Q: Do you stand by your statement from the fall of 2003, when you were
asked specifically about Karl and Elliot Abrams and Scooter Libby, and you said,
"I've gone to each of those gentlemen, and they have told me they are not
involved in this"?

MCCLELLAN: And if you will recall, I said that, as part of helping the
investigators move forward on the investigation, we're not going to get into
commenting on it. That was something I stated back near that time as well.

Q: Scott, this is ridiculous. The notion that you're going to stand before
us, after having commented with that level of detail, and tell people watching
this that somehow you've decided not to talk. You've got a public record out
there. Do you stand by your remarks from that podium or not?

MCCLELLAN: I'm well aware, like you, of what was previously said. And I
will be glad to talk about it at the appropriate time. The appropriate time is
when the investigation...

Q: (inaudible) when it's appropriate and when it's inappropriate?

MCCLELLAN: If you'll let me finish.

Q: No, you're not finishing. You're not saying anything. You stood at that
podium and said that Karl Rove was not involved. And now we find out that he
spoke about Joseph Wilson's wife. So don't you owe the American public a fuller
explanation. Was he involved or was he not? Because contrary to what you told
the American people, he did indeed talk about his wife, didn't he?

MCCLELLAN: There will be a time to talk about this, but now is not the time
to talk about it.

Q: Do you think people will accept that, what you're saying today?

MCCLELLAN: Again, I've responded to the question.

QUESTION: You're in a bad spot here, Scott... because after the
investigation began -- after the criminal investigation was under way -- you
said, October 10th, 2003, "I spoke with those individuals, Rove, Abrams and
Libby. As I pointed out, those individuals assured me they were not involved in
this," from that podium. That's after the criminal investigation began.Now that
Rove has essentially been caught red-handed peddling this information, all of a
sudden you have respect for the sanctity of the criminal investigation?

MCCLELLAN: No, that's not a correct characterization. And I think you are
well aware of that.....And we want to be helpful so that they can get to the
bottom of this. Because no one wants to get to the bottom of it more than the
president of the United States.I am well aware of what was said previously. I
remember well what was said previously. And at some point I look forward to
talking about it. But until the investigation is complete, I'm just not going to
do that.

Q: So you're now saying that after you cleared Rove and the others from
that podium, then the prosecutors asked you not to speak anymore and since then
you haven't.

MCCLELLAN: Again, you're continuing to ask questions relating to an ongoing
criminal investigation and I'm just not going to respond to them.

Q: When did they ask you to stop commenting on it, Scott? Can you pin down
a date?

MCCLELLAN: Back in that time period.

Q: Well, then the president commented on it nine months later. So was he
not following the White House plan?

MCCLELLAN: I appreciate your questions. You can keep asking them, but you
have my response.

Q: Well, we are going to keep asking them. When did the president learn
that Karl Rove had had a conversation with a news reporter about the involvement
of Joseph Wilson's wife in the decision to send him to Africa?

MCCLELLAN: I've responded to the questions.

Q: When did the president learn that Karl Rove had been...

MCCLELLAN: I've responded to your questions.