Matthews: ?Did you see FOX television as a tool when you were in the White House? As a useful avenue to get your message out??
McClellan: I make a distinction between the journalists and between the commentators. Certainly there were commentators and others, pundits at FOX News, that were helpful to the White House.?
Matthews: Did you use them in certain state...
McClellan: Yes, certainly, we got talking points to their people...
Matthews: Did people say, "Call Sean, call Bill, call whoever, did you do that as a regular thing?"
McClellan: Certainly. It wasn't something necessarily I was doing, but it was something we at the White House, yes, were doing, getting them talkng points and making sure they knew where we were coming from.
Matthews: So you were giving them talking points ...
McClellan: But I would separate the journalists...
No, no... This is important. So you were using these commentators as your spokespeople.?
McClellan: Well, certainly, certainly. I think this happens to both ways. When people go on other networks, as well, that are favorable toward Democrats, and so forth,
Matthews: Nobody ever fed me crap like that so I don't know what you're talking about.
McClellan: Well, you're an independent minded guy so...
Matthews: Thank you, but aren't you a little embarrassed by the fact that your Whitehouse used a television network which is purportedly "fair and balanced" as your mouthpiece?
McClellan: Well, I think everybody in this town uses people that are going to be helpful to their cause to try to shape the narrative to their advantage, but..
Matthews: But a whole network?
McClellan: Again, I would separate the journalists because the journalists because I worked with were people just like the rest of the Whitehouse press corps who report the news...
Matthews: So you wouldn't use somebody like Britt Hume as somebody to sell stuff for 'em, but you'd use the night time guys?
McClellan: Yeah. I would. I would separate that out, and certainly, and they'll say it's because they agree with those views in the Whitehouse.
Matthews: Well they didn't need a script, though, for 'em, did they?
McClellan: Well, probably not.