Fox News Uses White House-Submitted "Talking Points": McClellan

As if we needed confirmation (but it's always nice to get it), Friday night on MSNBC's Hardball, former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan gave us the confirmation we've expected:

McClellan: Certainly there were commentators and other, pundits at FOX News, that were helpful to the White House, and certainly we got talking points to those people.

Chris Matthews: So people would say "Call Sean, Call Bill, call whoever," did you do that as a regular thing?

McClellan: It wasn't necessarily something I was doing, but it was something that we at the White House, yes, were doing, getting them talking points, and making sure they knew where we were coming from.

Matthews: Now this is important: you were using these commentators as your spokespeople.

McClellan: Well certainly, I think that happens both ways, when people go on other networks as well that are favorable to the Democrats.

Matthews: No one's ever fed me any crap like that, so I don't know what you're talking about.

McClellan: Well, you're an independent-minded guy.

Matthews: I, I, thank you. But aren't you a little embarrassed byt the fact that your White House used a television network which is purportedly "fair and balanced" as your mouthpiece.

McClellan: I think everybody in this town uses people that are gonna be helpful to their cause to try to shape the narrative to their advantage.

Matthews: But a whole network?

McClellan: Again, I would separate the journalists.

Matthews: So, you wouldn’t use Brit Hume to sell stuff for them, but you’d use some of the nighttime guys?

McClellan: Yeah, I would separate that out, and certainly I, you know, they’ll say, that’s because they agree with those views in the White House.

Matthews: Well, they didn’t need a script though, did they?

McClellan: Well, probably not.

Keith Olbermann, who was commenting on the exchange on his own show, continued.

Fox has always maintained, with more or less a straight face, that it was striving for some sort of journalistic objectivity. Over the phone tonight, Scott McClellan told us it was done frequently, especially on high-profile issues, and Countdown asked if Fox ever gave the White House it's desired results; Scott said yes.

We asked the White House about McClellan's statements on Hardball; current Press Secretary Dana Perino said "I'm not aware of that," and declined to comment further.

Watch the video, shown Friday, July 25th on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann.