We usually try this with our shrink:

SCOTT McCLELLAN: Good afternoon, everybody.

Q. You're late.

MR. McCLELLAN: I am sorry. (Laughter.) Sometimes that happens. Do you want to cancel it?

And as long as we're talking about avoiding hard questions:

Q. Scott, the President had said he was going to appoint this bipartisan tax panel , panel to look at tax reform, before the end of 2004. (Laughter.) I'm wondering what happened with that.

SCOTT McCLELLAN: Didn't it get announced before the end of 2004? We are moving forward on that panel. We are close to announcing the panel. I expect that will happen soon. I don't want to put more of a time frame on it than that, but we will be moving forward on announcing this bipartisan advisory panel very soon.

4 Jan. 2005 and 4 Jan. 2005 (2) [PressGaggle.com]