Scott McClellan: Bush Not Open and Fothright on Iraq, Relied on Propaganda to Sell the War

[MadBadger]

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 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.

More:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10649.html

[malaise]

1. Another rat jumps from the sinking ship

:puke:

[Parche]

2. Why Didnt That Fukwad Come Out With The Book 4Years Ago

:grr: :grr: :grr:

:hi:

[Solly Mack]

3. Why don't these cowards just name their books "It Wasn't Me",

"I Didn't Do it", and "Bush Fooled Me"?

[rox63]

4. I always suspected that Puffy McMoonface had at least a tiny bit of a conscience in there

He usually looked somewhat uncomfortable while spinning the most blatent * admin lies.

[rhett o rick]

16. Makes it worse if he knew better. nm

[lpbk2713]

5. He was misled ....

He wants to get that word out before the trials begin some time after January 2009.

[Jazzgirl]

23. Oh snap!

[Mountainman]

6. Is Scotty on his death bead or did he change religions or something?

[rhett o rick]

18. Wants to sell a book. nm

[Catch22Dem]

7. I think EVERYONE knew what was going to be in this book the moment he announced the book deal

No surprises. The only surprise is that it went to print.

[globalvillage]

8. And yet knowing what he did

he continued to prop up Bushco's lies.
He should have written that book from jail. How do these people sleep?
I'm glad I believe in hell. It's probably the only place there will be any justice for this admin and their stooges.

[Ilsa]

9. It won't matter. Even if all the Bushies write a "scathing memoir"

the rightwingers will find some reason to discredit them.

What's worse is that it is likely that the press learned nothing over the last eight years. They follow orders of the fascist CEOs.

[Old and In the Way]

10. Another rat bails.

If McClellan could see all this shit going on, why did he stay and support the deception? Sorry Scotty, your 'expose' is old news to me...and I won't bite and buy your rewrite of history that excludes your personal culpability.

[craz3z]

11. For Love or Money?

Liars lie for love (power) or money. When those two things come in conflict with one another then how will we ever know the truth? I know one thing: I won't reward any of his lies (then or now) with money. That's another book that won't be on my list!

Besides, I'm waiting for "Dubya's Pop-Up Memoir Book".

[Auggie]

12. "Propaganda???" How about "blatant lies!"

Still covering up the truth, eh Scott?

[rhett o rick]

13. Propaganda is worse, me thinks. nm

[Disturbed]

19. Will anyone buy this trash?

There are many former Busholini Regime assholes that want to scam some money
by writing books about how they sold out their ethics to be part of the Busholini Regime
when that Regime was at it's nadir of Power. They were colabs in a Criminal Enterprise, screwing
over the Middle Class, Working Poor & the Poor of Amerika.

[Auggie]

28. What sweet justice if their publishing earnings go to legal fees...

if they are ever charged for their crimes.

One can dream, right?

[matcom]

14. once again, we HERE ON DU are vindicated

his book isn't getting a DIME of MY money

fuck him.

like we didn't know this all YEARS ago

[rhett o rick]

15. Is he regretfull for his role in the lies and coverups? Scotty is lower than than whale schtuff. nm

[spanone]

17. i think they call it aiding and abetting

[Herman74]

20. "He says the White House press corps went too easy on the administration." LOL!!

Yeah, they went too easy on HIM, and he probably laughed to himself after each press briefing. As Colbert later humorously displayed, only Helen Thomas was willing to consistently go after the duplicitous expletive-deleteds!!

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

21. Is Moon Face donating the profits on his book to Iraq war veterans' causes?

I would, if I realized what a worthless POS and war crimes enabler I had been and had any regrets for the role I played in getting a lot of young women and men killed for nothing.

[tblue37]

22. They have such cute nicknames for LIES:

"He admits that some of his own assertions from the briefing room podium turned out to be 'badly misguided' <emphasis added>.”

[Tippy]

24. Wonder what ol' Scottie is doing these days besides writing a book

[samsingh]

25. why not come forth when it really mattered?

[suffragette]

26. And who sold the propaganda, Scotty?

That would be -- you!

[many a good man]

27. I hope Fitz and Nancy read about this

Justice delayed is justice denied.

[mitchum]

29. He also relied on a shitbag mouthpiece like you, Scotty

[onethatcares]

30. wow, he had to write a book to find that out, He should have

listened to me shouting at his stupid moonpie face while he spouted the line. fracking a-hole, hope he gets a badly infected ingrown toenail.:banghead:

[nebenaube]

31. Scotty McClellan: "I'm an Idiot and a Fool!"

See you at Nüremburg II Scotty...

[malaise]

32. Bingo

This is about clearing himself from the regime's crimes.