Scott McClellan Grabs A Seat At The Former-Bush-Aide-Turned-Author Table

Long before the White House Press Corps became saddled with Dana "The Gift That Keeps On Giving" Perino, they got to receive their briefings from Scott "The Gift That Gave As Well As He Could Given The Relative Lack Of Confidence He Had In Just About Everything He Was Ever Asked To Say" McClellan. McClellan stepped down from the position in May of 2006, and has since penned a book that will finally allow him to do what he never could as press secretary: tell all.

Public Affairs, who will be publishing the book, has posted this excerpt, which gives one a helping of insight into how McClellan views his years of service:

The most powerful leader in the world had called upon me to speak on his behalf and help restore credibility he lost amid the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. So I stood at the White house briefing room podium in front of the glare of the klieg lights for the better part of two weeks and publicly exonerated two of the senior-most aides in the White House: Karl Rove and Scooter Libby.

There was one problem. It was not true.

I had unknowingly passed along false information. And five of the highest ranking officials in the administration were involved in my doing so: Rove, Libby, the vice President, the President's chief of staff, and the president himself.

McClellan's book is titled What Happened, after the question he muttered to himself every night before the clutches of fitful sleep claimed him, and is scheduled for an April 2008 release.

UPDATES:
The Politico notes that McClellan intimated in a March 2007 appearance on Larry King Live that the President "did not originally know about the involvement by his aides."

McClellan: "I spoke with those individuals, ... and those individuals assured me they were not involved in this. ... said what I believed to be true at the time. It was also what the president believed to be true at the time based on assurances that we were both given. Knowing what I know today, I would have never said that back then."

Comments

[tagalder]

Let's see now, the USA is a country which impeaches its president for lying about sex but allows for its president to out its intelligence agents in time of war. I thought the latter was treason and the former was indiscretion. Folks your country is becoming a laughing stock.

[balleryna2]

Really amazing to see how many people are shocked...­SHOCKED...­that Scotty was lying. OMG, that's like Bush coming out after his admin leaves and says "hey, I really had y'all going there, heh heh heh...psyche!!". Seriously. Would you be that effing surprised??? I guess so, from the sound of how much you are right now.

[gappytoofcondi]

The most disgusting aspect to this whole mess is the reaction of the MSM. They are shocked. There is still an attempt to consider that Scott's other comments in his book will either negate this or make it look less criminal.

It is not possible that anyone can be this naive. The MSM is culpable and should be boycotted to any extent possible. Let the advertisers know why you are not purchasing their products. Write to the networks and express the outrage.

Get mad as hell and do not take it anymore!

[jaschrod]

McClellan is either a liar, or stupid, or both.Millions of people knew what was going on so don't tell me that he and Bush did not know, well maybe not, maybe they are that stupid.

[LITU]

All this bitching and observation won't accomplish a goddamn thing.

Let's use a little Rovian logic here: we should all vote for a Republican president in '08 in order to more quickly bring this country to its utter knees. Then, MAYBE, just maybe the lazy, fat-assed citizens in this country might actually do something about the corruption.

But I seriously doubt it. I look at my co-workers - worthless fucks, and not a patriot among them.

[armadillious2002]

The admission to this is big big deal. This needs to be hammered home to the "heads in the sand" voters every day so they will remember down the road what a repub regime looks like.

[joja]

Of course McClellan lied. That's a job prerequisite in this regime.

What disgusts me, is the way all these former aides, generals, and appointees come forth with these kinds of revelations AFTER they've left their cushy little jobs, not while they're still in positions to speak up and make a real difference.

But then again, that's why Cheney/Bush chose them in the first place, isn't it? Dick & George knew they were devoid of any integrity, so they met all the qualifications needed!

I'll say this for Cheney & Bush -- they've numbed the public into accepting the fact that all that ever comes out of the WH is lies and liars. So we should just shrug it off, as we always do, and go about our shopping.

How sad for our country.

[frappe]

All I can remember is that sanctimonious, holier-than-thou pronouncement that Bush made while campaigning for president in 2000, "I will restore honesty and integrity to the White House."

What a bald-faced lie, one of many from the "liar-in-chief". We now know that he and Cheney are serial liars and cannot be trusted. Clearly, for justice to be served, these two need to be impeached.

[Nonamnesiac]

I wondeer what excuse the Dems will use to reject the only reasonable response to this information -- impeachment/removal of Bush/Cheney. It has long been obvious there is no need for further investigation in order to move impeachmen­t/removal, as there is overwwhelming evidence already public to support impeachmen­t/removal. Now there's another smoking gun. Libby was already convicted for what McClellan claims Bush and Cheney did.

But the Dems, who actually want to have the same type of Executive power Bush asserts because they wrongly believe they're going to win the White House in 2008 and want to continue the war and possibly expand it, will not move impeachment/removal despite McClellan's allegations. They'll probably join the White House in attacking McClellan't credibility.

[Carlee]

come on this is old news. Joe Leonardi wrote about this in March. Here is a link to his updated commentary.

Arianna you should hire this guy..

http://joeleonardi.wordpress.com/2007/10/22/valerie-plame-im-still-right-and-correct/

[EileenMac]

Sounds like the opening introduction for a new Twelve Step Group:

"Hi! My name is (fill in the blank) and I lied for the Bush/Cheney Administration."

[KansAmerican]

What Happened? We already know what happened. That Scott McClellan would knowingly lie to us was evident early in his tenure as White House Secretary. I, with a lot of others, knew when he uttered the defenses of the administration concerning Plame they were falsehoods. It was commonly spoken of in all media outlets. This passage from his book lacks a lot being any sort of new revelation. The purpose of this book, other than making a buck, is a likely attempt to distance himself fron the filthiness and stench of this Bush administration. I don't think he will ever be really honest. Any suspicion that he might have a shred of honesty in his character would have barred him from being a part of this administration.

[realitytrumpsbull]

Put DOWN the microphone, and slowly back away! LOL

[barrycourage]

If I were a writer of comedy based on current events, I would not strike. Not now, anyway.

There is too much good material--and it flows daily like the precipitation in a hurricane.

So Scotty is about to tell the world what it already knows--but in all of its glorious Chimpy-nos­e-picking, Vader-ass-­scratching­, Rove-silen­t-and-dead­ly-farting detail.

Lots of laughs ahead, folks.

Too bad none of it will entail news footage of Bush and Cheney in bright orange jumpsuits and handcuffs at Gitmo.

[we0z]

Gee that's a revelation we never saw coming. When has the truth ever escaped the White House during the Bush fantasy?