Finally, a use for my journalism education

David Gregory isn’t the only member of the White House press corps to get under the skin of Press Secretary Scott McLellan. As a citizen journalist, I used my credentials as dynamo lunchtime blogger to get a seat this week in the briefing room.

Here’s the actual transcript of my questions and McLellan’s answers. Really, it’s the actual transcript.

Me: Angie Tee from Blogdiggidy

McLellan: Blog-what? Never mind. What’s your question.

Me: I just wanted to shoot a couple of questions your way.

McLellan: I gather as much.

Me: I’ll just fire away then.

McLellan: Funny. WHAT IS YOUR QUESTION!

Me: Calm down. Let’s not make this about you, Scott. You’re trying to make this about you, aren’t you? Well it’s not about you.

McLellan: (to no one in particular) Who let her in here?

Me: Alright. (ahem) Question numero uno. Vice President Cheney’s gun wasn’t the only thing that was loaded on Saturday, am I right or am I right?

McLellan: The Vice President has said he only had one beer at lunch. He was not intoxicated.

Me: Yeah, but how big was the beer? (laughter in the room) Is the Vice President drunk now?

McLellan: Are you finished?

Me: Hardly. Last month the Pew Center for Research reported in a poll that the Vice President’s approval rating had significantly dropped among alcoholic bird hunters who had shot a friend at one time or another. Was the Whittington shooting, or excuse me peppering really a way to shore up support among this key Republican constituency?

McLellan: I don’t have time for this.

Me: Scott, focus. Last question. Should America be worried about copycat pepperings?

McLellan: (shouting) Security!

So anyway, at that point I was bounced from briefing. And I have to say it’s amazing how one can fly from Chicago to DC and back during the work day with no one noticing.