the issues that we're
going to here --
-
- Q: I don't recall --
-
- Scott McClellan: This is called chasing a rumor. And
I'm not going to engage in this kind of politics, Bill.
-
- Q: -- finding out whether a rumor is true or false.
-
- Scott McClellan: No, this issue, absolutely --
-
- Q: Why can't you say whether or not he performed community
service?
-
- Scott McClellan: Absolutely, this issue came up four
years ago. And if you all want to play politics, then go call the RNC,
call the campaign.
-
- Q: The best defense is offense. We know that. Just, all
you've got to say is you don't know.
-
- Scott McClellan: Helen, it was -- this issue was addressed
four years ago. I think people that were involved in the campaign will
know --
-
- Q: -- if they know --
-
- Scott McClellan: -- that the issue that you're trying
to bring up was addressed four years ago. It's about chasing rumors.
-
- Q: It isn't a question of four years ago. The issue has
come up now, very large.
-
- Scott McClellan: I'm not going to get into chasing rumors.
-
- Q: Headlines.
-
- Scott McClellan: I'm not going to get into chasing rumors.
-
- Q: So you refuse to answer the question?
-
- Scott McClellan: You're saying that people said he was
forced to do something, and you're asking me to chase a rumor.
-
- Q: Everything is politics today, of course.
-
- Q: She asked you a "yes" or "no"
question.
-
- Scott McClellan: Look, if you all want to -- this is
just politics. That's what this is. And if there's any more information
I have to share with you all, I will always -- I will do that.
-
- Q: Scott, I have a question of this individual, and I
confess, I haven't read the Boston article. But who -- what do you believe
was this person's motivation, that if they have been discredited, for making
these allegations?
-
- Scott McClellan: Just -- I would read The Boston Globe.
Everybody that he accused of being involved in this has said it was totally
ridiculous. And there are others that --
-
- Q: So are you saying -- was it politically motivated?
-
- Scott McClellan: There are others that are quoted in
The Boston Globe today, that you might want to see what they said.
-
- Q: Speaking of politics, has the President authorized
his campaign --
-
- Scott McClellan: And we've got to --
-
- Q: -- to release a video attacking Senator Kerry?
-
- Scott McClellan: You need to talk -- you need to talk
to the campaign. But let me go to the week ahead because we've used up
more than 15 minutes.
-
- Q: So the President did authorize --
-
- Q: Scott, I've got --
-
- Scott McClellan: I'm going to go to the week ahead.
-
- ------------------
-
- Houston, do we have a problem?
-
- - Originally published on February 13, 2004.
-
- http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2004_02_08.html#002555
|