McClellan Didn't Write the Book

[SoDesuKa]

For no other reason than it seems unlikely that such an unreflective guy could write some of the passages quoted from the McClellan book, I began speculating whether this is an RNC Trojan horse. I began to suspect that McClellan is getting too much free air time for this to be entirely on the level. For instance, Russert is giving him the whole hour this Sunday. If the book were as damaging as we are led to believe, would General Electric give McClellan a whole hour?

Here's the part I definitely don't believe: McClellan's assertion the Bush was led astray by ambitious underlings. McClellan told Keith Olbermann that he believes Bush is genuinely committed to democracy and freedom. In McClellan's narrative, Bush is a Shakespearean king, like Julius Caesar, full of noble intentions but surrounded by lean and hungry men. I doubt very much that this is the truth.

If McClellan is lying a little bit, maybe he's lying a lot. It's a possibility. Do the Republicans have a motive to bail out on the Bush administration now? Indeed they do. They'd very much like to dissociate the party from George Bush, and create a narrative that allows them to say that was then and this is now.

In short, beware of a Greek bearing gifts. I don't trust Scott McClellan, especially when he brings something sweet and good-tasting.

[Nostradammit]

1. Does the word "impordent" come up a lot in the book?

Cause if it does, that's our Scotty.

[Kindigger]

12. Maybe not

That's Laura's favorite word also.

[Disturbed]

2. Busholini is a Silver Spoon Sociopathic Simpleton & an

Asshole. Scott M. said that he "still likes & admires him". That should be a clue.

Dems better fight like never before to stop McLame from taking the throne.

[magellan]

3. Thank you for this thoughtful post

I have serious misgivings as well. The whole thing stinks to high heaven -- the timing, the fact the WH had the book a month ago, the startling lack of the usual apoplexy and vigorous denials of the accusations, except of course from the media....

I don't know what they're up to, but Scotty's transformation isn't convincing.

[Night_Nurse]

4. Hmmm...

I never thought of that, but it totally makes sense. Yep... with that crowd, anything is possible.

[Night_Nurse]

5. And Olbermann gave him the entire hour on his show, as well. nt

[magellan]

6. And was too trusting of him IMO

I like KO, but I watched that entire interview in a daze of disappointment. Too quick to accept Scotty's explanations no matter how lame, or how obviously evasive he was.

[chknltl]

7. Something does indeed smell fishy.

This book's timing for one.... I expected to see the rats abandoning the sinking ship but this particular rat had left long ago... why did he jump out from the rock he crawled under AT THIS MOMENT?

If he thinks to follow David Brock's footsteps, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Brock he needs to do better. I suspect that he is holding back and I further suspect that his motives may be a bit more than what they seem.

[Demobrat]

8. I know. My skin crawled when he said to KO that Bush was committed

to the idea of bringing democracy to the mideast - or some shit like that. That's when I knew he was a phony. If he can still spout that bull ...something's rotten in Denmark.

[Fridays Child]

9. If you consider McClellan's facial expressions, body language, word choices...

...voice modulation, etc., both then and now, it's obvious that he has yet to stop dissembling. He possesses the demeanor of a desperate little boy who knows he's lying badly.

[curious one]

10. Do not agree with you. With a good editor, right criticism, and direction, anyone can publish.

Can you name anyone that challenged him on facts? Has anyone said that he lied?

[chill_wind]

11. What I found very telling was John Dean's dry, reserved reaction

after the K.O interview. What he called it as very possibly being:

"Limited Hangout".

(wikipedia) A limited hangout is a form of deception, misdirection, or coverup often associated with intelligence agencies involving a release or "mea culpa" type of confession of only part of a set of previously hidden sensitive information, that establishes credibility for the one releasing the information who by the very act of confession appears to be "coming clean" and acting with integrity; but in actuality by withholding key facts is protecting a deeper crime and those who could be exposed if the whole truth came out. In effect, if an array of offenses or misdeeds is suspected, this confession admits to a lesser offense while covering up the greater ones.

A limited hangout typically is a response to lower the pressure felt from inquisitive investigators pursuing clues that threaten to expose everything, and the disclosure is often combined with red herrings or propaganda elements that lead to false trails, distractions, or ideological disinformation; thus allowing covert or criminal elements to continue in their improper activities.

Victor Marchetti wrote: "A 'limited hangout' is spy jargon for a favorite and frequently used gimmick of the clandestine professionals. When their veil of secrecy is shredded and they can no longer rely on a phony cover story to misinform the public, they resort to admitting - sometimes even volunteering - some of the truth while still managing to withhold the key and damaging facts in the case. The public, however, is usually so intrigued by the new information that it never thinks to pursue the matter further."<1>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limited_hangout

I'd trust his assessment.

[habitual]

13. totally agree... he is totally bullshitting and trying to make it

seem like * did this for some moral reason. * was just following those strong convictions of bringing peace to the middle east...

HAHAHA, when i watched the interview i laughed, and i certainly didn't buy it.

[Disturbed]

14. Remember the ex CIA Agent who was all over on TV?

He was doing exactly that. Talking about Water Boarding not being a good thing but excusing it at the same time.

[creeksneakers2]

15. McClellan is only confessing part of the story

His confession helps but its a long way from complete. McClellan needs to give more specific examples. The White House denies that they ever tried to confuse the public about Iraq's involvement in 9/11. Scott would know if there was an overt White House strategy to manipulate the public with sentences referring to both 9/11 and Iraq.

The next cabal member who wants to cash in with a book deal will have to reveal more than McClellan has. Eventually, the truth will come out.

[KharmaTrain]

17. It's All CYA...

Snotty is a bit player in this tragedy...but one who saw what was going on. No, he wasn't making policy or sat in on the big meetings, but he surely was absorbing all that was going on around him and I have no doubt that the stories he relayed were genuine. He claims to have written the book himself, and I believe him...with the notable exception (and this is pretty standard on most writers...especially first timers) with either a ghostwriter polishing things up or an editor.

I agree this is a half-contrition...part vindictive, part guilt. He's opened a window into the byzantine world of this regime, but it was a world he thrived in. No question he is conflicted and he says there's more to tell, but I think he's testing the waters to see how much he can put out there. As we've seen, he's under relentless attack from people he once allied with and probably believed were his friends. Let's see if they piss him off and if there's more revelations.

Snotty didn't bury the bodies, but he sure knows where they are. And, yes, this will open the door for others to come forward...and they will...especially if the repugnicans get their asses handed to them in November. It'll be passing the buck and backstabbing time.

[EV_Ares]

16. So, take advantage of Congressman Wexler's position of having him

testify under oath to congress and move on with getting the criminals.

[babylonsister]

26. And he's agreed to do that. I hope it happens. nt

[stray cat]

18. He sounded very reasonable and reflective in the hour with Olberman

[mmonk]

19. That's the republican talking point, that he didn't write it,

his publisher did.

[Uncle Joe]

20. He definitely seemed to be hedging on The News Hour With Jim Lehrer last night.

He started softening Bush's outright lies, propaganda and manipulation of the press as hinting this was something the Clinton Administration did only Bush's was worse because it was permanent campaign mode for war.

To my knowledge the Clinton Administration never used a fake press planting people like Gannon/Guckert, or using preselected questions and questioners and pretending it was spontaneous just to fool the American People.

One other point, the corporate media was in permanent adversarial mode almost from day one with the Clinton Administration, with Cheney/Bush, the best they can do after getting spanked or lied to is bend over and say "May I have another one sir!?"

If he still defends or makes excuses for Bush after all this, in my mind McClellan hasn't learned shit.

[chill_wind]

21. ...

[Wizard777]

22. The book was probably ghost written.

That begins with the writer interviewing Scotty. Everything they write about his experiences is submitted for his approval. That give Scotty the ability to say, It didn't happen that way or you made that sound more ominous than it really was. You need to tone that down.

[chill_wind]

23. The White House vetted it. He gave them the manuscript

for national security reasons. He may have written every word of it himself, for all it matters (in my mind.)
But that makes their faux outrage absurd, and John Dean's assessment of whose book/purpose it really is makes convincing sense to me.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/05/29/DI2008052901874.html

[babylonsister]

27. It's been faux outrage at McClellan, not what was in the book. That's

a revelation in itself. I think Scott's outrage is real. I haven't seen Dean's take on it though.

[high density]

24. Whole hour?

Author Scott McClellan ("What Happened") talks about his controversial book; former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and DNC committee member Harold Ickes talk about delegate issues and the Puerto Rico primary. (CC)

[The Diest]

25. He keeps saying that Bush did things "unknowingly", which is

obviously crap.

Its all the media's fault, anyway.:sarcasm:

[robinlynne]

28. interesting hypothesis.

[bluesmail]

29. IMO it's Darth having something on McClellan, like if he has

kids, a wife, a family. Darth 'probably' wants to frame * for ALL the 'misdeeds' that Darth could be taken down for. Yep, Darth's up to no good, as usual. On Edit: I'll NEVER believe * wasn't AWOL! And he DID get busted for coke.

[Prophet 451]

30. Might not be lying

He would have to know that he was speaking untruth for it to be a lie. It may well be that McClellan is indulging in wishful thinking.