Everybody's putting in their two cents about former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan's new memoir, and what he has to say about the president who has become the country's favorite voodoo doll, George W. Bush.
McClellan's argument that, while the Bush administration lacked the necessary coordination to prevent 9/11, ironically enough, their greatest legacy will be just how well they micromanaged the mainstream media in the lead-up to the war in Iraq. But, is McClellan now spinning about spinning, and what's behind it?
How it is that, even in the midst of the most unthinkable turmoil, the American press manages to stay in hindsight mode, and allow the wool to be pulled over our eyes, once again, in the lead-up to military aggression against Iran, defies credulity. Yes, the media is complicit in this campaign of hindsight.
That the now "retired" White House press secretary's revelations have a deja vu quality, his not being the first accusations of this nature leveled against the current commander-in-chief, and this not being the first time these allegations have been heard from him. After all, six months ago, his publisher leaked an excerpt of the book. The obvious question is-- why this hyperfocus by the mainstream media? What does McClellan's memoir reveal and, more importantly, what does it conceal? Why his sudden urge to come clean? Whose pawn was he, and who is the pawn now?
Can the timing of the book's release have something to do with the fact that his good friend, colleague, fellow "resignee," former Deputy White House Chief of Staff, Karl Rove, was subpoenaed by House Judiciary Committee to testify, under oath, about his involvement in the outing of covert CIA operative, Valerie Plame, as well as in the firing of nine U.S. attorneys, most of whom refused to play ball on voter fraud cases. Is all the media hooplah a way to deflect attention from the dangerous liaisons that are politics as usual in Washington currently by focusing on the dangerous liaisions that happened on McClellan's watch?
Apart from the obvious, their proximity to members of the Executive Branch, Cheney and Bush, Rove and McClellan 's departure from the White House is only separated by one year. McClellan resigned in 2006, and Rove in 2007. Rove, as you recall, left with a cloud over his head, and questions as to whether he perjured himself, and/or obstructed justice in Plame-gate.
That the House Judiciary Committee, and Congressman Robert Wexler, are working overtime to ensure that the one-time Republican "political analyst," Karl Rove, who now writes for Fox News, Newsweek, and the Wall Street Journal, won't get away with defying subpoenas, and will yet get to go before the committee to talk about not only his role, that of Vice President Dick Cheney, but, yes, that of former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan. Wexler even brings up the possibility of an Inherent Contempt of Congress charge for Rove, and any other administration official who is arrogant enough to think they can defy a House subpoena.
While all eyes have been focused on the media-storm that is Scott McClellan's confessional, as the New York Times reports, the chief judge in the Guantanamo Bay military trial of a 26 year old Australian detainee, Ahmer Khadr, has been "retired," on Thursday, by mutual agreement of the court and the Army, for a ruling that chastises military prosecutors for their refusal to hand over records to Khadr's defense team. My, what a penchant we have for "retiring" folks, in this country, with nobody asking why.
So, it is then that while the "sexiest" part of his memoir has to do with President Bush, and the concerted effort to tweak the reasons for going to war, to propagandize, the real story is McClellan's insistence that he was duped, or misled, and lied to, by his good friend Karl Rove, among others, and had no idea about the efforts under way to obstruct justice in Plame-gate. But, why should this matter now? Maybe because McClellan is poised to face the same cross-examination that Rove will face if he is coerced, by law, to comply with a House subpoena.
Apart from the obvious book sale incentive, and the speaking tours, McClellan must be thinking about what he's going to say when subpoenaed by the House, and/or in a federal court when facing charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. To put it bluntly, Scott McClellan is building an alibi.
That publication of his memoir just happens to coincide with congressional efforts to demand testimony from his colleague, and close friend, Karl Rove, is not coincidental, but the underlying question the author seems to be asking is -- can it be a lie if it appears in print? One has only to look at the "weapons of mass destruction" stories that appeared on the front page of all the major newspapers to answer that one. Nice try, but even memoirs lie.
No one would question McClellan's epiphany, and conversion, from conservative pitcher to what his good friend, Karl Rove, calls a "left wing blogger" is authentic, only if the former White House press secretary is the only pawn in what he calls the "Washington game."
What an amazing job the press, and broadcast media, are doing playing ball with administration insiders, and feeding us only the news that sells the most Viagra. Just think, for a moment, about how many Americans know what Valerie Plame-Wilson looks like. But, how many can name even one U.S. attorney who was fired by this president, or tell why? How many nightly viewers of CNN and Fox, in a multiple choice test, could identify the meaning of "contempt of Congress." President Bush said he will "work hard" to forgive his former press secretary whose crime it was to tell the truth, for whatever motives, in a world in which perjury has become a way of life.
By its obstinate habit of avoiding important news, like the Judiciary Committee's subpoena of Karl Rove, and Rove's defiance of that subpoena, as well as the possible legal ramifications this portends for Scott McClellan, the mainstream media is a pawn again, too.
Follow Jayne Lyn Stahl on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jaynelynstahl
What happened to the retired Generals who propagandized story go? The Media did not agree with that truth either even though it continues to happen daily. At this point we need a new main stream media, one that has not been corrupted by White House Correspondant dinners and flying on Air Force One, A media that actually does it job and reports critically on everything including itself. Bush would not have gotten America into this mess without the help of the huge headed Tim Russert and George Ilovegeorgebushopolis.
I don't believe this analysis is correct. Remember, McClellan would not have been able to publish this book without passing White House censorship. That it contained mostly information supporting what most of us knew or suspected was an indication that he was being careful not to include anything that would impose a White House ban.
The book's importance is in what it suggests... that he undeniably had access to insider information, and was privy to more that he could not publish. He has already indicated his willingness to testify before Congressional committees. White House response has been that it may be within their power to prevent that testimony.
The weasel chorus that had been in planning for over a month, demonstrated by their attack response, that they are worried about revelations that are more damning than those in the book. I believe it's in our best interests to forego all this focus on "motivation" and really take advantage of the fact that Scott might be a real whistleblower and is willing to spill.
We need to put war criminals on trial. Some provisions for immunity from prosecution in exchange for real convictable evidence, is something we should expect... if reluctantly.
Been awhile since I last dropped in on ya, I gotta tell ya, this is an outstanding essay/post. We, (You and I) are in the exact same stream of consciousness on this ol'Scotty-gate thingy. I too, believe He is up to *No* good, and he is going to try and cover His arse, and throw a monkey-wrench into the works at the same moment in time. ol'Scotty, the self described dupe, Our arses! (Yours and mine both.) :-)
Leopards just don't change their spots, and never willingly, ol'Scotty is a rat squealing from the trap of lies and deceit at best.
Eloquently expressed indeed, Jayne Lyn. Beware of Greeks bearing gifts eh? ( No offense Arianna, it's a figure of speech. TeeHeehe) Agape.
I do not know if your are correct or not concerning Scott McClellan. He appears as a very small fist with no reason to fear prosecution; however, he is a small fish with a lot of damaging information about the Bush/Cheney cartel.
May his tribe increase as other disenchanted, disillusioned and disenfranchised Bush Administration employees decide to come clean with all they know Katrina, Blackwater, US Attorney firings, Abramoff fiasco, eight million missing dollars in Iraq, one hundred million dollars missing in New Orleans, the firing of Valerie Plame and on and on. When they do come clean, may they be welcomed by us as we encourage others to do as they are doing.
Again, a very good article.
OBHG,
Phil