Editor and Publisher notes how Scotty McClennan is now denying that he ever suggested that the Newsweek article caused death in Afghanistan:
At a White House press briefing Monday, Press Secretary Scott McClellan, pressed by reporters and with Afghan President Karzai in disagreement, retreated on claims that Newsweek’s retracted story on Koran abuse cost lives in Afghanistan.
He also claimed that he had never said it did, even though a check of transcripts disputes that. On May 16, for example, he said, “people have lost their lives.” On May 17, he said, “People did lose their lives,” and, “People lost their lives” due to the Newsweek report.
So let’s sum up. The White House lies about the Newsweek Koran story (contradicting the Pentagon), and then lies about the lies it told.
Imagine my surprise.