McClellan blames Bush for CIA leak deceit

[randym431]

MSNBC

WASHINGTON - Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan blames President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for efforts to mislead the public about the role of White House aides in leaking the identity of a CIA operative.

In an excerpt from his forthcoming book, McClellan recount the 2003 news conference in which he told reporters that aides Karl Rove and I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby were "not involved" in the leak involving operative Valerie Plame.

"There was one problem. It was not true," McClellan writes, according to a brief excerpt released Monday. "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."

This isnt what gets me. Its NOTHING will be done about it, that gets me.
And in the mean time, the press will harp on some paper going back to 1994 that Hillary didnt release as soon as she should have on health care or some other nonsense issue.

God save America???

 

[cliftonite]

Hes writing a book, obviously he must be lying like all the others who have written books about the Bush administration.

 

[Craig234]

Originally posted by: cliftonite
Hes writing a book, obviously he must be lying like all the others who have written books about the Bush administration.

Exactly, because while he's serving the president at his pleasure, you can believe everything he says; but when he's freed of that and speaking for himself, he's prone to lie.

If anything, I'm just surprised that so many Bush appointees have had sides to them come out showing some integrity, some sooner and some later.

Bushies have often said - and this is common for criminal groups and corrupt political groups - that loyalty is most important to them, so these revelations are surprising.

We liberals all owe John Ashcroft some re-alignment of our views, now that the stories have come out of his standing up to the administration on one important issue - along with the nameless, forgotten aides such as the masses in the Justice department who threatened to resign, or the several State Department staff who did, to protest the Bush policies, especially the Iraq war.

This is the process of the truth causing ostricization of wrongdoers, as Bush stands more and more alone, much as happened to Nixon.

Bush will be the Herbert Hoover of our time, the shame of his party for years to come.

 

[First]

It's only going to get worse for this administration when more and more former officials come out with damning information.

Granted, we already knew this about McClellan more or less, it's just looks bad that the administration was this incompetant and no one can logically counter otherwise.

 

[conehead433]

White House press secretaries get paid to spew forth whatever lies the President sees fit to disseminate. Nothing new, but anyone who followed the CIA leak case had to know that they were all a bunch of liars.

 

[Stoneburner]

This is interesting. Whether or not he is being honest now, he clearly feels some shame that he perpetuated a blatant falsehood on that fateful day. This sense of personal responsibility is odd for a bushie. I'm not saying he's lying now, in fact, he probably was lied to considering how adamant he was in denying the allegation that day.

 

[Harvey]

Originally posted by: cliftonite
Hes writing a book, obviously he must be lying like all the others who have written books about the Bush administration.

Except, he's writing from the inside. The answer is simple. Subpoena him before Congress, put him under oath, and have him tell his story.

 

[1EZduzit]

Originally posted by: conehead433
White House press secretaries get paid to spew forth whatever lies the President sees fit to disseminate. Nothing new, but anyone who followed the CIA leak case had to know that they were all a bunch of liars.

Yeah, he's ready to tell the truth now, you just have to buy his book. Sadly I doubt anything will come of this except a few book sales.

 

[Lemon law]

I always did find something bittersweet to like about Scotty McClennam. I maybe wanted to see someone who knew he was lying and somehow there was always that apparent refreshing amount of guilt not present with more professional polished liars like Tony Snow. And now Scotty goes to confession with a book seller at his side.

For every semi honest man showing signs of guilt twinges, there are many more who can lie with a totally straight face. GWB&co. hardly has a monopoly or any shortage.

 

[ranmaniac]

Wonder how much Pelosi has been paid off not to pursue impeachment on Cheney and Bush? The democrats were elected on promises to end the war, now the democrats (the leadership) are probably rolling around in the defense contractor kickbacks.

 

[db]

We're all just wasting our time whining about Bush&Co: funding the war kills more American soldiers; Bush knowingly lied us into a war with Iraq, and the herd don't want to leave Iraq b/c they think it's a football game instead of a war. Now the wackos want to go to war with Iran, using the same deceptions that got us into Iraq.
How is this not insanity on a mass scale?!

 

[Jaskalas]

Deceit of what? No one there was convinced of leaking the name of a CIA agent.

Are we to be guilty without guilt, more witch trials to convict on a whim?

 

[Jeff7]

Why can't any of these people have their conscience attacks while they're actively employed by the administration? Why is it always months or years after they leave?

 

[Craig234]

Originally posted by: Jaskalas
Deceit of what? No one there was convinced of leaking the name of a CIA agent.

Are we to be guilty without guilt, more witch trials to convict on a whim?

What an absurd post.

First, the deceipt is that of their actions, roles, knowledge in the decision to attack Joe Wilson's exposing of their wrongdoing, by outing his wife to create phony attacks of nepotism.

When Bush said how terrible it was that someone had leaked her name, and he'd love to find out who so he could punish them, he was being deceitful.

You are wrongly implying that the only issue is the criminal one, as if there's nothing wrong at all if the actions don't result in criminal convictions. That's absurd.

Even Bush, among others, were highly critical of the outing - when he thought the coverup would work. Just as Nixon was 'shocked' by the terrible crimes of Watergate (he'd ordered).

Your question whether to be 'guilty without guilt' is the wrong question for limiting the issue to criminal guilt - the question is whether they're guilg of doing wrong, not just of a crime.

The answer to that is clear, but your partisanship blinds you to the obvious yet again, so you are hear defending the indefensible, again.

 

[eits]

fox: "QUICK!!! we need to vilify mcclellan asap!!!"

 

[Genx87]

I always enjoy a good book. Amazing how these revelations always come out with a book.

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: eits
fox: "QUICK!!! we need to vilify mcclellan asap!!!"

Funny you mention that because before he stepped down you and your ilk did that very thing with him. I am sure now that he is selling his book the douchebags on the left will prop him up on a pedestal. Amazing how that works out.

 

[Pabster]

Originally posted by: Genx87
I always enjoy a good book. Amazing how these revelations always come out with a book.

Got to get the big sales that first week. Most of them disappear quite quickly thereafter.

 

[jonks]

McClellan's a sweaty little fool. Pity him, but don't put money in his pocket.

 

[RightIsWrong]

I think that McClellan was a genuinely good guy. You could see that he was as uncomfortable as all get out about having to stand in front of the press and lie to the American people on a repeated basis and it took its toll on him.

Now Ari Fleischer.....that was/is a man that can lie with the best of them. This is someone that I don't really have any respect for as a person but had tremendous respect for his professional ability to do his job (lie to the American people to push forward his president's agenda). He reminds me of James Carville only not as funny.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: Genx87

Originally posted by: eits
fox: "QUICK!!! we need to vilify mcclellan asap!!!"

Funny you mention that because before he stepped down you and your ilk did that very thing with him.

I am sure now that he is selling his book the douchebags on the left will prop him up on a pedestal.

Amazing how that works out.

Wow

The only thing amazing here is the openly braziness hatred towards non-Republicans by the radical righties these days.

I'm pretty surprised because they haven't lost the oval office seat yet and no guarantee they will lose it either.

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: Genx87
I always enjoy a good book. Amazing how these revelations always come out with a book.

So are you insinuating that he's lying?

 

[Pabster]

Originally posted by: RightIsWrong
I think that McClellan was a genuinely good guy. You could see that he was as uncomfortable as all get out about having to stand in front of the press and lie to the American people on a repeated basis and it took its toll on him.

Now Ari Fleischer.....that was/is a man that can lie with the best of them. This is someone that I don't really have any respect for as a person but had tremendous respect for his professional ability to do his job (lie to the American people to push forward his president's agenda). He reminds me of James Carville only not as funny.

I agree. McClellan always looked uncomfortable in the position. Fleischer is a natural.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Originally posted by: Genx87
I always enjoy a good book. Amazing how these revelations always come out with a book.

So are you insinuating that he's lying?

Can a book be used to prosecute at trial?

 

[Pabster]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674
Can a book be used to prosecute at trial?

Only if the author is willing to testify under oath.