Scott McClellan It's True We Lied

[yeahwho]

I am still just amazed at former Bush press secretaries recent book (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QrTTzjy-BI) and claims that he was duped and tricked into speaking points that deceived citizens about the war in Iraq, Katrina and a whole host of other unsavory events in US History. He is basically telling us his job was specifically to disseminate lies on behalf of the government which he served.

This signals perhaps some real fear the House Judiciary Committee may actually begin to grow a spine and bring some justice to our Country. The other interesting scenario being played out is the Bush reaction, saddened and puzzled. Puzzled is the key word all of the administration's current talking heads including Bush have used. Puzzled over what? His own choices? Bush picked Scott McClellan. He chose to fly over New Orleans, make up WMD's and let Rove, Libby and Cheney expose a CIA operative, without any punishment. Bush has lied boldly to us for the past 7 years, I mean WTF? This guy is beyond any morals.

Anyway this Scott McClellan seems to be a world class ass, while I'm glad he's saying something, why wait till now, a year and a half after his realizations? He seems to be just like the rest of the Bush cronies, he was lying back then and now he's cashing in with this book writing what we want to hear (what sells) so he's probably lying more than a little now to protect his own ass and make some fast cash.

[abcdefz]

Welcome to politics.

[yeahwho]

Welcome to politics.

Yeah thanks for the greetings, seems like these guys are morally indistinguishable from the Mob. Wait, the Mob probably hasn't killed as many people.

[abcdefz]

"Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"

[yeahwho]

I am wearing pants... HOT PANTS!

[DroppinScience]

I sympathize with where you're coming from, but I get the impression from McClellan that he was someone too caught up in the "constant campaign" and "talking points" that he was inoculated from reality and reason during his years as press secretary. I kind of see him as someone trying to keep a certain air of honor among a vast sea of dishonorable people.

I definitely wish he had this same conscience 5 years ago as he seems to now, but I think he's setting the record straight and isn't engaging in lies once again.

Even if he's speaking up a bit too late, I appreciate that Bush insiders are wanting to tell us the real deal. In fact, he even apologized personally to Richard Clarke (another ex-administration official defector) for dismissing him as simply a disgruntled low level ex-employee.

The day somebody like Rumsfeld or Rove (!) comes out and admits to engaging in many wrongdoings would be a big mindfuck, I'd say.

[yeahwho]

Here are some more tell-all books by former Bush Administration officials. This is an informative guideline I'm offering up just because I find it fascinating how very little has been written that exclaims what a wonderful president GWB is, even from his own team, WashingtonPost.com (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/30/AR2008053002860.html?hpid=topnews)

Former press secretary Scott McClellan is only the latest former Bush administration insider to point a finger at White House failures in a tell-all book. But you can't settle scores without a score card, so here's how the president's onetime mouthpiece stacks up alongside other recent they-a culpas:

-- Paul Farhi

Book:"What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception," by Scott McClellan.

Published: June 2008.

Debacles discovered: War sold with "propaganda," failure to plan after invasion of Iraq, general lack of candor, "culture of deception," officials in "permanent campaign mode," Rove and Libby lied.

Don't Blame Me. Blame . . .: Bush, Cheney, Rove, Libby, Rice, the news media.

NOW You Tell Us?:" . . . the Iraq war was not necessary."

Arrogance/Hubris Factor: High.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Book: "War and Decision: Inside the Pentagon at the Dawn of the War on Terrorism," by Douglas J. Feith (former Pentagon official).

Published: April 2008.

Debacles discovered: Destructive agency turf battles, poor planning after invasion of Iraq, poor intel, strategic leaks to media by rivals.

Don't Blame Me. Blame . . . : Colin Powell, Richard Armitage, Rice, the CIA, L. Paul Bremer, Gen. Tommy Franks.

NOW You Tell Us?: Bush declared "war is inevitable" in December 2002, before U.N. weapons inspectors had finished their work in Iraq. State Department anticipated a "many year" occupation.

Arrogance/Hubris Factor: High.

--------------------------------------------------------

Book:"At the Center of the Storm: My Years at the CIA," by George Tenet (former CIA director).

Published: April 2007.

Debacles discovered: Destructive agency turf battles, lack of communication, apathy led to Sept. 11. Also says Bush decided to go to war in December 2002.

Don't Blame Me. Blame . . . : Bush, Cheney, Rice, Wolfowitz, Libby, CIA officer Tyler Drumheller, German intelligence service, Iraqi source "Curveball."

NOW You Tell Us?:" 'There will be a significant terrorist attack in the coming weeks or months,' [a CIA operative] told Rice in July, 2001."

Arrogance/Hubris Factor: Moderate.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Book:"Wiser in Battle: A Soldier's Story," by retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, former commander of coalition forces in Iraq (2003-04).

Published: April 2008.

Debacles discovered: War's aftermath poorly planned, political meddling in military decisions, prisoner abuses at Abu Ghraib, war used by administration "for political gains."

Don't Blame Me. Blame . . . : Bush, Rumsfeld, Bremer.

NOW You Tell Us?: Postwar troop levels were far too low to stop deadly insurgency.

Arrogance/Hubris Factor: High.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Book: "My Year in Iraq: The Struggle to Build a Future of Hope," by L. Paul Bremer III, former administrator of Iraqi provisional authority, 2003-04 (written with Malcolm McConnell).

Published: February 2006.

Debacles discovered: White House's failure to supply sufficient troops, Iraqi forces weren't up to the job of securing the country.

Don't Blame Me. Blame . . . : Rumsfeld, Gen. John Abizaid.

NOW You Tell Us?: "Coalition forces were spread too thin on the ground."

Arrogance/Hubris Factor: Moderate to high.

[yeahwho]

more great reading from the Washington Post, who are doing their job very well.

Culture of Deception (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/29/AR2008052901727.html)
Scott McClellan looks back on one of the most painful experiences of his life.

McClellan says the "defining moment in my time working for the president, and one of the most painful experiences of my life," occurred in July 2005, when he discovered that what he had told the press two years earlier -- that Karl Rove and Lewis Libby were not involved in "the leaking of classified information" about Valerie Plame, Wilson's wife -- was untrue. "I had unknowingly passed along false information," he writes. "And five of the highest-ranking officials in the administration were involved in my doing so: Rove, Libby, Vice President Cheney, the president's chief of staff Andrew Card, and the president himself." Upon learning this, he felt "constrained by my duties and loyalty to the president and unable to comment. But I promised reporters and the public that I would someday tell the whole story of what I knew."

I wonder if he thought to himself butt rape at a federal prison could easily match and surpass one of the most painful experiences of his life.

anyway kudos to the Washington Post, they've really done an excellent job getting inside the Bush administration with this book and some very good journalism. This is a much more interesting "in house" expose that all the others, historical and referential.

[NoFenders]

He's just making a buck. Nothing more, nothing less. You believe the lies and stories you really want to believe.

:cool:

[yeahwho]

He's just making a buck. Nothing more, nothing less. You believe the lies and stories you really want to believe.

:cool:

He is making a dollar, but what is being gleamed is more insight to how we have become participants in George Bush's presidency, the Washington Post along with most of us who have over an eighth grade education understand the motives. What the Washington Post has done is excellent journalism.

It's up to you to back and follow through the past few days since the book became news. They've sorted out what is and isn't quite well.

[yeahwho]

The Fred Schnieder Coat on the audio book version;

from the daily show (http://videogum.com/archives/politics/fred-schneider-stays-the-cours_010176.html)

[saz]

He's just making a buck. Nothing more, nothing less. You believe the lies and stories you really want to believe.

:cool:

no, he was sickened with how the administration sold lies and propaganda regarding an illegal invasion of a sovereign nation, which has resulted in a total disaster, hundreds of thousands (possibly over one million) killed, and tens of billions of dollars spent. ditto how the administration also committed treason by revealing the name of a cia operative, valerie plame, all for apparent political gain. sure, mcclellan is making some money and came out a little late, but better late than never and i hope mcclellan is eventually called to testify before congress, because for all of the crimes committed against the constitution, and the world, these despicable neo-conservative warmongering war profiteers deserve to be behind bars.

[yeahwho]

The honorable thing is usually dismissed, here is a prime example;

Gerald Ford was an honorable and decent man. But he made at least one major decision that time has revealed to have been a great error in judgment: He pardoned Richard Nixon.

Ford's press secretary, Jerry ter Horst (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerald_terHorst), had disagreed strongly with that decision in private. When Ford did it anyway, ter Horst resigned.

I agree with sazi's take, Scott McClellan at least did come out and say these things before Bush left office, be it timing for profit so what? The whole administration was and is built out of "me first" chickenhawk war profiteers that have sent this country into an economic/diplomatic shithole.

Does anybody remember Jerald ter Horst? No. So being a money grubbing scumbag sort of gives McClellan's book notoriety. In a sleazy Bush way.

[Schmeltz]

He's just making a buck. Nothing more, nothing less. You believe the lies and stories you really want to believe.

:cool:

The fuck are you talking about, dude. Do you seriously imagine that somebody so close to so many of the higher-ups in this administration - who have gone out of their way to express their dissatisfaction with this book - would make shit up just for the sake of a few thousand bones? When so many, many others who worked alongside him - like George Tenet - have published books detailing the exact same thing?

You diehard Repubs are all the same; you pretend that since you've been weak enough to buy the spin everybody else must be just as intellectually insubstantial as you are. Sorry man, nobody's buying it anymore. You can parrot the same silly shit all you like but it doesn't fly. Not now. The rats are deserting the sinking ship and history will judge you and your ilk with the same uncompromising harshness reserved for Stalin and Hitler. Welcome to the dustbin of history, I hope you like it.