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

[fourex]

Scotty, everyone knew you and Bush were covering up treason. Rush and O'Reilly are the last traitors standing.

[ajax2]

BoBoBolinski celebrates Bush's treason.
BoBoBolinski a traitor who needs to be brought to justice.

[DonL]

What will it take to start impeachment hearings? OK, so they lied and we knew they were lying. Not enough. The people who were feeding us lies are now telling us they were lying. Not enough? What does the Administration have to do to finally convince the Democrats that the only way to reclaim this country is impeachment? I don't buy "the country couldn't stand it, everything would come to a standstill" argument. Start with Dick Chaney so that he can't take over once Bush goes down. Mark my words--Bush will issue everyone a blanket pardon on his way out of town.

[whizkid]

brettv65
Wow ... if this isn't treason, what is? If this was the Clinton WH, we'd have 24/7 on several channels blowing this into a tsunami of publicity....it would be Michael Jackson meets OJ meets Robert Blake!!

CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC.... we can't hear YOU!

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

Yeah.

Where's the outrage?
You had to guess he was a liar at the time.
You had to have a clue about who made him lie.
CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC.... we can't hear YOU!

FOX? Hello? Rat bastards.
Here's your former butt boy.

He says Bush sucks as a leader.

[Picasso]

Let the special prosecutor pick where he left off and start the congressional hearings.

It is time for the impeachment of these traitors. Bring press secretary McClellan before Congress under oath and let him talk.

Picasso

[coop]

Listen people, I hate this lying administration and their corrupt press secretaries as much as the next guy, but everyone is misinterpreting the quote.

He isn't saying anything different or admitting guilt. He's only saying what he already said, that as far as he knew, he was telling the truth.

He said he "unknowingly passed along false information". That's been his story for years. He even says that he and the president believed it to be true. He never said anyone told him to lie, he's just saying that what he said turned out to be untrue and he wants us to believe that he and the president were surprised.

Of course he's lying, of course they all knew, and of course this is just a publicity stunt to sell a book that in the end will be about how great Bush is. Let's not fall for their little ploy shall we?

[WingsofCrystal]

This really is the stinkiest bunch to crawl out from under an outhouse in a LONG time. NOW Scott gets a conscience?

[whizkid]

Will he testify?

[nirak]

Of course you did McClellan.
First you screw the country by lying for Bush and now you try and screw the country again by selling your book to make a buck.

[brettv65]

Wow ... if this isn't treason, what is? If this was the Clinton WH, we'd have 24/7 on several channels blowing this into a tsunami of publicity....it would be Michael Jackson meets OJ meets Robert Blake!!

CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC.... we can't hear YOU!

[outsurgency]

Bush Administration: 'We are all liars, but then you knew that all along did'nt you? Unless of course your one of the countless sheep we herd everyday who nevers asks any questions'.

[Purcy]

Does Scott think anything he is saying is news to those who actually are paying attention to what is happening in the world? I can certainly hope that no one will buy Scott's book and do not believe that the little creep ought to be able to make money on a book 'confessing' what many of us knew. Truth be known, many of us believe it was rather easy to tell when they were lying...their lips were moving. Except for Cheney, who some may have noticed, is able to lie without moving lips! It probably takes a lot more practice.

So Scott, I hope you don't earn a dime on your book and think that you and all the rest of them need to go to prison for your criminal behavior.

[eliandbo]

This story would be a headline on the Drudge Report if it was about a Democrat.
Proving Drudge is not a good reporter!

[neoconcriminals]

It's amazing how they're as thick as thieves until they hear the ca-ching of the cash register. (Book deals)

They scatter like rats under a bright light.

They're the lowest common denominator
of the human spirit

[provgrays]

"Treason doth never prosper: What's the reason? Why if it prosper, none dare call it treason."