From Ken Bazinet, NY Daily News White House correspondent who's also now a blogger (okay, that so sounded liked Jeff Gannon). The kicker is Ken's final point, at the end:
MEXICAN HAT DANCE: SAME STEPS, DIFFERENT HOOFER
One day after President Bush returned from his news-free foray through Latin America, the game of Gonzo dodgeball is well underway at the White House. Mouthpiece Tony Snow looked like a well-worn prizefighter after spending much of the White House press briefing dodging questions about the fate of Gonzo (The Mouth’s friendly nickname for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales) and whether Team Bush will comply with congressional subpoenas. Here’s a taste:
Q: The Judiciary Committee today approved subpoenas -- authorized subpoenas for five Justice Department officials as they look into the prosecutors case. What's the administration's reaction?
SNOW: Well, I refer you to the Department of Justice on that. I know that they've had some conversations, but I'll refer you to DOJ on that.
Q: Why would that be? Why wouldn't the White House--
SNOW: Because it's subpoenas for the DOJ, and the Department of Justice will respond. The Department of Justice has also had ongoing conversations with people on Capitol Hill. I don't want to be their fact witness on this one, but, again, I suggest you give their office a call.
So why the full court press by the press corps? Because we’ve heard this before:
SNOW: The President has confidence in the Attorney General.
Q: He had confidence in Rumsfeld, too.
And that’s what to keep in mind: the lexicon tapped by White House spokesmen often doesn’t really tell us what the definition of is is.
