McClellan: Bush Should Have Fired Rove After Plame Leak (VIDEO)

President Bush broke his promise to the country by refusing to fire aide Karl Rove for leaking a CIA agent's identity, said Scott McClellan, the president's chief spokesman for almost three years.

"I think the president should have stood by his word and that meant Karl should have left," McClellan said Sunday in a broadcast interview about his new tell-all book, a scathing rebuke of the White House under Bush's leadership.

McClellan now acknowledges he felt burned by Rove, Bush's top political adviser, and I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff. He said Rove and Libby assured him they were not involved in leaking CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity, and he repeated those assurances to reporters.

In fact, Rove and Libby did help leak Plame's identity, as confirmed in a later criminal investigation. Libby had resigned by then, but Rove remained in office and eventually stepped down on his terms in August 2007.

"I think the president should have stood by the word that we said, which was that if you were involved in this in any way, then you would no longer be in this administration. And Karl was involved in it," McClellan said.

White House press secretary Dana Perino declined comment Sunday.

Keep reading here.

Watch McClellan on Meet the Press:

Comments

[Marlyn]

Why do I hate Tim Russert so much?

[zendem1]

Because he's nothing but a right-wing shill. He tried to hide it for years, but ever since the 2004 election the leopard has showed his spots. He'll go to Fox for big money eventually.

[realpolitic]

He asks questions from a script and when the subject does not answer them, Russert moves on to the next question. A monkey could do his job. Russert hosted Cheney and co. who made a lot of false claims about Saddam's weapons capabilities. Russert checked out none of those false claims and simply reported them as fact. He is thus one of the many Bush stenographers in the national press corps.

[Barky]

McClellan still doesnt get it. I am starting to believe his ex colleagues murmuring that he wasnt the sharpest tool in the box.

Hey Scotty, the reason Bush did not fire Rove (or anybody for that matter) is because HE was right upto his armpits in the leak. Remember Fitzgerald had to interview BOTH Bush and Cheney TOGETHER. Now I wonder why that happened.

[naschkatze]

And neither under oath, I might add.

[realpolitic]

Bush is a coward and always hides behind someone or another.

[maxdenn]

Didn't Bush give Rove the go ahead to leak Plame's name?

[obamanation31]

It takes a lot of guts to come out and say those things. I admire his integrity and his courage.
I am sure he can sleep better at night.

[realpolitic]

Yes, he did the right thing.

[AmericaIsATerroist]

Ah Scotty, the sweating, stammering face of the Administration. He KNEW he was lying back then, you could see it in the daily press briefings. This asshole just wants to sell books now. Too little, too late dickhead. You should have been crowing in front of the media YEARS ago when you were still on the inside. Hunting trip to Paraguay coming up in January, who's in?

[castlerider]

I don't believe you're completely right.

He more then likely saw the distinct possiblity these turds were gaming him, but still, there has to have been that hinge of doubt that these men working in the most powerful halls of power were telling the truth. His conviction when he spoke to the press definitely illustrates this.

I agree he would have come off a lot better to have spoken up then, but I think people should appreciate more that at least he is speaking up now. For goodness' sake, he is giving up a lot. A HELL of a lot, and I'm damn thankful for it.

[charon]

I agree. He would be a guest at Bush's bbq's if he kept quiet, and some right wing jackass would hire him for something if he stayed on their good side. As it is, he will forever be persona non grata on the right. He gave all that up to come clean. Conscience sometimes works slowly, the harpies taking their time.

[elektrik]

I'd be willing to bet big money that every single White House Press Secretary in modern history is up there every day lying their butts off. It's the nature of the job and his replacements have certainly lived up (or down...) to that standard. Are you really saying that when he was in the White House, that he was expected to stand up and say "no, this is wrong, I can't do this" ? That would have been like writing his own obituary. I'm not saying I agree with his decisions, but to say he's any worse than others in that role or that he should have committed political suicide is totally unrealistic.

[Buddysingh]

Now that is so akin to all the moron who say - he should have resigned. if Scotty had been crowing - they would have removed his ass from his job and some sucker would have carried on the lying and you would never have had this moment.

[MPCarr]

Scott McClellan was the former press secretary and still he doesn't even know that Richard Armitage admitted he is the one who leaked Valerie Plame's name??

Why do we keep going over this?? What else did McClellan not know that we all know??

[LiberalBuzz]

And who told Armitage? You think he had access to all CIA files?

The point being everyone involved at the White House who knew and approved should have been fired, but as usual no one is ever held accountable in this White House. Rove was indeed one of the leakers.

[Gasparilla]

And Rove was a confirming source for Novak. Novak wrote in the original column that he was given her name by "two senior administration officials". One was Rove.

[MPCarr]

Fitzgerald knew in the beginning that it was Armitage, and went ahead with the trial anyhow. He could have saved everyone a lot of time and money by saying this up front.

[thisoldbroad]

Where did Bush get the epiphany during all his important leadership duties to suddenly de-classify Mrs Wilsons' status with the CIA so these suspicious leaks could happen? We already know he's not "intellectually curious". Was Armitage the little voice in his head during this fiasco? NO!

Armitage took 1 for the team & told the truth the 1st time around. Bush, Cheney, Rove & Libby just lied about it - to the point that Libby was convicted of perjury. Cheney was the evil little voice in Bush's ear. Armitage is the only 1 who told the truth about his involvement, but he was not the source for all 4 reporters that were questioned - they already confirmed that.

I can't help but wonder how recruiting new CIA employees is going, with the knowledge that if you say or know someone who says something the president doesn't like, your status will be exposed in retaliation. Possibly endangering your family, friends & sources.

[realpolitic]

It was an orchestrated campaign. Armitage leaked the name of Plame by accident to a reporter. He had no political agenda. After that, Rove and Libby made their coordinated leaks. Rove leaked her name to two journalists. He was fully involved, unless, of course, you play by the same rules of morality as Bush and company do.

[fourex]

I wouldn't bet on your time line ("Armitage leaked the name of Plame by accident to a reporter. He had no political agenda. After that, Rove and Libby made their coordinated leaks") unless you can show it under oath.
Also Armitage was a PNAC contributor and signee.

[fourex]

"He had no political agenda"
Armitage does have a political agenda, far to the right, PNAC.
"In 1998, Armitage signed "The Project for the New American Century" letter (PNAC Letter) to President Bill Clinton. The letter urged Clinton to target the removal of Saddam Hussein's regime from power in Iraq due to erosion of the Gulf War Coalition's containment policy and the resulting possibility that Iraq might develop weapons of mass destruction. The letter's intended purpose of removing Hussein was to protect Israel and other U.S. allies in the region, including oil-producing Arab countries."

His statement that he accidentally disclosed Plame is self serving.

[robeson]

Mpcarr "Richard Armitage admitted he is the one who leaked Valerie Plame's name?"

False.

Richard Armitage was one of many who leaked. Can't get that straight can you mp?

[watchingthings]

There are many things that bush should have done. The main thing wrong with this picture is......bush should not have been there in the first place. He was as much out of his element as a pig is out of the pigpen.

[justamazed]

Let's not forget it was Richard Armitage That admitted to the leak. He admitted it at he begining of the Federal investigation. But the truth has no place in the media anymore.

This is fact. Don't let it get in the way of your anger.

[theconsigliere1]

There are many facts, other than the singular truth that Armitage was the intial leaker (a truth that only kept Libby from being charged with obstruction, instead of more serious charges). Another fact is that GWB authorized the leak after he told the American people he would fire anyone involved. He lied to our faces about outing a CIA officer whose husband challenged his propaganda (a word chosen by MCClellan). Keep your eye on the ball.

[unhipcat]

I'm just amazed at justamazed.
If you take a few seconds to use the Google, you'll discover that Rove and Libby were circulating Plame's name at least three weeks before Armitage mentioned it. To claim Armitage "admitted to the leak" implies that he is "the one" who put her name out there. In fact, he was weeks late and not even involved in the campaign by White House aides (including your vice president) to reveal the name of an undercover CIA agent, an act the Bush Sr. attributes to "the most insidious of traitors."
Here's another fact for you, amazed. Wilson is correct. There was no attempt to buy yellow cake, and the document on which that claim was made is such an obvious forgery that it was dismissed immediately by all but those ardently seeking to use it as a rationale to start an unnecessary war.
This is fact. Don't let it get in the way of your anger.

[sirgorpster]

What is the point of your comment? I am not sure.
I think you believe ROVE is innocent since in the NOVAK case Armitage is the one that sent him on the investigation.

But, still ROVE confirmed the information from Armitage and added to the information NOVAK had. And then apparently lied about it to straight to McClellan's face.

[laocoon]

Novak said he usually will not publish until he has a confirmation, Rove knew that he was giving Novak the last thing he needed to expose-- not just Plame--- but the entire front company.

[realpolitic]

Unlike Libby's and Rove's leak, Armitage meant no damage to Plame or Wilson. He had no political agenda. In fact, he later told bosses about the leak. Libby and Rove leaked her name to damage Plame and do damge her husband Joe Wilson. Armitage's blunder does not forgive or excuse Rove's and Libby's attacks. You are using the same morality of parsing language that this White House uses daily.

[robeson]

He can only admit to his part not the others, bad try.

[lisakaz2]

Glad he's saying what we've been thinking for years. I hope there will be a way to (finally) put all these criminals in jail (and lose the key).

[justamazed]

Read this link. Facts are facts.

http://web.archive.org/web/20061005094345/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14533384/site/newsweek

[leftcoastindy]

Your links are as bad as your logic.

[NotGuilty]

The republicans seem fine with what Bush's criminal administration has done and keep trashing McClellen.
True Americans are appalled and want justice.

[nanotubz]

Have to remember that the republicans have always been two parties under one name since 1860. There were the reformers, former whigs, and there were the opportunists - like those that got Army contracts under the table and then delivered crap to army. The opportunist came into to power during Grant's administration, and only yield power when sent to prison. These self serving opportunists have been bilking the American public for 140 years, they are corrupt to core through the generations. I can't figure why more middle class republican have stuck with snake oil salesman for over a century.

[oogabooga]

Geez, Scott seems to have had doubts about the PNAC doctrine. Even Ashcroft, of all people, refused to sign off on renewal of the unrestrained spying on Americans. So there is hope for the Republic Party?

[biwee]

No, there is no hope for the Republicans. There will be more and more and more.....Addington and Cheney and Chernoff and the current AG will try to sweep all the evidence of Bush's crimes under the rug. Won't work. Bush destroyed the Republican Party. The sad thing is, that in doing so, he killed hundreds of thousands, and wasted $2-3 Trillion.

[DELICIOUS]

WAIT UNTIL PERINO GET'S IT IN THE BACK LIKE MCCLELLAN. SHE WON'T BE SMIRKING THAT BU$H SMIRK THEN.

[kuate]

Perino knows quite a bit about the real nature of the beast....Thanks goodness for her, the Press does not press her much during her conferences, so she continues defending the White House administration policies, just like her predecessors.

[Ariesjill]

I now adore and respect this man....but common, how can someone fire their BRAIN???? And their puppetmaster? How would he have ambulated?

[TakeSake]

You see, if W fired Rove, then he would be declared incapacitated, so he would be replaced by Cheney. Oh that's right - Cheney is already the President.

[seawolf77]

If Bush had stood by his word he would have had to fire everyone, including himself. I'm holding my breath. Anyone still waiting for any of these people to behave like decent human beings should be euthanized.

[peterdangit]

Don't hold it man, it's not worth it.