Jay Carney: I have not seen the ad, if you ask me tomorrow, I'll assess it, I won't assess it, I'll be evasive

White House Press briefing - August 7, 2012 - CNN White House correspondent, Brianna Keilar, asks WH Press Secretary Jay Carney about a newly released attack ad that blames Mitt Romney for the death of a woman who had succumbed to an illness. The ad is low and despicable; it is also based on outright and deliberate lies.

Carney: I have not seen the ad... I can't comment on that when I haven't seen it.

Keilar: Will you look at it and then let me know?

Carney: By all means, ask me tomorrow. I said, I'm simply saying that I have not seen this, so how could I possibly assess it without seeing it?

Keilar: But you can -- will you assess it later?

Carney: If you ask me tomorrow, sure.

CNN White House correspondent, Brianna Keilar, appearing on CNN [August 7, 2012] after the press briefing, had this to say:

I followed up with Carney after the briefing and he told me that he may look at the ad, but if I ask about it, "my assessment will be 'I have no assessment'." This is kind of a case of a Super PAC being able to do the dirty work and the campaign and the candidate, and in this case the White House, trying to keep its hands clean.

White House Press briefing - August 8, 2012:

Q: Jay, I wanted to follow up on a question from the briefing yesterday. You said you’d get back to us [today] on your assessment of the ad and whether it was appropriate.

Jay Carney: Well, I’ll simply say that I haven’t seen the ad but I have read about it... I still haven’t seen the ad. I’ve read about it.

REWIND and REVIEW - August 7, 2012:

Keilar: Will you assess it later?

Carney: If you ask me tomorrow, sure.

Brianna Keilar, appearing on CNN [August 7, 2012] after the press briefing:

"I followed up with Carney after the briefing and he told me that he may look at the ad, but if I ask about it, "my assessment will be 'I have no assessment'." This is kind of a case of a Super PAC being able to do the dirty work and the campaign and the candidate, and in this case the White House, trying to keep its hands clean."

White House Press briefing - August 8, 2012:

Q: Jay, I wanted to follow up on a question from the briefing yesterday. You said you’d get back to us [today] on your assessment of the ad and whether it was appropriate.

Jay Carney: Well, I’ll simply say that I haven’t seen the ad but I have read about it... I still haven’t seen the ad. I’ve read about it.