Bush Propagandist Complains Of Bush Propaganda
Former Press Secretary Wallops Bush
Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan writes in a surprisingly scathing memoir to be published next week that President Bush "veered terribly off course," was not "open and forthright on Iraq," and took a "permanent campaign approach" to governing at the expense of candor and competence.
Former White House Press Secretary presided over and perpetuated some of the most egregious and over the top propaganda EVER to emanate from the White House. In nearly three years as Press Secretary, he represented Our Glorious and Benevolent Leader © ably and capably. In doing so, he was the chief peddler of the propaganda so casually trafficked in by the Bush Administration. If the charges McClellan makes in his new book are indeed true, then he is every bit as guility as The Worst President EVER © . After all, he was the public face of the propaganda and the duplicity.
I could perhaps understand McClellan having a "come to Jesus" moment and recognizing that he was indeed the public face of the lie, the propaganda, and the epic dishonesty that has characterized the Bush Presidency since Day One. Here's the problem I have with McClellan's sudden attack of consicence, though: First of all, he stood behind the podium in the White House Press Room for almost three years, peddling the propaganda and the party line with a degree of precision and commitment that at no time belied any uneasiness with having to be the public face of failure, ineptitude, and incompetence. NOW he's coming clean about the true nature of perhaps the most inept, incompetent, dishonest, and mean-spirited Administration in our nation's history?
Oh, but of course; McClellan has a book to sell...and when you're a despicable, amoral turncoat, well, what else are you going to do?
I believe that what McClellan is selling is probably closer to the unvarnished truth than ANYTHING that's ever exited Dana Perino's lips. What I cannot stand is his willingness to trade 9and profit) off his role in promoting and promulgating the Bush Administration's propaganda and talking points. Scott McClellan was at the center of the vortex for close to three years. Now that's he's got a book to sell he's going to fall on his sword, hit the talk show circuit and shout "J'accuse!!" to anyone with $27.95 to spare? To call McClellan's behavior despicable wouldn't begin to do justice to the depth and breadth of my disdain for him.
It would seem that McClellan has a number of issues with this Administration:
• McClellan charges that Bush relied on "propaganda" to sell the war.
• He says the White House press corps was too easy on the administration during the run-up to the war.
• He admits that some of his own assertions from the briefing room podium turned out to be "badly misguided."
• The longtime Bush loyalist also suggests that two top aides held a secret West Wing meeting to get their story straight about the CIA leak case at a time when federal prosecutors were after them -- and McClellan was continuing to defend them despite mounting evidence they had not given him all the facts.
• McClellan asserts that the aides -- Karl Rove, the president's senior adviser, and I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the vice president's chief of staff -- "had at best misled" him about their role in the disclosure of former CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity.
OK, let's get something straight here, shall we? Scott McClellan is no idiot. If he was "misled", it was likely due to his own willful ignorance of the reality swirling around him. Now that he's trying to sell a book, we're supposed to believe that he regrets his naivete and inability to recognize the lies and the propaganda that he was tasked with spreading?
Now that McClellan has a book to sell, we're supposed to believe that he's suddenly decided to fall on the sword of public opinion and ask for forgiveness (and their money)? Yes, for $27.95, you too can read all about McClellan's conversion from KoolAid-swilling Right-wing zealot to someone who is finally willing to admit to the reality that, for almost three years, he unquestioningly pedaled lies, propaganda, and talking points designed to stifle dissent and ward off justified criticism.
I realize that this is a horribly uncharitable description of McClellan, but every time I see him, the first thing that comes to mind is Monty Python's "Sniveling Little Rat-faced Git".
It wouldn't hurt if it weren't true, right??
I'm not defending McClellen's previous aid to the republican propaganda machine, but will point out that it's never too late to do the right thing, and the timing of the book is right on.
From the book's jacket:
Gee I wonder if McCain has ordered his copy yet.
I won't buy the book (I'm slowly finishing a Richard Dawkins, and this one is next on my list.) There's no need to purchase McClellen's better late than never account of the war mongering liars in the white house, I expect that the blogosphere will be rich with quotes quite soon.
My 2nd best vision of a suitable post presidency for W and all of his conspirators: When any of them approach a Motel 6, the lights turn off.
While I am glad that more and more of Bush's rats are deserting him and exposing him for the worst president ever he is and has been, this isn't about "coming clean". This is about Scottie cashing in and he waited too long to really harm ShrubCo. Note the shift away from Bush and his administration, the GOP is making a concerted effort to distance themselves so as to try and avoid that taint that comes with Bush.
Justice delayed is jusstice denied as the old saying goes....
I'm not impressed. Scottie has written a book outlining what we (the critically thinking public knew...Bush is/was lying. About almost everything. There, I just saved everyone $30.00.
It is kind of fun, though, to watch them eat their own.