More live comedy from the Funnybone White House Press Gaggle

Jon Stewart would have been envious.

At yesterday's press gaggle, Scotty McClellan was attempting to dish out his normal daily dose of spin, but damned if certain reporters didn't want to talk about something else. The questions to which I refer were posed by Helen Thomas. Helen's been around the White House briefing scene longer than anyone else there, and she's been a pain in the backside to every president of either party since Ike was in office. That's President Eisenhower. (Yes, she's been around that long, and she already has a long history of butting heads with McClellan.)

Apparently, earlier this week, the administration put out a patently ridiculous statement saying that the United States was, "in Afghanistan and Iraq by invitation." While McClellan was valiantly trying to talk about Bush's schedule for the day and his upcoming European travels, dear old Helen was having none of it. She wasn't going to let a piece of low hanging fruit like that go unharvested. The ensuing dialogue was priceless. (All emphasis mine.)

MR. McCLELLAN: That's all I have to update at this moment. And with that, I'll be glad to go to your questions.

Q The other day -- in fact, this week, you said that we, the United States, is in Afghanistan and Iraq by invitation. Would you like to correct that incredible distortion of American history --

MR. McCLELLAN: No, we are -- that's where we currently --

Q -- in view of your credibility is already mired? How can you say that?

MR. McCLELLAN: Helen, I think everyone in this room knows that you're taking that comment out of context. There are two democratically-elected governments in Iraq and --

Q We're we invited into Iraq?

MR. McCLELLAN: There are two democratically-elected governments now in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we are there at their invitation. They are sovereign governments, and we are there today --

Q You mean if they had asked us out, that we would have left?

MR. McCLELLAN: No, Helen, I'm talking about today. We are there at their invitation. They are sovereign governments --

Q I'm talking about today, too.

MR. McCLELLAN: -- and we are doing all we can to train and equip their security forces so that they can provide for their own security as they move forward on a free and democratic future.

Q Did we invade those countries?

MR. McCLELLAN: Go ahead, Steve.

It's just a shame we don't get the video of these things archived every day. Generally, when Helen raises her hand, McClellan's face immediately begins to turn red, his blood pressure shoots up 32 points, and he begins stammering. Nobody else can leave Scotty stammering like a toddler caught with his hand in the cookie jar like Helen Thomas.