1998: Former Clinton press secretary Mike McCurry doubts Clinton's fitness for office

BBC News ^ | December 19, 1998

[HAL9000]

McCurry doubts Clinton's fitness for office

Mike McCurry: "Flabbergasted that he could be so reckless"

The former White House press spokesman, Mike McCurry, says he has "enormous doubts" about President Bill Clinton's fitness for office.

Mr McCurry told the BBC's Newsnight programme President Clinton's behaviour was "surely reckless" and "contrary to the way you would expect a rational human being to behave".

Asked whether he thought Mr Clinton was fit to be president, Mr McCurry, who had maintained his silence on presidential issues since his resignation in October, said: "I have enormous doubts because of the recklessness of his behaviour.

"The nature of this particular affair and then the way he did conceal it really does raise some very profound troubling matters.

"I feel the way most Americans and probably his own wife do: Deeply disappointed, and hurt and a bit flabbergasted that he could be so reckless," said Mr McCurry.

Reliance on denial

Asked about the president's sex life, he said people close to Mr Clinton had spent a year relying on what appeared to be a direct denial of scandal.

"I did not believe that there was a tortured definition of sex lurking behind that denial," said Mr McCurry.

"I couldn't imagine that he would put himself in that kind of jeopardy when there was a whole army of inquisitors out there," he added.

The former spokesman said that direct conversation on the Monica Lewinsky affair had been avoided to prevent presidential aides being subpoenaed.

But Mr McCurry said he had been assured by the president that "everything would turn out alright".

He said that he had preferred to remain "unknowing" rather than give the press information that night be unreliable.

[EagleUSA]

There is no “doubt” about the fitness of either anti-American, anti-military, anti-defense Marxist candidate....

[Brilliant]

The truth is that none of the candidates are fit for office. Yet, they all have offices already.

It shows how badly things have regressed in this country.

[kbennkc]

If McCurry says he too , has a loyalty to the truth I think I may be sick .

[Bon mots]

He's dead.

[imintrouble]

There must be a disease in the Press Office of the White House - it’s called loosetongue....

McCurry and now McClelland... next? These guys have to climb back into the spotlight even if it means spitting on their former bosses?

Tony Snow would never - he has class. I wish he would issue a statement about the recent turn of ugliness.

[ilgipper]

Mike McCurry, despite being of service to Clinton, was absolutely brilliant at his job. Ari was very good as was Tony Snow. Clinton’s second guy, who’s name I cannot recall, was a big step down from McCurry, but not nearly as worthless as McClellen was. Scotty was the worst I have seen in my time, by a mile.

[trumandogz]

However, Tony did have to go into the White House Briefing Room and say being an Ilegal Alien is like being a speeder, once you get a ticket it does not mean that you are always a speeder.

[HAL9000]

At least McClellan hasn’t proclaimed that President Bush is unfit for office, as far as I know.

[hoe_cake]

~snort!~

[Retired Greyhound]

DeDe Myers was B A D

[Miss Didi]

Rush was just talking about him...

RUSH: If the Bush administration were what McClellan says it is, then somebody like the ruthless Jim Baker -- remember, now, how long ago was it, just a few months ago that we got the first excerpt from McClellan's book. I forget what it was, but the press went gaga over this thing. I forget what the excerpt was. If the Bush administration were what Scott McClellan says it is, when that excerpt came out, they would have found the ruthless Jim Baker or some such, and they would have summoned little old Scott McClellan to a come-to-Jesus meeting. They would have said, "You know, Scott, your little book here, not a good idea for your family's future. The little book that you're going to right here, Scott, it's really not good for your future." And then they'd give him some job at the Carlyle Group, at the Blackstone Group, where he never had to show up. They'd pay him off and they'd just put him somewhere, a no-show job at one of these Republican things, and be rid of him. But they don't play hardball politics like that, that's not what this administration does. If this had been tried, if McCurry or some other spokesman in the Clinton administration had done something like this, let your mind wander, folks, and think what would happen to that guy. (cont).



How Washington Culture Seduces

[HAL9000]

They lined up those consulting gigs for McCurry, but he wandered off the reservation anyway.

[Ann Archy]

Bug-eyed Joe Lockhart!!! What a PATHETRIC piece of flesh!! Second worse to Scotty-poo.

[imintrouble]

Thanks all you comedians - I had a much needed laugh at your antics....

Any budding press secretaries in the lot?

[driftless2]

McCurry was extremely good.