Scott McClellan on Bush administration.

This is a series of comments on a new book by a former Bush administration insider. It is a bit ironic that after having been an apologist for the administration and making good money doing that, McClellan now makes money through exposing lies that he had earlier adopted as the truth! At least the book provides verification for what many of us already knew!


McClellan, Bush and the Press
The Bush Administration still has about eight months to go, but the first big former insidertell-all book is out and our Readers Who Comment are all over it. Scott McClellan, the former White House press secretary who spent an enormous amount of time at the podium defending Bush and the war in Iraq, says it was sold to Americans with a sophisticated "political propaganda campaign" led by the president, aimed at "manipulating sources of public opinion" and "downplaying the major reason for going to war," Michael Shear reports.
This provides the ammunition our RWC need to replay two themes that have consistently been part of what they have had to say about both the current administration and Iraq:1) Bush should be impeached.2) The press, including The Washington Post, didn't do its job in questioning the need for the war before it was started.
Comments also suggest that there's no news here, we've known this for a long time, and that McClellan is just trying to make money. It's a cynical and angry group this morning, and there are few comments defending Bush or the war.
We'll start with DLN1, who said, "This only confirms what many of us know...that the Bush administration destroyed a country then occupied it while lying to its own citizens."
UrbanEndeavors asked, "Can we impeach now...?"
And mcdermott99 said, "The Washington press corps should be sat down in a room with the door locked, made to wear dunce caps, and to listen as McClellan's book is read to them over and over again..."
pkiel provided the one comment I could find supporting the Bush administration in writing, "This 2-bit Jerk wants to make a couple of bucks at the expense of his former employee! Why the hell can't anyone remember 9-11. What a bunch of short-sighted sheep! Washington Post will print whatever suit them!"
pundito tried sarcasm, writing, "I'm shocked, shocked!"
And slim2 suggested, "He [McClellan] is either hyping a little sensationalism to peddle his book or else was an eyewitness to criminal activity. I suspect the latter."
RegisUrgel said, "Not much we did not know about the Bush administration. What is scary is how the press treated this entire period... The same kind of thing happened in other dark periods in our history... I am sorry, and scared, it hasn't learned."
ih82blog asked, "So, Scott, what took you so long? Criticizing the Bush Administration at this point is like shooting lame ducks in a barrel (and getting paid for it)."And stikyfingas added, "McClellan, kinda late now... Same goes for all the Bush Administration lackeys not one of them resigned and told the truth; they all left, waited a year then made money off a book deal."
SpinningPlates said, "The NYTimes and Post can all go to hell. Its just unbelievable that nobody called shenanagins on this administration a long time ago. Our "Liberal Media" sucks. They got duped and are just as much to blame as bush."
tydicea wrote, "I think by now the whole world knows the truth behind the premise for going to war with Iraq, and the deceptions and stupidity of employed by this president and his cohorts. Nonetheless, it is refreshing to see someone of the inner circle come clean, because neither Bush and present company have neither the courage nor the moral fiber to do so."
infuse said, "...What's nice is that McClellan corroborated the information, but it is not news."
bkaufmann wrote, "These lies killed half a million people."
12345leavemealone said, "The truly sad thing is that even if Bush admitted fault some people would still believe that he told the truth."
protagoras wrote, "Looks like the protesters and the dissidents were spot on. Too bad the press hasn't admire them as much as it admires those unnamed sources...."
We'll close with CJackson36, wrote:I don't know what kind of advance McClellan got for this book, but I'm not buying a copy. I'm sick of people who lie to us while being paid with our tax dollars then getting a hefty advance to tell us they were deceived. If McClellan had come clean sooner, he might have spared us a second term of Bush &Co.
All comments on this article are here.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/27/AR2008052703679.html?
By Doug Feaver May 28, 2008; 9:00 AM ET