What Happened, Scott?
Outgoing White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan (R) passes behind U.S. President George W. Bush as they arrive to announce that Tony Snow will serve as the new press secretary in the briefing room of the White House in Washington in this April 26, 2006 file photo. McClellan says in an upcoming book that he was misled by President George W. Bush and other high officials into misinforming the press about a CIA leak case that fueled debate about the Iraq war. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/Files (UNITED STATES)MSNBC:
In an excerpt from his forthcoming book, McClellan recounts the 2003 news
conference in which he told reporters that aides Karl Rove and I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby were "not involved" in the leak involving operative Valerie Plame.
"There was one problem. It was not true," McClellan writes, according
to a brief excerpt released Monday. "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."
Until the book comes out (due out in April), and we know the excerpt in its full context (think: the Alan Greenspan quote about Iraq being a war for oil), I have nothing to critique.
But do have a question:
So....when's the 60 Minutes interview?
And will George Bush come out with a "tell-all", outing himself on 60 Minutes when he retires? Good grief!
Well, here's an interesting update even as I type:
MSNBC News Services
updated 1 minute ago
WASHINGTON - Former
White House spokesman Scott McClellan does not believe President Bush lied to
him about the role of White House aides I. Lewis Scooter Libby or Karl Rove in the leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity, according to McClellan's publisher.Peter Osnos, the founder and editor-in-chief of Public Affairs Books, which is publishing McClellan's book in April, tells NBC from his Connecticut home that McCLellan, "Did not intend to suggest Bush lied to him."
Osnos says when McClellan went before the White House press corps in 2003 to publicly exonerate Libby and Rove, the problem was that his statement was not true. Osnos said the president told McClellan what "he thought to be the case." But, he says, McClellan believes, "the president didn't know it was not true."
Osnos says the quotes which appeared on the Public Affairs Books website
were part of the roll out of the book catalogues for the spring printings. And
he says McClellan had not finished the manuscript for the memoir yet and was
working under deadline to have the book completed for the April
publishing.
Hat tip: Flopping Aces
Labels: 60 Minutes, PlameGate, Scott McClellan
posted by The WordSmith from Nantucket at 11/21/2007 11:24:00 AM
11 Comments:
I was shocked when I heard this and wonder how mich is out of context or partially mis-quoted.
The libs will play this one to the hilt but it won't make any head way with the people though they will try!
Happy Thanksgiving my friend!
This is just another marketing gimmick by the publisher at the expense of the President.
And Scott should be ashamed for allowing it to happen.
Bush gave him HIS loyalty when many of us were calling for Scott to be canned and let someone GOOD do the job.
This is how he repays Bush?
Mike, I don't think we can hold Scott McClellan responsible for the publisher's marketing ploy to garner interest and controversy. Sounds like Scott came to bat, just like Greenspan did, when critics began salivating over potential "Bush lied" evidence. Otherwise, we'd still be waiting for the book to find out the exact details and context.
I can't say I'm too surprised. It'll give the upcoming publishing launch a boost. But it's not to be released until March, I think, so I don't know why it was leaked so early. Maybe to boost speaking engagement fees.
I like Scott but he's not the sharpest tool in the shed. We'll see how it all plays out.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I agree with Mike: Marketing gimmick. Still, just the idea of these kiss and tell books is difficult. I guess if someone gets permission, before becoming a trusted White House aide, to write a dirt-cheap attack on their former boss, then okay.
Anyway, I came over here to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Turkey Day!
I agree wholeheartedly with Mike. I'm glad you posted the update because I was about ready to take Scott to the woodshed. He was by far my least favorite press secretary and this kind of stuff isn't going to help him.
I listened to Alan Colmes smugly grilling Robert Novak on what he knew about Scott McClellan's excerpt from his book. Unfortunately, Robert Novak hadn't heard about this at all and offered no comment, and neither were aware of the update. I just happened upon it by accident one minute after it was posted up.
Typical salivating.
At least they posted an update before making themselves look more foolish.
Some are hoping the sound-byte lie will become entrenched. But Scott issuing an almost instant clarifiction scuttles that which proves the smear merchants are still stuck in the print&TV era.
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