Scott McClellan can now add "Political Judas" to his resume.
Posted on 05/27/2008 3:46:19 PM PDT by byteback
ormer White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan writes in a surprisingly scathing memoir to be published next week 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.
Among the most explosive revelations in the 341-page book, titled “What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception” (Public Affairs, $27.95):
—McClellan charges that Bush relied on “propaganda” to sell the war.
—He says the White House press corps went too easy on the administration.
—He admits that some of his own assertions from the briefing room podium turned out to be “badly misguided.”
—The longtime Bush loyalist also suggests that two top aides held a secret West Wing meeting to get their story straight about the CIA leak case at a time when federal prosecutors were after them – and McClellan was continuing to defend them despite mounting evidence they had not given him the full facts.
—McClellan asserts that the aides — Karl Rove, the president’s senior adviser, and Lewis “Scooter” Libby, the vice president’s chief of staff – “had at best misled” him about their role in the disclosure of former CIA operative Valerie Plame’s identity.
A few reporters were offered advance copies of the book, with the restriction that their stories not appear until Sunday, the day before the publication date. Politico declined, and purchased “What Happened” at a Washington bookstore.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
BTTT
Scott McClellan can now add "Political Judas" to his resume.
Amen, Amen. Nothing convinced me of the incompetency of Bush more than this appointment and allowing the continuance of his service. He was incompetent from the very beginning, Sad to say Bush's total ignorance of this fact was one of the first indications of his own incompetency. Bush has no one to blame for his total failure in the popular polls but himself. As for Rove he may have been a genius in getting Bush elected but he has been instrumental in the destruction of the GOP party with his gung ho support for a borderless United States.
They're the same people that need to apologize to our troops when they returned home from Vietnam.
They spit on our Veterans calling them baby killers smashing raw eggs on their uniforms that were worn proudly representing the sacrifice they made for freedom in the world and our country.
Even though I pray that these poor enabling schmuck bastards might see the light I wish they would stop supporting Al Qaeda and Radical Islam and end giving them an endless amount of tacit approval.
You have, I think, the best posts in this thread. Solid overview, and I generally agree with your analysis. It sure reads better than just calling the guy names for doing what most people, unfortunately, would do, whether anyone wants to believe it or not. It’s just a typical, cynical cash-grab from someone who’s decided that framing his experience in a manner any book publisher would consider sexy, so, in a way, it’s more capitalist than disloyal. But I can’t imagine it’s going to do well: the “I told you so” Left will likely decide there’s nothing in there they didn’t already suspect. Is anyone else so thirsty for ‘inside details’ on the Bush White House that they haven’t gotten from people like Tenet & even Greenspan, that they’ll pay for this puh?
What I’ve never seen much of from the administration—and it still puzzles me—is putting forth certain things that might have offset some of the controversy over the ‘lies’ about WMDs. Christopher Hitchens has referenced many times a report issued by David Kay that included mention of Iraq’s continuing efforts to purchase materials from North Korea, specifically meetings involving Hussein’s agents as late as February 2003, in Damascus. Who knows, maybe that’s bogus, but Hitchens, whose steadfast support of the invasion I’ve long admired, has never backed off this. He’s also argued with lefties all day long about how Zarqawi was being aided by Saddam for some time prior to the invasion.
I’ve wondered if the Bush administration decided that winning the argument with the media about ‘lies’ was a futile pursuit and left it alone. Given that there was certainly evidence that Hussein was, at the very least, a REALLY BAD GUY, it seems like an opportunity not just lost, but thrown away, to do one of the most difficult, and necessary, things in politics—change people’s minds.
Instead, they’ve all but admitted that it was a ‘mistake,’ and guys like this adding to that pile makes for a lot of disgust on the issue from this poster.
what a disloyal turd
Exactly how I feel. I supported the war, overcome by Colin Powell's presentation to the UN. I thought an attack, while not imminent, was possible.
Nothing -- NOTHING -- will reconcile me to the fact the whole thing was a huge miscalculation. The LIVES LOST or RUINED. The MONEY it cost, is costing.
Even to the poor Iraqis ... What are we going to say to them when we leave - "Sorry that didn't work out for you - so long and good luck"!?
Unlike you, I can't promise to support McCain. Like the conservative political philosopher Fukayama said
"In my own thinking since I have to vote in this next election, I personally actually don't want to see a Republican re-elected because I have a general view of the way democratic processes should work and if your party is responsible for a big policy failure, you shouldn't be rewarded by being re-elected."
And here’s the difference between “THEM” and “US.” They protect their people. We throw ours to the wolves, FOR MONEY. FOR MONEY. I am so sick of all this Bush bashing. They want to totally destroy this man. I have had enough. You know, I have that script for the new Oliver Stone Bush movie...and does anyone care? I have emailed alot of the Conservative talk show hosts offering to send it to them. ONE, only one requested it. And although her producer responded, they’ve never talked about it.
The movie will come out, and it makes GW and everyone around him look like absolute fools. Horrible, vicious men. Which we know they’re not. But that’s what the public is going to see. And we sit and we do NOTHING. NOTHING. NOTHING.
Here’s the bottom line, Watergate could never have happened under a Dem administration, because they all would have stuck together. We turn on each other. We deserve to lose. And I’m ready to leave this country.
So for the next several months, this fool will be on every talk show, every front page book review, he’ll be the number one “GET” for interviewers because he is ready to trash his ex-employer. I’m so disgusted, I can seriously cry.
Is this another, “Those bastards wouldn’t listen to me!” book?
I hate to say this, it probably seems inhuman - but the MONEY Iraq is costing, is what's bugging me the most. Iraq is like a bleeding sore on the USA - money we could be investing to confront other long-term threats - like China, India, the elusive, but always-just-around-the-corner "peak oil." (It will get here soon enough, I know how to add and subtract.)
As for all the fire-breathers about Iran - well - the Iraq War certainly strenghtened the Iranian position, didn't it? Why should we be paying any attention to the war-mongering position?
Always knew that panty waste McClellan was a nancy boy.
However, you might want to stop and think ... why does no one rush to his defense?
Bush, who is probably a very decent man, messed up real bad with Iraq. It was a mistake - but it defines his Presidency.
American culture is very unforgiving of losers - and the Iraq War is looking more and more like a losing move.
Scott, you should have titled the book “Revenge of the Nerd”.
Try not to be a indoctrinated talking point for the DNC.
This conflict is much larger than one particular location in the Middle East.
If you believe it isn’t than you haven’t been paying attention.
If you like posting here at Free Republic than take the time to read all the translated documents and connections established by many here between Saddam and World Wide Terrorism.
Forget the spin by the MSM
McClelland was just another John Dean. Republican presidents just can not learn from the mistakes of the past. Appointing non conservatives to serve a republican president is a sure fire disaster and will always backfire.
I am not just talking about policies, I’m talking about destruction of character. We allow them to define us. I’m not just talking about Bush...
Absolutely! The guy was a complete stiff.
I am not indoctrinated by the DNC!!!
I know the conflict with fundamemtalist Islam is much broader than just Iraq, if that is what you mean. I am aware of how threatening it is to Israel, and how widespread its tentacles are.
However, I am merely commenting on tactics - and right now, the Iraq War - in terms of manpower, treasure, and strategic positioning - has been a catastrophe!
Love your tag name, though. The biggest check I ever wrote in my life, I sent to the IRS this April.
Scott better make a lot of money off this book. No one in their right mind would ever hire him for any job again.
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