Exclusive: McClellan whacks Bush, White House

[Toastedturningtidelegs]

Oh boy!

Former 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 was too easy on the administration during the run-up to the war.

• 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 all the facts.

• McClellan asserts that the aides — Karl Rove, the president’s senior adviser, and I. 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 official publication date. Politico declined and purchased “What Happened” at a Washington bookstore.

The eagerly awaited book, while recounting many fond memories of Bush and describing him as “authentic” and “sincere,” is harsher than reporters and White House officials had expected.

McClellan was one of the president’s earliest and most loyal political aides, and most of his friends had expected him to take a few swipes at his former colleague in order to sell books but also to paint a largely affectionate portrait.

Instead, McClellan’s tone is often harsh. He writes, for example, that after Hurricane Katrina, the White House “spent most of the first week in a state of denial,” and he blames Rove for suggesting the photo of the president comfortably observing the disaster during an Air Force One flyover. McClellan says he and counselor to the president Dan Bartlett had opposed the idea and thought it had been scrapped.

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But he writes that he later was told that “Karl was convinced we needed to do it — and the president agreed.”

“One of the worst disasters in our nation’s history became one of the biggest disasters in Bush’s presidency. Katrina and the botched federal response to it would largely come to define Bush’s second term,” he writes. “And the perception of this catastrophe was made worse by previous decisions President Bush had made, including, first and foremost, the failure to be open and forthright on Iraq and rushing to war with inadequate planning and preparation for its aftermath.”

McClellan, who turned 40 in February, was press secretary from July 2003 to April 2006. An Austin native from a political family, he began working as a gubernatorial spokesman for then-Gov. Bush in early 1999, was traveling press secretary for the Bush-Cheney 2000 campaign and was chief deputy to Press Secretary Ari Fleischer at the beginning of Bush’s first term.

“I still like and admire President Bush,” McClellan writes. “But he and his advisers confused the propaganda campaign with the high level of candor and honesty so fundamentally needed to build and then sustain public support during a time of war. … In this regard, he was terribly ill-served by his top advisers, especially those involved directly in national security.”

Should be an interesting readhttp://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10649.html

[Lord Undies]

I wonder how much the George Soros Machine paid McClellan to write a book which echoes the MoveOn.org Hate Bush Constitution?  Let's see how many points of similarity we have here:

- Bush lied, people died
- Karl Rove colaberated with Scooter Libby to cover his ass about exposing Valarie Plame
- The lack of immediate response to Hurricane Katrina/New Orleans dam failure was the President's fault
- Every press secretary of the Bush White House is just a dupe in a tie

And that just from this snip from the article. 

[Wretched Excess]

they were breathless about this on PMCNBC this morning.  mika bryzinski kept gasping, as though every point that fell out of scott mcclellan's retirement plan was a guilty verict at a war crimes trial.

[Lacarnut]

I guess the sorry b@stard needs his blood money. With friends like him, who needs enemies. I am not a fan of the Prez but I would not stab my employer and so called friend in the back to sell a book.

[Willow]

Ari Fleischer was just on the dreaded Fox News! Says Scott M. spent his entire time at the WH in support of policies, even made public appearances after leaving supporting policies. Scott M may have egg on his face and money in his pocket, and zero integrity!

[Lauri]

yeah, so far most of the Bush White House former and current, keep saying, "this doesnt sound like the guy we know" .. should be interesting when McClellen goes on tour this week to market his book to the masses - lets see if the MSM asks him any tough questions..

[Wretched Excess]

the man cried when he resigned.  and it was never clear if he wanted to leave, or was told to leave.  but the president
helped him get through his own resignation press conference when he was on the verge of screwing that up, too.

Mr. McClellan announced his resignation at the side of Mr. Bush on the White House lawn, but in sometimes emotional remarks he did not say what he would be doing or who would be succeeding him. It was unclear if Mr. McClellan had acted on his own or had been encouraged to leave after his two years and nine months as Mr. Bush's chief spokesman.

"The White House is going through a period of transition," Mr. McClellan said. "Change can be helpful, and this is a good time and good position to help bring about change. I am ready to move on. I've been in this position a long time, and my wife and I are excited about beginning the next chapter in our life together."

Mr. Bush, during his remarks, at one point put a hand on Mr. McClellan's shoulder. "One of these day he and I are going to be rocking on chairs in Texas, talking about the good old days and his time as press secretary," the president said. "And I can assure you I will feel the same way then that I feel now, that I can say to Scott, job well done."

link

[Chris_]

Rush mentioned today that if a Clinton insider were to write a hit piece like this (mclelland has already been tagged for some blatant lies in it), well, as he put it "use your imagination."

My imagination sees Vince Foster.

[Lauri]

yeah, if George W Bush is all powerful and all dictator - then Scott McClellen should have never gotten this book off the ground.

how on earth do the lefties answer that one? shouldnt McClellen be dead by now?

[USA4ME]

Funny how the libs considered McClellan to be one of the biggest liars alive just a few months ago and now everything he has to say is undisputable, documented facts.

These libs are so easy to read it's just boring.

.

[Lacarnut]

I am sure McClellan's little story will the main topic of K. Oberman's, the oblique one, pathetic TV program.

[Lord Undies]

Rush Limbaugh and Karl Rove must read CC.  They said the same thing I did in reply #1 above.   :innocent:

[Airwolf]

Gee was it really that hard to get a job in DC?

[Ptarmigan]

I guess the sorry b@stard needs his blood money. With friends like him, who needs enemies. I am not a fan of the Prez but I would not stab my employer and so called friend in the back to sell a book.

Well said!

[RobJohnson]

Funny how the libs considered McClellan to be one of the biggest liars alive just a few months ago and now everything he has to say is undisputable, documented facts.

These libs are so easy to read it's just boring.

.

Exactly.

Was Scott lying then, or is he lying now?

[Wretched Excess]

of course, one of the most damaging aspect to this wretched book is that it gives political
cover to democrats that initially supported the war, but now want to bail.

"even bush's own press secretary fell for the PR campaign".

[Wretched Excess]

this story is getting me spun up today.  I watched mika bryzinski act as though she was personally
witnessing high treason as these little factoids about the book dribble out again this morning.

someone should point out to her the fact that "white house press secretary" isn't exactly the most geopolitically
significant position in the executive branch.  I seriously doubt that he was privy to the inner circle;  he was given
talking points and sent out to feed the cannibals, i.e., the white house press corps.

the fact that this has the MSM baying at the moon tells us one useful thing;  they will be even more thirsty
for republican blood this election cycle than usual.  and that really is saying something.