"There's a distinction..."

QUESTION: The President has been very critical of leakers on a number of subjects throughout his time. And if this information is true, that the President authorized the dissemination of this information, does he feel that it's appropriate for him to unilaterally -- and I know he has the legal authority to declassify information -- but it, to some people, gives an appearance that he may not have followed all of the procedures -- by letting other Cabinet members know, by letting the CIA Director know, things like that.

Scott McClellan: -- The President has been critical about the leaking of classified information. And that view has not changed. Leaking classified information that could compromise our nation's security is a very serious matter. The President would never authorize disclosure of information that could compromise our nation's security.

…Now the disclosing, the unauthorized disclosure of classified information relating to a program like the terrorist surveillance program is harmful to our nation's security. It provides the enemy our play book, and the enemy can adapt and adjust when they learn about our tactics. And General Hayden has talked about how that is harmful to our nation's security. Others in the administration have talked about how that has been harmful to our nation's security. So there's a distinction --QUESTION: So you're specifically saying no harm done --Scott McClellan: -- there's a distinction between declassifying information that is in the public interest and the unauthorized disclosure of classified information that could compromise our nation's security.”

These are really questions & answers. Here’s what happens when we shoot everyone up with sodium pentothal.

QUESTION: The President has speechified several times about how evil leaking is, calling it things like “despicable”. Doesn’t this latest revelation suggest that the President is a cynical manipulator who is willing to lie and leak information secretly in order to discredit his opposition without having to be accountable to the American people while holding as classified anything that might make the administration look bad?

Scott McClellan: -- you seem to be a little mixed up on your definitions. You have to remember…you’re either with us, or you’re against us. If the information is something we don’t want people to know, like the fact that we’re torturing people, or that the NSA is spying on you, or that Karl Rove is having people assassinated…then that that’s a leak. It’s a shameful thing that gives comfort to our enemies at home & abroad. Enemies like the Democrats & the New York Times. When it’s something that we can use to make people look bad, or bolster our case without having to reveal the parts of the intelligence that suggest we’re full of shit, or maybe get a nice spike in the polls, when it’s something we want to be able to cherry pick the presentation of, we release it privately to a journalist so that no one will know it came from us…that’s a declassification in the interests of national security. The President is against leaks, he opposes unauthorized leaks in the strongest possible terms. He’s for declassification when it serves the public interest (like making the administration look good). See?