Now I can watch more DVDs

I've been really bad about watching the news lately, which has led to being embarrassingly behind the times in some conversations. ("What? Katie Holmes gave birth?!") But when I heard that Scott McClellan was resigning as White House press secretary, a little part of me cried inside. Why? Because when I did watch the news, one of my favorite semi-regular features was the steel cage match battles between McClellan and NBC White House correspondent David Gregory.

McClellan would sling some pat, talking point bull$#!+ from the podium, and Gregory would call him out on it. Serve, volley, point. Like McEnroe and Connors, really. And occasionally with name-calling.

"“David, hold on… the cameras aren't on right now,'' McClellan replied. "You can do this later.''

"Don't accuse me of trying to pose to the cameras,'' the newsman said, his voice rising somewhat. "Don’t be a jerk to me personally when I’m asking you a serious question.''

"You don't have to yell,'' McClellan said.

"I will yell,'' said Gregory, pointing a finger at McCellan at his dais. "If you want to use that podium to try to take shots at me personally, which I don’t appreciate, then I will raise my voice, because that’s wrong.’’

Gregory later apologized for that. Bad form, my good man. Or good sport. Whatever.

No matter how bad the day, I could feel good after watching those two going at it. It reminds me of the days when Young Ian ran home from school to watch Godzilla take on the monster opponent of the week.

Actually, Ari Fleischer was much more hateable as a press secretary than McClellan. It's too bad Gregory and the rest of the White House press corps didn't find their huevos while Fleischer was still snidely lecturing from that podium.