Posted on 11/20/2007 12:20:12 PM PST by SubGeniusX
WASHINGTON Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan is lashing out at the Bush administration's handling of the CIA leak case in his new book over what he said was intentional misinformation given to him by the administration and claiming the president was "involved" in the media run-around.
The Politico reported Tuesday on its Web site that the publisher of "What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and What's Wrong With Washington" released a three-paragraph excerpt of the book highlighting the contentious period.
[snip]
"I stood at the White House briefing room podium in front of the glare of the klieg lights for the better part of two weeks and publicly exonerated two of the senior-most aides in the White House: Karl Rove and Scooter Libby," McClellan wrote.
"There was one problem. It was not true."
McClellan also writes: "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." At the time, the president's chief of staff was Andy Card.
McClellan also writes he felt his trust was breeched.
"The most powerful leader in the world had called upon me to speak on his behalf and help restore credibility he lost amid the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
What is this tool’s major malfunction?
Has there been a less qualified and more ineffective press secretary in the history of the white house than Scott McClellan?
DiDi Myers?
Stupid plus timid
Where’s the evidence? Scott’s word?
Those involved said it was NOT Libby and Rove, so WTF?
A: He's covering his own ass
B: He's trying to sell books. This assertion will sell a lot of books and make him a lot of money.
and where does Richard Armitage come in.
HE WAS THE LEAKER.
not Libby or Rove. anything they might have done, was after the leak....
I used to feel sorry for Scott. Now I don’t.
Why do all the morons who leave the WH have to throw mud on the way out. It is not Bush’s fault that he was a piss poor press secretary - IMHO, the worst one I can think of in my 40+ years of existence.
He did a damn poor job and I was glad to see his sorry act leave.
Scotty got his post because he was a member of the Lucky Sperm Club...i.e. his family’s political ties in Texas got him the job instead of talent.
Of course, Scotty demonstrated that he was as nutty and dumb as his mother.
Go away Scottyour 15 minutes were over long ago.
I do expect more books in the next few years about the Bush administration. I must admit, Bill Clinton, for all the crap he did, he had some real loyal subjects.
Scott would have never pulled this crap with BC or he would have been Vince Fostered (God rest his soul).
Either you were with the Clinton’s are you were with dirt (buried in it).
He was terrible as press secretary. Bush should have fired him after a month's trial period. Once again, Bush loses by his major flaw in being Mr. too-nice. This betrayal is so disgusting.
Awfully strong words. Words have consequences as Sen. McCain would say.
Is it your contention he’s lying?
Oh boy....Chris Matthews is going to go purple on this one.
Cronyism comes back to bite the president again.
Atleast he hired someone qualified after Scotty left...
And his press secretaries must have been fairly competent. With all the shoveling that they had to do with his scandals, they have real talent.
"So, I held up my finger to see which way the wind was blowing, and that's how I knew I always had these deep convictions"
BTW, methinks he’s a twink.
When did the president know that Scooter Libby was involved in the leak? When did the vice president know?
What is the significance even if they did know when Scott McClellan was unwittingly making false statements?
ROFLOL. NO KIDDING.
Our children will never understand the mess we have left them if we don’t stand strong to our Conservative principles and fight back against the MSM and these disloyal whores of government. Don't you question the timing of this book? In lieu of covering the successes in Iraq, the MSM will cover this wall to wall making the Republican Party look even more corrupt. Doesn't matter if its true, just the mere suggestion is enough for the MSM.
I would say she was better at it then McClellan.
Well, The DemoMedia is going to go nuts over this.
OK... so what did Scott ever say that has been shown to be untrue?
Nothing he might have said about Rove, or Libby, or the President or anybody else... none of that was untrue.
Libby wasn’t prosecuted for anything about the so-called leak. He was prosecuted for remembering something wrong in court.
I bet his replacement has some similar stories. That could be why the replacement bailed after only 16 months.
The tell-alls may not be too kind to GW.
no matter how ya spin it, Scotty, the whole Plame nonsense was. . . . . . . (how shall I put this diplomatically?) . . . . . . . NONSENSE!!!
You chiming in on it a day late and several dollars short don’t change the fact that there’s no THERE, there!!
Well, Mr. Former Press Secretary, Scoter was not charged with outing Valerie Plame. H was charged with lying because he couldn’t rememer a casual conversation.
Richard Armitage fessed up to the prosecutor the first or second day of the alleged prosecution.
End of story.
It doesn't matter if it is accurate. Liberals don't care about the facts. The accusation will provide lots of publicity to drive book sales and get this idiot lots of attention on liberal talk shows.
Because Bush is the president, he isn't entitled to sue for libel or slander even if what is said is an obvious lie because the supreme court thinks that being held accountable for telling something that at least resembles the truth would be an unreasonable infringement on political free speech.
Scottie’s mom is a Democrat hack so what do your expect.
Scottie, Harreit Miers, Karl (no fence) Rove, and other Texas buds. were of no service to the Prez.
Especially Rove, the most overrated of all.
He was sadly pathetic....now he’s jsut PATHETIC!
A drunk DeeDee Myers was still worth 10 Scott McClellans.
Scot McC was obviously inept and now this idiot has a book?
Worthless pos and whiney juvenile!
I can’t believe there is anyone who would care enough about the “CIA leak case” (Plame again???) to buy this book.
Always thought he was a nancy-boy from day one. This just confirms my suspicions. Good job, instincts!
LOL!! I have to agree. Why Bush EVER kept him is beyond me and if someone was INSISTING that he stay on, then THAT person should be IMPRISONED!
“I stood at the White House briefing room podium in front of the glare of the klieg lights for the better part of two weeks and publicly exonerated two of the senior-most aides in the White House: Karl Rove and Scooter Libby. There was one problem. It was not true. 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.”
If Rove and Libby weren’t exonerated, then why is it that Fitzgerald didn’t charge them with a crime of leaking the name of a covert agent?
The only charge to come out of the entire witch-hunt was perjury against Libby. And that was determined because an ex-co-worker of Walter Pincus (who also happened to be a neighbor of Russert’s) convinced the other jurors that Russert and Pincus were more believable than Libby.
Is McClellan now saying that he tried to exonerate Libby of perjury, and he did it at the urging of the President?
McClellan is full of as many half-truths and inaccuracies in private life as he was while serving as press secretary.
I wonder if his name is on Larry Flynt’s Republican smear list?
Sandy Berger comes to mind...
Scott McClellan’s weakness, incompetence and breathtaking ineptitude were on display for every torturous minute of every press briefing. He was as talentless as he was slow-witted. The man was a plane crash wrapped inside a train wreck.
Bush has made some absolutely disastrous hiring decisions in his time in Washington. Scotty belongs near the top of that long list.
EARTH TO SCOT.....YOU”RE NO DANA!! SHE HAS BALLS!
The people in the Clinton administration are loyal to the AGENDA. No matter what it takes...lie, cheat or steal...it must be done.
Those on the Left don’t police themselves because the CAUSE is more important. Besides, if it feels good, do it.
He has a book to sell. Would anyone buy it if he didn't do this stuff?
Ain't that the truth.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.