Obvious question to ask McClellan or Bush about the Blair Memo

[BurtWorm]

Are you denying flat out that the Bush administration had every intention of going to war against Iraq as early as July 2002 and was going to fix the intelligence to ensure that war happened? Are you claiming that the Bush administration was holding off the decision to go to war until they were certain there was no other option?

According to the is story on the memo in the NY Times today, they do seem to be pretending the Brits drew the wrong conclusion.

Why aren't journalists asking Scottie this question and squeezing him until a definitive answer oozes out?


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/20/politics/20weapons.html?pagewanted=print

The British government has not disputed the authenticity of the British memorandum, written by Matthew Rycroft, a top foreign policy aide to Mr. Blair. A spokesman for Mr. Blair has said that the memorandum does not add significantly to previous accounts of decision making before the war.

The White House spokesman, Scott McClellan, told reporters on Tuesday that the White House saw "no need" to respond to the Democratic letter. Current and former Bush administration officials have sought to minimize the significance of the memorandum, saying it is based on circumstantial observations and does not purport to be an authoritative account of American decision making.

[Poiuyt]

1. WH reporters could really put McClellan on the hot seat

if they wanted to.

[BurtWorm]

2. They tend to get exercised only when it's between Big Media and the WH.

Then they get all defensive and ornery about Big Media.