Ok, to recap: A former National Security Advisor and current aide to the Democratic presidential nominee-in-waiting is accused of stuffing secret documents into his pants and socks and hiding them from 9/11 investigators.

So, naturally, it leads to this line of questioning during today's press gaggle aboard Air Force One:

Q Scott, any reaction to the Justice Department's investigation of Sandy Berger ?

MR. McCLELLAN: I think that those are -- that any questions relating to an investigation like that need to be directed to the Department of Justice.

Q Is the President concerned that any of the material that was allegedly taken somehow informed the Kerry campaign in some way that may be inappropriate?

MR. McCLELLAN: What we've seen is, and what we know is what has been reported in the news media. It is apparently an investigation that is underway, and the questions are best directed at Department of Justice. I don't think we'll have anything further to say about it.

Q Do you think it's appropriate for Halliburton to set up an off shore subsidiary and then have operations in Iran ? Do you think that's an appropriate thing for a company to do?

Actually, it would be incorrect to infer that the press corp just dropped the Berger story. Another question a few moments later:

Q Back to the Berger thing. Democrats, if they haven't already suggested it, might say that Berger's name in the investigation was leaked to distract attention from the release of the report on Thursday. How would you respond to that?

First, the Berger issue was dropped after one question and a followup, in favor of a Halliburton question, and then the Berger issue returned in the form of an accusatory question against the Bush Administration.

At least the press corp hasn't completely forgotten how to grab hold of a question and not let go.