Monday, July 26, 2004

Contacting Scott McClellan

Okay guys, this seems weird to me. Check out the White House press briefings website here. Notice the little sidebar titled "Ask Scott McClellan", with questions that various people seem to have asked Scott McClellan? It seems like these are emails from people who have visited the site. Here's the weird part -- I can't find a link anywhere to ask Scott McClellan a question. So, is it that I'm too stupid to figure out how to ask Scott McClellan a question? Maybe the question-asking button was removed from the site for reasons related to national security. Or maybe there IS no button, and these questions are made up or something -- which would make the earliest-dated entry very, umm, wacked:

May 21, 2004 | 2:24 p.m.(EDT)

Q: Johannes from Jena, Germany:
Hello! I'm a german Student from Jena, and this semester I'm taking part on a seminar about media in the USA. We read there a newspaper-article about press conferences in the White House. Is it true that the press conferences are planned in advance, so a journalist is only allowed to ask the questions he submited to the White House earlier before the press conference?

Many Thanks in advance and greetings from Germany!

A:White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan:
My job would certainly be much easier if only it were true. I can categorically say it has no basis in fact, but it was one of the more amusing conspiracy theories I have seen during my time at the White House. The White House press corps is represented by a bunch of professional journalists who are working hard to keep the American people informed about the decisions we make here in Washington. Part of their job is to ask the tough questions, but I can never foresee a day when they would ever submit those to us in advance.

Anyways, if you guys can figure out how to ask Scott McClellan a question, let me know. This does have to do with my plan. For more details, you'll just have to wait.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You have to post a question in advance. This is the website you have to go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/ask/. They tell you who you can ask questions to and you are able to submit questions. You might not have been able to ask Mcclellan, but the Deputy Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary Brian Montgomery is up now.
~Kristin