Saturday, June 07, 2008

 

On McClellan, Past and Present

If you want to read a serious book about the intervention in Iraq, try War and Decision. - By Christopher Hitchens - Slate Magazine: "I used to watch this mooncalf blunder his way through press conferences and think, Exactly where do we find such men? For the job of swabbing out the White House stables, yes. But for any task involving the weighing of words? Hah! Now it seems that he realizes, and with a shock at that, that there was a certain amount of 'spin' or propaganda involved in his job description. Well, give the man a cigar. Beyond that, the book is effectively valueless to the anti-war camp since, as McClellan says of the president, 'I consider him a fundamentally decent person, and I do not believe he or his White House deliberately or consciously sought to deceive the American people.'"

And from this very blog:
"Putting a guy like Tony there is what should've happened after Ari left. There was never a good excuse for McClellan. With access to the whole country, he picked Scott to speak publicly for him. An outsider would wonder if there was no better candidates available. This shows much better taste.
Monday, November 15, 2004
A Request, Mr. President?
While you are making all of these changes to your cabinet, could you do me one favor? Could you please replace McClellan? Unlike Ari, Scott is boring. Maybe you want him to be so that the presidential briefing does not so often end up on the 11 o'clock news, but you couldn't have picked a blander briefer."

As usual, Hitchy says it better, but also as usual, I agree. In fact, going back to see my words on McClellan, I was shocked to find my words were not sharper and more venomous. I remember cursing the decision. I suppose I was trying to sound more diplomatic or professional. Not sure why.
I simply never understood why we would choose him to follow Ari, who I quite admired. This is, however, pay back for such a stupid choice. He was never smart enough for the job, and he is clearly not confident enough to be loyal to those that gave him the job he never deserved in the first place. This is not to say that a person should be loyal above all, if there is something of value to share. McClellan, however, does not really say anything. Interestingly, I saw someone trying to defend him (can't remember who) by saying that the publisher "talked him into" a negative piece, using the carrot of bigger sales. That is terribly sad that a man who was the spokesman for the leader of the free world could be "talked into" something so stupid and that his defenders had no better explanation. They could've simply said, "Scott does not have a mind of his own. Poor guy."

Comments:
Finally we have someone who is beginning to tell us the truth and not hide behind the skirts of George Bush and his cronies. If everything Scott McClellan is saying is a lie, then why is he willing to testify before Congress? If he lies there he can be put behind bars like Mr. Libby was imprisoned. Why doesn't Cheney and Rove go before Congress and testify under oath if their version of the truth is different? How about you going before Congress and tell us your version of the truth!

Stop trying to treat the American public as if they are idiots! It is time people like you are held accountable for how you misled us! You need to learn, sir, that it is not honorable or proper loyalty to obey a president who orders you to do something illegal, to mislead the public, or hide the illegal activities of your superiors. Scott McClellan is twice the man you will ever be.
 
First of all, the comment left here seems to partly be written to me, CB, and partly to the President. The author, however, does not address which one. Also, it seems this writer likes Scott simply because he spoke ill of a President the author already disliked. Scott was preaching to the choir and this author is in the front row. It turns out the publisher was right. If he spoke ill of his former boss, sales would indeed be better. Too bad he can't buy a brain.
 
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