Scott McClellan rips Bush

[devils advocate]

WASHINGTON (May 28) -- Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan writes in a new memoir that President Bush relied on an aggressive "political propaganda campaign" instead of the truth to sell the Iraq war, it has been reported The Bush White House made "a decision to turn away from candor and honesty when those qualities were most needed" — a time when the nation was on the brink of war, McClellan writes in the book entitled "What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception."

The way Bush managed the Iraq issue "almost guaranteed that the use of force would become the only feasible option," the book contends, according to accounts Wednesday in The New York Times and Washington Post.

"In the permanent campaign era, it was all about manipulating sources of public opinion to the president's advantage," McClellan writes.

White House aides seemed stunned by the scathing tone of the book, and Bush press secretary Dana Perino issued a statement that was highly critical of their former colleague.

"Scott, we now know, is disgruntled about his experience at the White House," she said. "For those of us who fully supported him, before, during and after he was press secretary, we are puzzled. It is sad - this is not the Scott we knew."

Perino said the reports on the book had been described to Bush, and that she did not expect him to comment. "He has more pressing matters than to spend time commenting on books by former staffers," she said.

The book provoked strong reactions from former staffers as well.
"For him to do this now strikes me as self-serving, disingenuous and unprofessional," Fran Townsend, former head of the White House-based counterterrorism office, told CNN.

Said former top aide Karl Rove, also to CNN: "If he had these moral qualms, he should have spoken up about them. And frankly I don't remember him speaking up about these things. I don't remember a single word."

Richard Clarke, another former counterterrorism adviser who also came out with a book critical of administration policy, said he could understand McClellan's thinking, however. Clarke told CNN that he, too, was harshly criticized, saying that "I can show you the tire tracks."

McClellan called the Iraq war a "serious strategic blunder," a surprisingly harsh assessment from the man who was at that time the loyal public voice of the White House.

"The Iraq war was not necessary," he concludes.

McClellan admits that some of his own words from the podium in the White House briefing room turned out to be "badly misguided." But he says he was sincere at the time.

"I fell far short of living up to the kind of public servant I wanted to be," McClellan writes. He also blames the media whose questions he fielded, calling them "complicit enablers" in the White House campaign to manipulate public opinion toward the need for war.

The book is scheduled to go on sale June 1. Quotes from the book were reported Tuesday night by the Web site Politico, which said it found McClellan's memoir on sale early at a bookstore.

McClellan draws a portrait of his former boss as smart, charming and politically skilled, but unwilling to admit mistakes and susceptible to his own spin. Bush "convinces himself to believe what suits his needs at the moment," McClellan writes.

He also faults Bush for a "lack of inquisitiveness."

[tbone77]

I think Libby took a bullet for the team (what was it a 30 month commuted sentence?). But I guess McClellan saw the light and decided to be selfish.

Can you really blame him though? He was the white house propaganda secretary during their most secretive and controversial years. He sold his soul to them to try to keep his job. I would be disgruntled too. He has every right to tell his story.

I still remember when McClellan went on the Daily Show last year, and he started to spill the beans in a short interview on that show. It looks like he is spilling all the beans in this book.

[BANJAXED]

Anyone will say anything to make a buck. Why do you think you'll suddenly hear the "truth" in this case? If anything - it's even more "sugar coated" to sell more books.

But - someone will buy them and make this guy even richer then he already doesn't need to be.

[philhos]

Here's Glenn Beck's take on McClellan (from http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/10536/):

You know what kills me is this Scott McClellan story. Scott McClellan, former White House press secretary, ******. Just the worst. He was fired, let go and -- hey, Scott, you did a fantastic job. Could we go to Tony Snow in here, please? Can we get anybody that can -- so Scott McClellan leaves. Now he's come out with a new book. Oh, he's come out with a new book. So we can totally trust him now because now he's just making money.

He writes that President Bush veered terribly off course, was not open and forthright on Iraq and took a permanent campaign approach to governing at the expense of candor and competence. Really? I find that amazing because this is the guy who spoke for the President. He said President Bush manipulated sources of public opinion and downplayed the major reasons for going to war.

What do you mean that the President did that? You did that. You did -- if he is doing it, you're doing it with him. You know, I have a ton of respect for anybody who quits their job. Anybody who says, you know what, no, I can't do this, and you walk away from your job because your values dictate that. I don't really put a lot of stock in anybody who says anything about, can you imagine? Think of this. That the President was misleading, that this was a propaganda war.

Now here's the interesting thing. If I'm working for the President -- just ask yourself this question. If I'm working for the President of the United States and the President of the United States I know is lying to the American people and because of his lies American soldiers are going to die, innocent people in Iraq are going to die, do you continue to speak for the President and then wait for your book to come out? He was -- Scott McClellan was there for two years after the war started.

Could you even sleep at night if you did that? There's no way I could sleep at night. I have a responsibility. If I'm in the White House, I mean, honestly I used to tear up just looking at the White House, just going there and thinking about our amazing history. Just standing on the other side of the wrought iron gates and looking at it, it should be an awesome experience. To actually work there? It is the people's house, not the President. It is the people's. And you are put in charge of that house. You are there to protect the people while you are there. And if you think the President of the United States is lying and he is putting people in harm's way, I'm sorry. Mr. President, I'm sorry. I don't care how good you think your reasons are. You've got to come clean. If those reasons are that good, come clean with the American people. If that's really what you believe, then make the case to the American people, but I can't sleep at night lying to the American people for you.

Scott McClellan, I know he is being touted by MSNBC today, of course the extreme left, touted by MSNBC as, oh, this guy, he's a hero. Remember he was a scumbag when he was in the administration but now that he's out and he tells the story that they like, he's some sort of great guy. He suddenly has credibility. The guy has destroyed his credibility. You know when the guy would have been a great guy? You know when the guy would have had tons of credibility? The first day he thought, my gosh, the President is lying to the American people. I'd give -- I'd even give him a month to mill it over: You know, wait a minute, what do I do? Can I? Do I do this? Is this right? Do I -- how is it -- I mean, is it -- maybe I'll give him a month. But not two years. I'm sorry. He was there for three years. Yeah. He started as press secretary after the war started. He started -- he worked there for three years. Now, don't get me wrong. It's only three years. It took Obama 20 to figure out who his pastor was. But this guy, I'm sorry, a dirtbag. Dirtbag.

[barryllium]

Here's Glenn Beck's take on McClellan (from http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/10536/):

Don't get me wrong, I don't simply believe everything McClellan says is true - but Jose Canseco is a scumbag, and look at his book...

[tbone77]

Does Glenn Beck always repeat everything twice? It makes it kind of difficult to read. :smirk:

He was there for three years. Yeah. He started as press secretary after the war started. He started -- he worked there for three years. Now, don't get me wrong. It's only three years. It took Obama 20 to figure out who his pastor was. But this guy, I'm sorry, a dirtbag. Dirtbag.

[philhos]

Don't get me wrong, I don't simply believe everything McClellan says is true - but Jose Canseco is a scumbag, and look at his book...

I think the important thing is that you view it with healthy skepticism. That's really all that I ask.

I just don't like when people automatically assume someone says something is true or false based on what is being said (and that goes for both sides of the issue). There are people automatically assuming McClellan is telling the truth because it bashes Bush, just like there are people automatically bashing McClellan becuase his book trashes Bush.

I personally am skeptic of anyone who SELLS a book like this.

Does Glenn Beck always repeat everything twice? It makes it kind of difficult to read. :smirk:

Well, Glenn readily admits he has ADD. ;)

[devils advocate]

The thing about guys like McClellan is that they tell all when it is too late.The buck doesn't stop with him ,either. Colin Powell ,General Batiste and Lt. General Michael Delong are just a few in a long list that found true patriotism only after their term.This is a problem.They speak out only when they leave office.Should we take what Scott McClellan says at face value?Thats up to the individual.Considering he is not the only one and in fact is merely one of many,I think it holds some weight.

[xxlt]

Q: And who is surprised McClellan's assertions in the OP?

A: The naive, the willfully ignorant, the complicit - the usual suspects.


Yeah, it is a little surprising that McClellan grew a conscience, but it is not hard to reconcile his claims with reality - they match up quite nicely. Impeachment may yet happen...

[Skeeter McGee]

The guy is trying to sell a book, what do you expect?

[thefo0]

Honestly, nothing that he is saying is coming as a shock. There have been reports that the reasons for getting into the war were less than solid since Colin Powell tried to present the case to the UN before we went.

The White House is taking the exact opposite approach to this than they should though. If they don't want people to read the book, they shouldn't come out against it. It just creates free press when Perino and Rice mention it to the national media.

[barryllium]

Honestly, nothing that he is saying is coming as a shock. There have been reports that the reasons for getting into the war were less than solid since Colin Powell tried to present the case to the UN before we went.

The White House is taking the exact opposite approach to this than they should though. If they don't want people to read the book, they shouldn't come out against it. It just creates free press when Perino and Rice mention it to the national media.

So true. After all, the best way to write a bestseller is to write something that will be banned and/or receive bad press.

[tbone77]

If McClellan reflects on his job as propaganda artist inside the white house, and if he makes people think twice before we start another war in another country (like Iran), that's a good thing for America. Who cares if he was or is a *********.

[devils advocate]

So true.Better late than never, I suppose.

I just wish these guys would've grew a pair at the right time.Its sad to think what could've been had honesty been part of the criteria to be elected,or hold positions of manipulation....I mean power,instead of worrying whether or not if they would be fun to have a beer with.Its almost funny how easily people are misled and fooled.A good trick never gets old, and slieght of hand is one of the oldest in the book.We are truely distracted by shiney things.

[tbone77]

IMHO everyone needs to grow a pair, including McClellan, congress, the media and us...Bush went out of his way to sell us a bunch of crap about Iraq. We ate it up. Hook line sinker.

No body had the balls to call their bluff (well except me - maybe I was the only one asking people how the hell do we plan to govern and reconstruct a country after we invade it). But I didn't vote in 2000 so I was also part of the problem.

Case in point.... Here is the proof that the press is not left or right. http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/05/29/tv-news-under-the-microscope/. In general they (media execs) tell us whatever we want to hear. They just play along and sell us whatever is easy to sell...In 2003 they figured that we all wanted to start a war, so they sold us a war and we all played along.

[Joe_L]

The guy is trying to sell a book, what do you expect?

so true...where was all this talk when this was going down...let me know about it then...not after the fact....2 or 3 years later:rolleyes:

[devils advocate]

I totally agree with you Tbone we are all at fault, really.Although I did vote in 2000 and in 2004 both times against President Bush.You are aslo dead on about the media.
The consumers we are.

[devils advocate]

Scott McClellen claims that President Bush himself
ordered the outing of Valerie Plame.

McClellen says that just after 9-11 Bush made the decision that we were going to Iraq.He said They minimized evidence supporting the lack of WMD's.Bolstered minimal evidence,even knowingly ,falsely accusing Iraq of pursuing nuclear capabilities when they knew for a fact Iraq was doing no such thing.

These are bold claims considering the ramifications concerning his [McClellens] character and career.Before the argument "he's selling a book and he'll live of the profits for the remainder of his life" come along,remember,he could easily take a fluffy CEO job at Anywhere Inc,or make rounds on the lecture circuit and live as comfortable or better.
His character is on the line.

Considering the secrecy and shadiness of this administration logic leads us down the path that this guy is telling the truth.

My perception of this administration may be biased,which makes me more prone to believe Scott McClellan. I'd rather be wrong about being skeptical,than be wrong about being a conformist.

A man who would exchange freedom for security deserves neither.

[jace4655]

The thing that really gets me about him writing this book is that he did it while the president was still in office. Even if you do not like the guy you still respect the position of the office. You cant say he was doing this to help protect the country by brining this situation to light, because if that was the case when this was supposedly going on he should of stood up then and not once it has already happened. Also i think its kind of funny he didn't have any issue with all this while he was employed but once he lost his job all of a sudden he was against it the whole time. As far as the book goes it doesn't surprise me to much....every president once he leaves office has many books written about him in the negative.