McClellan Memoir: Rove Not Honest About CIA Leak

[TacticalPeek]

Source: Dallas Morning News


McClellan Memoir: Rove Not Honest About CIA Leak

6:10 PM Tue, May 27, 2008

Wayne Slater

Former White House spokesman Scott McClellan says Karl Rove and convicted Cheney chief of staff Scooter Libby met in secret as the prosecutors circled in the CIA leak case. In his new book, McClellan suggests the two aides went behind closed doors int he West Wing to get their story straight. And McClellan finally opens up about that notorious news conference in which he misled the media by saying Rove and Libby hadn't peddled Valerie Plame's name. In fact, they had. McClellan says he was misled by the pair -- and sent into the White House briefing with a lie.

McClellan, the son of former state Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, was one of the Texans who went to Washington with George W. Bush. The book isn't supposed to be out until Sunday. But Politico's Mike Allen bought a copy at a Washington bookstore and spilled the beans. Among the memoir's assertions: President Bush "veered terribly off course" was not "open and forthright on Iraq." McClellan says the president relied on propaganda, not strong evidence to sell the war.

Read more: http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/05/mcclellan-memoir-rove-not-hone.html

[madaboutharry]

1. McClellan is a pissy faced lying jerk.

He had the opportunity to act like a man and chose not to.

[MrModerate]

3. While he may be all those things you call him . . . and more . . .

Mostly he was an appartchik, a tool, who saw it as his mission to do what he was told in the best way he could.

Such a point of view requires that you check your self-respect at the door. It's the hallmark of the Bush administration.

[jasmine621]

9. You are too kind. nt

[tctctctc]

28. LOL

[Laura PourMeADrink]

12. But, hell, he's a pissy faced lying jerk that is AT LEAST AT LAST

having a conscience - or so it seems. He's taking a huge
leap coming out against these diabolical criminals. Give
him some credit. He's probably very guilty of stupidity -
thinking these jokers were on the up and up. He strikes
me as very much a Bush-like figure. Both dumb and easily
manipulated by the evil ones.

[cstanleytech]

25. Saying this now so he can make $$$ selling his book

hardly means he has a conscience, if $$$ made a person a conscience then Bush and Cheney would not have done what they have done these past few years to this nation.

[Fovea]

32. A nest of vipers

Now biting each other freely.

This is going to collapse big. The Dubya gang is going to form a circular firing squad if Darth Cheney does not do something dramatic. How dramatic? Would nuke bunker busters in Iran do it?

You think they are going to let simple Scotty get away with this?

Unlikely.

It's the legacy, stupid. And by stupid, I mean Scott.

[poverlay]

39. Oh man I can't wait.... This is gonna get so so goood. I hope the coming shit-storm is

all we've dreamed:nuke:

I really do hate the bitterly sad: "it's kind of too late", feeling though.

[dave123williams]

53. If I could get rich while throwing Bush, Cheney and Rummy under the bus, I'd do it too.

[fascisthunter]

58. Getting Rich at the Expense of Bush... my your morals are in order

let me dust off that shoulder. There ya go..... keep riding cowboy.

[cstanleytech]

60. Well seeing as I never sold my soul

to become a stooge I will keep on riding all right, I'll be waiting on up ahead for you to slowly catch up one day *grin*

[fascisthunter]

62. lol... I Never Sold My Soul Either

yet I don't ride on any high horses like you do. I'm grinning from ear to ear, and you went the wrong way, so you won't be seeing me anytime soon.

[cstanleytech]

68. Hey now, I have a perfect right to be on my little pony :P lol

I didnt mean to imply you sold your soul either but that the guy did, he had to have known what he was getting into at that point back when he joined Bush and if not then he was a fool.
As for me going the wrong way, no I have not and I doubt many if any here on DU have unless they voted for Bush in 2000/2004 or are supporting McCain.

[fascisthunter]

69. ah... it was a pony. My Mistake

well, be an ass like me... we don't need no stinkin' ponies...

[Orsino]

49. But when *Scott McClellan* can lecture the MSM on credibility and ethics...

...the MSM should consider themselves punked indeed. Watch them scramble to avoid admitting that they cheerfully catapulted obviously bogus propaganda.

[fascisthunter]

54. oh well.... go pissy faced lying jerk!

go under oath and spill da beans.

:popcorn:

[MrModerate]

2. Rove not honest? There's a frakkin' shock. n/t

[stillcool]

4. what a shocker...

I suppose now that the end is near we will hear a long list of mea culpa's. Fuck them all.

[Fresh_Start]

5. please let there be a possibility of perjury trials for Rove

I'd love to see Fitz nail them all

[Ferd Berfle]

6. So Where was the Pillsbury Dough-Boy when we needed him?

Too little to late fat-bastard

[UpInArms]

7. McClellan has the strangest way of

being a liar - it appears that he is attempting to cleanse himself by dirtying someone else -

:think:

Oh!

Wait!

That's the rethugliCON way!!!!

[Baby Snooks]

8. Just another rat who jumped ship...

He knows it's "safe" to be honest now so he's decided he will be but by waiting to be honest, he's dishonest.

None of this matters. The Empress took impeachment off the table. No one will be held accountable. Particularly if a Clinton becomes president and once again just covers it all up by just ignoring it all.

[Garbo 2004]

23. Actually he was shoved, didn't jump, off the ship. Which may or may not have something to do with

the apparent tenor of his memoir....

[truthisfreedom]

10. Hey McClellan, I don't believe you. You lied before, and you're lying again. There's much more

to tell, isn't there? MUCH MUCH more. Stuff about Guckert/Gannon, perhaps? A few lies about the Secret Service's log entries?

You've profited mightily by your little useless leakage, haven't you?

[Shoelace]

30. he's probably saving the good stuff for after 2008

in defending himself he says in Politico's exclusive article about the book (Politico didn't sign the agreement to remain silent about what the book said as other journalists had):

The book begins with McClellan’s statement to the press that he had talked with Rove and Libby and that they had assured him they “were not involved in … the leaking of classified information.”

At Libby’s trial, testimony showed the two had talked with reporters about the officer, however elliptically.

“I had allowed myself to be deceived into unknowingly passing along a falsehood,” McClellan writes. “It would ultimately prove fatal to my ability to serve the president effectively. I didn’t learn that what I’d said was untrue until the media began to figure it out almost two years later.

“Neither, I believe, did President Bush. He, too, had been deceived and therefore became unwittingly involved in deceiving me. But the top White House officials who knew the truth — including Rove, Libby and possibly Vice President Cheney — allowed me, even encouraged me, to repeat a lie.”

McClellan also suggests that Libby and Rove secretly colluded to get their stories straight at a time when federal investigators were hot on the Plame case.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10649.html



It's as I figured all along, Bush, Scotty and others were dumb ass pawns in Rove, Cheney's treasonous plots.

[Raster]

11. Memo to Snotty Scotty: You're still a LIAR!

[creeksneakers2]

13. The truth will trickle out book by book

Each new book deal requires revelations. We've only scratched the surface.

"“The collapse of the administration’s rationales for war, which became apparent months after our invasion, should never have come as such a surprise. … In this case, the ‘liberal media’ didn’t live up to its reputation. If it had, the country would have been better served.” Scott McClellan

I welcome Scott's partial reformation. It looks like more is confessed to than the Politico lets on. There's still plenty McClellan isn't telling though.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10649.html

[Myrina]

14. " ... relied on propaganda ...to sell the war ..." ? WTF?

How 'bout BushCo CREATED PROPAGANDA to sell the war ??


:wtf:

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

15. The Repugs sure are masters at scapegoating and eating their own...

McClellan should be in jail right along with KKKarl for being an accomplice, complicit in his treasonous acts. SM knew at the time that KKKarl Rove was guilty of treason; he is a willing accomplice. I have no sympathy for him. Let the Repugs continue to self destruct.

[bluesmail]

16. So now what? Libby has his so-called pardon, * is still in so-called

charge...The HJC is getting so close, I hope they don't blow it in the end, (ironclad, ironclad, no wiggle room, please).

[muntrv]

17. Neither are you, Scotty.

[WhiteTara]

18. did he tell all this to Fitz?

I think not. Wonder if he can be indicted for perjury?

[yardwork]

19. If he's going to spill the truth, I wish that he would spill it all.

I fear that he's just telling the world what we already know, not the real secrets and lies.

[yellerpup]

20. Good to have confirmation from an insider.

Not news though. We've known this for a loooooong time. K&R! :kick:

Edit for spelling.

[Janeite]

21. Thanks for the truthiness, Scotty,

unfortunately it's a little too late which makes you complicit in it all.

[Dangerously Amused]

22. Poor poor Scotty, another victim of the Bush junta.

They sent him out armed with lies? I am shocked I tell you, SHOCKED I say!

[JI7]

38. he is not a victim, he knew they were lies and went along with it

[Dangerously Amused]

40. Sorry, didn't think I needed the "sarcasm" smilie.

And now it's too late to edit my OP. So I'll add it here, nunc pro tunc: :sarcasm:

[NewEnglandGirl]

24. I was just watching about this on AC360

and AC said that Scott McLellan says that in spite of all of this he still respects Bush. That must mean that he needs a lobotomy.

[Javaman]

26. seems as if scotty tissue has had a question of conscious.

trying desperately to cleanse his soul.

Sorry scotty, keep scrubbing.

[NorthCarolina]

27. What, Rove lied? I am utterly shocked to hear such a thing

:eyes:

[defendandprotect]

29. His father is Barr McClellan who wrote "Blood, Money, Power" - How LBJ Killed JFK....

a greatly revealing book --- especially about LBJ's friend/murderer-at-large Malcolm Wallace . . .
whose finger prints have been identified on one of the cartons in the Texas School Depository
"Sniper's Nest" . . !!

[Samantha]

59. Sorry I didn't see your thread earlier

that portion of the "Sniper's Nest" is a standout part of the book whom I have heard NO ONE refute. How can that be disputed? If nothing else, that point makes this book worth reading.

I also read once that Jackie Kennedy had commissioned a private French investigation into her husband's assassination. The findings from the French investigators would not be revealed until 50 years after (I believe it was Jack's death, but it might have been hers). I certainly would like to unearth that information again to refresh the deadline on that. But I remember thinking when I first read it, I would not live long enough to know its findings.

I believe she set that deadline to protect Caroline's and John Jr.'s interests ....

[defendandprotect]

63. Excellent book ---

Well, of course they do try to refute it ---
No matter how many experts you get to say it's a match ---
like Global Warming, they will find some corrupt source to say it doesn't sufficiently match ---

Perhaps you've also seen Madelaine Brown's video on YouTube which goes into specifics on Malcolm
Wallace as LBJ's personal murderer ---

Evidently, people like this are easy enough to come by in the criminal world and often hired
by people like LBJ with "work" for them --- it just happened that this was a personal friend.

Jackie Kennedy told us immediately that her husband's head had been blown apart and she was holding
parts of his skull in her hands -- plus pieces flying off to the rear of the limo. Also immediately
stories of denial appeared confusing the public --- however, the public finally has come to understand what actually went down that day. And, thanks also to the many investigators who
continued on despite the dangers. Look at the attacks on Jim Garrison, for instance!
He really knocked over the myths.

I also read once that Jackie Kennedy had commissioned a private French investigation into her husband's assassination. The findings from the French investigators would not be revealed until 50 years after (I believe it was Jack's death, but it might have been hers). I certainly would like to unearth that information again to refresh the deadline on that. But I remember thinking when I first read it, I would not live long enough to know its findings.

I believe she set that deadline to protect Caroline's and John Jr.'s interests ....

I would easily believe that she has left records ---
however, we now have the situation of JFK, Jr.'s untimely death ---
also getting harder and harder to believe . . .

Anyway, Barr McClellan did a great job in filling in a whole lot of the puzzle ---
And both LBJ and Nixon seem to have in common having their consciences catch up with them in
the White House --- both seem to have been raving loonies by the time they were leaving.

[Samantha]

72. Sorry, I just saw your response - I have been really busy here

these last two days. If you ever come across that info about the investigation Jackie commissioned, will you please let me know?

I have read a ton of political books over my lifetime, and this one is a true standout.

What do you think the future holds for Barr McClellan's son's book, "What Happened."

It's ironic you mention in your last line the mental states of both Nixon and LBJ. I have wondered from time to time if George W. Bush* will suffer that same mental destiny.

[Festivito]

31. Worth an investigatory subpoena. Hi scam'n Scotty. /nt

[Samantha]

33. I immediately thought of his father's - Barr McClellan's - book

"Blood, Money & Power, - How L.B.J. killed J.F.K." Featured in the History Channel's chronicles of the John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories, this book caused incredible ricochets throughout the Country, but especially within the Johnson family. Fascinating reading. I highly recommend it.

Like father, like son? Whistle-blowing political books which turn into bestsellers generate much money for authors? Something tells me though when I read this book, I will believe much of it.

Sam

[Shoelace]

37. I've just been watching this on You Tube

alot of things I never knew about LBJ, that's for darned sure. Can hardly wait to get that book too.

It's the History Channel's "The Guilty Men" in the series dealing with JFK's death. There are interviews with Barr McClennan and many others. Looks like the son is following in his father's footsteps.
This guy on You tube has the whole series in 9 minute segments. It's a must see to fathom exactly how corrupt and murderous our government has been for so long and still is.

If I were Obama, I wouldn't be trusting the Secret Service after watching this program. They were complicit in JFK's death for sure.

http://www.youtube.com/user/TMWKK

PS: I've not yet watched the 12 part series on the Clintons yet, saving that one for tomorrow.

[Samantha]

41. This thread I wrote last year on this subject might interest you

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=3120010&mesg_id=3121565

Here's the concluding paragraph,

"It is simply miraculous that the American public survived the tragedies of the the assassinations of John Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy and can analytically discuss today who or what might have caused these tragedies to befall these wonderful men. THE ONLY GOOD I CAN THINK OF THAT AROSE FROM THEIR PREMATURE DEATHS IS THAT WE AS A PEOPLE LOST OUR NAIVETY ABOUT THE INABILITY OF THOSE WHO GOVERN US TO PARTICIPATE IN INCOMPREHENSIBLY BARBARIC ACTS OF CRIMINAL CONDUCT. For those who were unconvinced that "The Ugly American" could truly exist as that book proclaimed, at least these losses forced them to contemplate the previously inconceivable."

Sam

PS Once one starts reading "Blood, Money & Power" it's impossible to put it down.

[Shoelace]

52. phew, and GHWB was in on JFK's murder too, and his son..

thanks for the link to your post Samantha. I think that this needs to be aired sometime soon so that all the new Democrats here can see how it all worked back then and how it still does work.

One thing I'd like to look deeper into is the connections with the Texas oil boyz through those years up to now. Clint Murchison, Zapata Oil, etc., all deserve further vetting as far as I can see. Those Texas Oil folks were scared to death that JFK was going to cut their "oil depletion allowances" which was a biggy then (don't know if that is true today) which is probably where all the payoffs came from (and they were huge according to History's documentary).

Someone in your thread had a link to a very revealing article from Portland Indymedia, exposing the GHWB, Dubya connections going back that far in a video at the link. The first paragraph kind of says it all:

All in all a through film of the evidence at hand: a small network of CIA assassins, all interlinked in Skull and Bones, created a criminal shadow government that became a major force in U.S. history. The people involved in the Kennedy assassination still run the United states in 2005. These groups took control of the Presidency in November 1963, keeping it ever since.

http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2006/04/337455.shtml?discuss

Yes, it's amazing that we Americans have survived all these murders but it's made many of us very cynical about all politicians as it appears one can't enter the golden gates of DC without some damn good connections to alot of very shady, corrupt souls!

[Samantha]

57. Well, I might think about doing that if I thought you would actively

participate. I am crazy busy right now and could use a little help (maybe a co-hosting) with that. I just did one last week and got so "embedded" in it, I neglected a lot of my responsibilities.

But I have been taking another look at this for a very specific reason (a timely one at that). So let me know your thoughts. You can PM if you like.

Thanks.

Sam

[Shoelace]

61. I hear you, I've been swamped of late too

but I'll pm you tomorrow when I've got more time and will definitely support you with any info I can dig up. I'm pretty good at research but short on time too so let's keep in touch as RFK's murder anniversary is coming up and I sure would like to know more about LBJ's connections to him.
RFK and Sargeant Shriver are two of my favorite people in politics so anything in that direction would be right up my alley.
Am going to try to get to the library this weekend to get McCellan's book to read too as well as the other research I've been doing on the subject.

[scarface2004]

34. hey snotty scotty....so?

bush is a frickin cretin...what do you expect?!?!?!

[curiousdemo]

35. Where's Bush and Company now....

:hide:

[DainBramaged]

36. Well.........

[mitchum]

42. Absolve me by buying my book...because brain cancer is just so...unpleasant

[PuraVidaDreamin]

43. Too little, too late, BUT can't wait to watch Dana Perino's head pop off

spinning this!!!!

[defendandprotect]

64. They all seem to have the same hynotically disorienting shield of

blank faced denial --- where do you learn this?

Dana --- the hypnotically beautiful liar ---

[Maine-ah]

44. here's another about his book

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24848910
Ex-press aide writes Bush misled U.S. on Iraq
Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan writes in a new memoir that the Iraq war was sold to the American people with a sophisticated "political propaganda campaign" led by President Bush and aimed at "manipulating sources of public opinion" and "downplaying the major reason for going to war."

McClellan includes the charges in a 341-page book, "What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception," that delivers a harsh look at the White House and the man he served for close to a decade. He describes Bush as demonstrating a "lack of inquisitiveness," says the White House operated in "permanent campaign" mode, and admits to having been deceived by some in the president's inner circle about the leak of a CIA operative's name.

The book, coming from a man who was a tight-lipped defender of administration aides and policy, is certain to give fuel to critics of the administration, and McClellan has harsh words for many of his past colleagues. He accuses former White House adviser Karl Rove of misleading him about his role in the CIA case. He describes Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as being deft at deflecting blame, and he calls Vice President Cheney "the magic man" who steered policy behind the scenes while leaving no fingerprints.

[SpiralHawk]

45. 'Culture of Deception" - perfect description of republiconism

eom

[defendandprotect]

65. "...sophisticated "political propaganda campaign"....

sophisticated "political propaganda campaign"

Actually, it seemed like a pretty fraught-with problems campaign of propaganda to me --
Congress supposedly believed this crap---???

Much of the public didn't believe it --- !!!

The counter-stories from UN inspectors, etal made clear that these were lies ---

NOT to say that the right-wing hasn't studied propaganda ---
they did of course, including in the Nixon White House where they played and studied the
old Hitler/Nazi films.

And it wasn't until a number of years ago that authors even began to mention r-w "propaganda" --
thanks to Prof. Mark Crispin Miller ---

STILL no discussion of "propaganda" in the corporate-media ---
and use of it by GOP robots and presidents "catapulting the propaganda" ---

[VWolf]

46. Hey Scotty,

care to say these things under oath?

If not, piss off.

[nichomachus]

47. Please be accurate. "Not honest" = "Lied"

[Ian_rd]

50. Rule No. 1476 of Washington Politics ...

1476. Never shall lies be referred to as "lies." This is simply too strong a word and may serve to tarnish the reputation of a fellow politician beyond what is warranted. Deception of the public is a daily duty, and care must be taken to prevent this duty from being inhibited. Instead of "lie," refer to other politicians' deceptions as: misstatements, exaggerations, dissembling, not honest, less than accurate, misrepresentations, or any other synonym of "lie."

[LynneSin]

48. Whoa - I just read the article on Yahoo News! Why isn't this on the home page

:wow:

[no limit]

51. I guess the money from the last book ran out.

[fascisthunter]

55. GOOD! Have Fun Righties

[Name removed]

56. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[defendandprotect]

66. rec

[defendandprotect]

67. rec

[SomeGuyInEagan]

70. Who cares ...

McClennen will make his money off the book.

Bush will retire to Dallas and live in a gated community.

Cheney will move to the Middle East.

Rice will go back to Stanford.

Powell will lead parades on the 4th of July and Memorial Day.

Rummy will write his own book.

Rove will continue his fear-mongering for hire.

O'Reilly and Hannity and Coulter will continue to whorishly spew whatever lies they are paid to spew.

Yadda, yadda, yadda.

Even *if* we get a Democrat in the White House (I don't trust the machines) and a veto-proof majority in the Senate, nobody's going to get punished for the past eight years.

Meanwhile, thousands die and my two-year-old daughter and those in her generation face a future much more dangerous and with fewer opportunities than than should be the case.

They should be rounded up and marched to jail, but it just won't happen.

[odelisk8]

71. scotty

is a smarmy little weasel who is now running to cover his ass...i didn't trust him when he was LYING in the White House and I don't trust him now...anyone who gives this jerkoff money buying his book is a fool...like we need HIM to tell us that the whole administration is packed with criminal liars...like we need HIM to tell us Rove and Scooter The Felon were up to their necks in Plame...HA! go f yourself scotty...

his whole schtick now is, oh, we were all lying but we didn't KNOW we were lying...

he needs to be put in the clink with the rest of the scum...