Scott McClellan/Plame hearing: liveblog, Part One

By GottaLaff

UPDATE: The hearings will re-air at 8 pm Eastern.

I'll be constantly updating. Right now the members are taking a break to go to the floor on the FISA matter. Here are some excerpts, paraphrased, with some direct quotes.

Way to start of in a rational, bipartisan way, Lamar:

Lamar Smith's point: This is nothing more than a Book of the Month hearing. Next time maybe they can feature one of Ann Coulter's books. Scott had a biased editor and did it for the money. An objection was made by Scott's lawyer, but it was out of order.

The meeting opened with a statement by John Conyers saying, ironically, that Scotty suggests we all work on restoring civility and candor in our nation's discourse, and "this Committee is superb in working in that spirit", we share those goals. Jerry Nadler later apologized to Scotty for Smith's "character assassination".

Conyers went on to say Congress must be a check and balance on the President, and his release of classified information. He said the actions of the administration may constitute obstruction of justice, charges that shouldn't be taken lightly. He showed an image of Dick Cheney's handwritten notes, the ones we're all now familiar with.

Scotty opened with everything you've heard him say in interviews: Government should be about transparency, not spin and manipulated messages, that he's been a victim of the "gotcha" mentality since his book came out.

Conyers asked if Bush and Cheney asked him to vouch for Libby's not being involved in the Plame leak. Scotty said Andy Card saidBush and Cheney wanted him to vouch for Libby, and provide the same assurances for Libby as for Rove. Scotty asked Libby, and he told him point blank he was not involved.

Conyers: Did the President and Vice President know about the leak or about Libby's involvement?

Scotty: Bush: no. Cheney, I don't know. There's a "cloud over his office" because Libby put it there by lying.

Scotty told Jerry Nadler that the administration misled and misrepresented to America the case for war, to make the strong case for war, but not to intentionally mislead. He didn't know if Libby's commutation was to withhold information.

Interesting sidebar, not completely off topic, new lows for Bush: According to a new American Research Group poll, just 25% of Americans approve of the way President Bush is handling his job and 71% disapprove. When it comes to Bush's handling of the economy, 23% approve and 73% disapprove.

Bush's overall job approval has dropped from 28% in May as Republicans and independents are less apt to say they approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president. Among Republicans, just 61% approve of the way Bush is handling his job, down from 70% in May.