Journalists who don’t play by the rules often don’t get access to the most powerful people. At press conferences theirraised hands are ignored; their phone calls are not returned, their queries are handled by low level assistants. Butsometimes top politicians and business leaders who talk only under the managed conditions, and grant interviews onlyto the journalists they know, are caught in the headlights of a free press. One such instance occurred before the2000 elections. President Clinton went on the record in and answered questions on substantive issues-–when all heintended to do was make a packaged get out the vote statement. [includes rush transcript]