Obama spokesman gets off to a rocky start

Joseph Curl of the Washington Times reports:

The White House press operation got off to a fumbling and stumbling start Thursday, with the day’s opening briefers insisting on being identified only as “senior administration officials,” followed swiftly by the new president’s spokesman accidently outing one of the secret aides less than two minutes into his first White House briefing. . . .

“Do you know,” the reporter followed, “that you’ve used … one of those senior officials’ first names several times in this briefing?” A very long pause ensued.

“I do,” the spokesman said, his cornflower-colored tie suddenly looking a bit too tight. “Are we allowed to repeat that name?” Mr. Gibbs answered by citing as precedent of Brazilian soccer stars being known only by a single name – sure to one day be a classic White House non-answer.

Then it got uglier.

Ouch.

(Hat tip: JB)