Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan says that President Bush knowingly allowed him to present "false information" about the Valerie Plame affair to the press in a small excerpt from his upcoming book that was released online today.
Mr. McClellan's publisher, Public Affairs Books, took the unique step of releasing just three paragraphs --121 words in all -- from "What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and What's Wrong with Washington."
The book is not due to be released until April.
But Mr. McClellan's explosive, if somewhat vague, charge is sure to spark lots of interest and conversation over the coming months.
The excerpt never specifically says what the "false information" was, though it's clear from the context that Mr. McClellan is referring to the many assertions he made that no one in the Bush administration had leaked CIA agent Valerie Plame's name to columnist Robert Novak.
"I stood at the White house briefing room podium in front of the glare of the klieg lights for the better part of two weeks and publicly exonerated two of the senior-most aides in the White House: Karl Rove and Scooter Libby," Mr. McClellan writes.
"There was one problem. It was not true," he writes.
Mr. McClellan says in the quest to "restore credibility [Mr. Bush] lost amid the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq," the president and four of his top aides let the press secretary run with a lie.
"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," Mr. McClellan writes.
Mr. McClellan is the second former Bush administration official to publicly criticize Mr. Bush this year. In the spring, former Bush campaign strategist Matthew Dowd said he had lost faith in Mr. Bush because of the Iraq war and because of his hard-nosed style of politics.
But Mr. McClellan was closer to Mr. Bush than Mr. Dowd, having worked for the president since the 2000 election. When Mr. McClellan resigned, Mr. Bush said that "one of these days he and I are going to be rocking on chairs in Texas, talking about the good old days."
One former colleague of Mr. McClellan's said he was "very surprised" at the charges, and the timing of the excerpt release.
"I don't know why they came out now when the book is scheduled to be released in April. Perhaps he was jealous of Rove being a journalist and wanted to steal some of the spotlight," the former White House official said, referring to Mr. Rove's recently inked deal to write a regular column for Newsweek.
In a recent interview, Mr. McClellan said he was busy working on the final portions of the book, and offered a dim prediction for Mr. Bush's last year in office. Mr. McClellan said that Mr. Bush would have to stay focused on Iraq and the economy, hoping that neither situation collapses.
"It's such a bitter environment in Washington right now that it's going to be tough for the president to get much accomplished beyond that," Mr. McClellan said. "There's so much bad blood in the water."
— Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times
Comments (8)
Gosh. What a shock. I had no idea that Republicans in the Bush Administration and the Prez hisself, would mis-represent the truth to the American people. Well, ya know, perhaps if the former press secretary (or any one else associated with the Cheney/Bush team), had a pair of gonads at the time, he may have spoken the truth as he knew it to be. Well, better late than never. Maybe he'll come up with some other 'shocking revelation' such as "there were really no WMD's and GW knew it". That would be yet another shocker, no?
Posted by SG47 | November 20, 2007 8:42 PM
I have absolutely no respect for any official who is entrusted with White House secrets and then spills the beans as soon as he's off the job. I have news for McClellan. EVERY administration has skeletons in the closet. I dare him to come up with one good thing that will come out of his opening his big mouth and telling the world about them. The skeletons will continue to dangle long after he has dazzled us with the "truth". If McClellan actually cared about the state of Washington these days, he wouldn't be peddling his 'shocking revelations'. Some things -- like personal integrity -- are worth more than money.
Posted by Alice | November 21, 2007 12:41 AM
"I had unknowingly passed along false information."
What a coward. President Bush was assured that there were WMDs in Iraq and yet you don't hear him whining about how he was misinformed.
This is McClellan's magic window to capitalize financially from his time in the administration. Sleep well buddy.
Posted by Todd | November 21, 2007 5:41 AM
yeah.. revolution is abt start tomorrow. this fake gvt must be wiped out and replaced with true men who own great value. a follower of constitution. not a unlawful president who broke laws from constitution that founders made for protect America.
Posted by ron paul fan | November 21, 2007 5:52 AM
The claims that "Bush Lied" are becoming a major selling point for people nowadays. If you want to sell a book, movie, or newspaper, just include statements that President Bush "forced" you to lie to the American people. Your statements don't have to be true and you don't have to provide any coroberating evidence, people have been told that Bush and the Republicans are lairs so many times and for so long that any general statements to the same will be accepted and believed. You'll sell a lot of books that way, won't you Mr. McClellan?
Posted by Ray | November 21, 2007 11:12 AM
Oh Boo Hoo, stop your partisan whining Alice, that is more than just spilling the beans, it has a lot to do with National Security and the administration taking the Government and the American people for a ride. And Scott is doing a service, one just a bit too late unfortunately. I met Scott in a Bar in Georgetown, he seemed like an okay guy. Someone who was too much of a free thinker, not the Fox News Right wing yes man that Tony Snow is.
Posted by Brian K | November 21, 2007 12:13 PM
Washington appears to be place where people want to reject the scientific/social/economic, etc. breakthroughs of the Renaissance/Age of Reason. I would suppose that they wish to return to the Feudal Dark Ages (on both sides of the isle).
If Mr. McClellan was in fact mislead for "2 weeks" it is sorrowful that he was placed in that position. On the other hand, a person with an appropriate sense of critical thinking, a reasonable state of reason and its associated prerequisite of Inquiry; how did he let this go on without seeing what most everyone else could see. (Credibility gap?)
One must do their duty but at the same time protect their integrity. Where is his sense of honest curiosity?
In addition, Mr. McClellan's reported statement, "It's such a bitter environment in Washington right now that it's going to be tough for the president to get much accomplished beyond that," Mr. McClellan said. "There's so much bad blood in the water.""It's such a bitter environment in Washington right now that it's going to be tough for the president to get much accomplished beyond that," Mr. McClellan said. "There's so much bad blood in the water.""
One could easily surmise from Mr. McCelellan's reported statement, that he finds the state of Washington society/politics acrimonious and needs to change.
Why then is he throwing Chum in the water. Where is the integrity called honesty, consistency, reconciliation and remediation? This is poking a finger in a persons eye and asking why they cannot see.
"...it's going to be tough for the president to get much accomplished beyond that..." May God Almighty please help us. If our leaders hate each other so much they hate us, by not getting things done, what is to become of us?
Yes, Washington has returned to Dark Ages. requisite with its psuedo truth, despots, psuedo science,...
It seems that we all have. It is sad, and until we change Washington won't change. Washington is us. We send people that are part of our community to represent us, and they do, politically, but also socially. morally, etc. We need to accept responsibility for these people. (we need to quit grousing and take action) If they are what we want them to be (and in few cases this may be true) leave them there, otherwise remove them. If we don't remove them, "woe is us".
Look for true leaders and put them forward. Use the ballot, write in your designated representative if you have to.
Posted by bigdgramps | November 21, 2007 12:22 PM
I'll take the truth even if it's late. I hope Scott M finds the courage to tell it all.
I am a Republican who voted for GWB twice & have come to grips that I have been lied to. I know many great people & friends that will not admit fault with GWB & crew, because they are too loyal to the Republican party..
Posted by Paul | November 22, 2007 7:48 AM