Former White House press secretary, Scott McClellan became the dominant subject in this week's conversation with his tell all memoir, What Happened. McClellan alleges the Iraq War was sold to the American people based on a sophisticated "political propaganda campaign" led by the president that manipulated public opinion and downplayed the major reason for going to war.
McClellan's account is a damning analysis of the Bush White House that used deception as a political strategy, suggesting the White House operated in "permanent campaign" mode. He also admits to having been deceived by members of the president's inner circle about the CIA leak case.
Moreover, he describes the president as lacking the self-reflective impulses necessary for leadership.
In the chapter titled "Selling the War," McClellan alleges that the administration repeatedly shaded the truth and that the president "managed the crisis in a way that almost guaranteed that the use of force would become the only feasible option."
"Over that summer of 2002," he writes, "top Bush aides had outlined a strategy for carefully orchestrating the coming campaign to aggressively sell the war."
Supporters of the administration hit the news shows to offer their well-rehearsed talking points in an attempt blunt any damage done by McClellan's revelations. The monotone variations of "This is not the Scott McClellan that I knew in the White House" were as predictable as they were useful only to those offering them to the public.
Of course it's not the Scott you know; that one was lied to and kept silent. This Scott has a story to tell.
There is something, however, to the White House's contrarian observation. Would this book have been written if McClellan did not feel like the scorned lover? History is ripe with administration officials resigning in protest because of policies they could not support -- a path McClellan obviously opted not to take.
This is newsworthy because it is the highest member within the Bush team, long known for emphasizing loyalty, to break rank. But I can't help feeling like Captain Renault in Casablanca, who said, "I'm shocked, shocked to know the gambling is going on in here" as he accepts his winnings.
But what does McClellan offer that's new?
The real question yet to be answered: What is the benefit of McClellan's revelations? He does stand to receive a financial windfall -- his book is already number one on Amazon's bestseller list. There is already talk of a movie in the works.
It will certainly keep Iraq in the news. McClellan's assertions are certainly not good news for John McCain's campaign, which would prefer to engage in a linear conversation about Iraq going forward than to get bogged down in its inception.
But Iraq is unique in that its inception and ultimate conclusion are inextricably linked. If McClellan's perspective is the end point, then the hoopla surrounding his book and what it reveals is at best much ado about nothing.
The potential benefit of McClellan's book is it raises more questions than it answers. Who else within the administration felt the way he felt? Was he the only one who was misled?
If McClellan felt he was duped, how do the career employees at the State Department, CIA, FBI and the Pentagon feel? Do they have a story to tell?
This is what Congress must find out. It is also why I wrote in my book, "Strip Mall Patriotism" that the next president must conduct a "Truth and Reconciliation Commission."
Without a public truth that grants immunity to those who testify, free from any reprisals, the Iraq policy will continue to fueled in part by conjecture and emotion, suffocating under the weight of American arrogance and insularity.
McClellan has opened the door to review the run up to the war for the purposes of making the difficult decisions going forward. The current political climate will not allow the next president, regardless of party, to put forth anything other than some variation of stay-the-course -- unless the next president does not harbor any visions of a second term.
Byron Williams is an Oakland pastor and syndicated columnist. He is the author of "Strip Mall Patriotism: Moral Reflections of the Iraq War". E-mail him at byron@byronspeaks.com or go to his website, byronspeaks.com