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No longer operative.

From this morning’s <$NoAd$> gaggle …

Question: Do you want to retract your statement that Rove — Karl Rove was not involved in the Valerie Plame expose? — involved?

McClellan: This is — no, I appreciate the question. This is an ongoing investigation at this point. The President directed the White House to cooperate fully with the investigation, and as part of cooperating fully with the investigation, that means we’re not going to be commenting on it while it is ongoing.

Question: But Rove has apparently commented, through his lawyer, that he was definitely involved.

McClellan: You’re asking me to comment on an ongoing investigation.

Question: I’m saying, why did you stand there and say he was not involved?

McClellan: Again, while there is an ongoing investigation, I’m not going to be commenting on it, nor is —

McClellanN: — any remorse?

McClellan: — nor is the White House, because the President wanted us to cooperate fully with the investigation, and that’s what we’re doing.

Question: That’s not an answer.

Question: It’s not an answer. And you were perfectly willing to comment from that podium while the investigation was going on, and try to clear Karl Rove. Why the double standard? Why were you willing to say Karl Rove was not involved when — and talk at length about it, when the investigation was going on, and now that he’s been caught red-handed, all of a sudden you’ve got a new line?

McClellan: No, I don’t think it is the way you characterize it, as new, because I have said for quite some time that this is an ongoing investigation, and we’re not going to get into discussing it while it’s an ongoing investigation. I’ve really said all I’m going to say on it.

Question: But you did — you did discuss it while it was an ongoing investigation. You stood there and told the American people Karl Rove wasn’t involved.

McClellan: I’ve said all I’m going to say on it. Go ahead, April.

If you’d like to discuss, join us here.

Late Update: This too …

Question: Scott, is the President aware of Karl Rove’s role in leaking information about Joe Wilson’s wife?

Mr. McClellan: Again, this is a Question relating to an ongoing investigation, and you have my response.

Question: Scott, without commenting on the investigation, you said in September of ’03, if anyone in this administration was involved in it, they would no longer be in this administration. Does that standard still hold?

Mr. McClellan: Again, I appreciate all these questions. They are questions relating to an ongoing investigation, and the President directed us to cooperate fully with that investigation. No one wants to get to the bottom of it more than he does and —

Question: — the standard then still apply?

Mr. McClellan: The investigation is ongoing, Peter, and we’re just not going to — we’re not going to —

Question: Did the President set a timetable —

Question: It’s not about the investigation, it’s about the White House decision —

Mr. McClellan: We’re not going to talk about it further from this podium.

More soon …

(ed.note: There’s often a bit of confusion about this. So let me again clarify. The above is not the on-air late-morning early-afternoon press briefing. The ‘gaggle’ is the early morning briefing. It’s on the record. But it’s not televised and the official transcript is not released to the public. I hear today’s early afternoon press briefing was even worse than this above.)

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