The Bushies start the predictable smear on Scottie Flopsweat McClellan

Run time: 00:55 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDgFn-1BwSE   Posted on YouTube: May 28, 2008 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: May 28, 2008 By DU Member: ProfessorPlum Views on DU: 604

 
Via ThinkProgress: http://thinkprogress.org/2008/05/28/rove-townsend-mcclellan/

In an explosive new memoir, former White House press secretary Scott McClellan writes that the Bush administration engaged in a “political propaganda campaign” to sell the Iraq war and that it misled him on the Valerie Plame scandal. Today, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino slammed McClellan today as a “disgruntled” employee; former press secretary Ari Fleischer said he was “heartbroken.”

Other former White House officials started the smear campaign last night. Karl Rove, interviewed on Hannity and Colmes, asserted that McClellan sounded more like “a left-wing blogger” than himself. Former Homeland Security adviser Frances Townsend, interviewed on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360, called McClellan “self-serving” and “disingenuous.”

McClellan is experiencing the same automatic smear response the White House deploys against former allies who dare to criticize the administration, including former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan or former head of faith-based initiatives John DiIulio. Some other lowlights:

Former Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill

WROTE: Bush planned in invade Iraq before 9/11 and was like a blind man in a roomful of deaf people” during Cabinet meetings.

SMEAR: “We didn’t listen to wacky ideas when he was in the White House, why should we start listening to him now?” — A senior official who informed Bush of O’Neill’s comments, 1/12/04

Former Campaign Chief Strategist Matthew Dowd

SAID: Bush has “become more, in my view, secluded and bubbled in”; that “our leaders have to understand what they want. They’re saying, ‘Get out of Iraq.’”

SMEAR: “He’s going through a lot of personal turmoil but also he has a son who is soon to be deployed to Iraq. That could only impact a parents’ mind as they think through these issues.” — Dan Bartlett, 4/1/07

Former Counter-Terrorism Chief Richard Clarke

WROTE: Bush “ignored terrorism for months”; sought to tie 9/11 to Iraq immediately.

SMEAR: “He wanted to be the deputy secretary of the Homeland Security Department after it was created. … He did not get that position, someone else was appointed to it. … His best friend is Rand Beers, who is the principal advisor to the Kerry campaign.” — Scott McClellan, while serving as press secretary, 3/22/04

According to the Politico, a “former colleague” said of McClellan: “It looks like a fairly pathetic attempt to restore his reputation by junking the only positive attribute people saw in him — loyalty.”

A grasp on reality.

Here comes the MUD. The spin will make Mc. dizzy. I hope the whirlwind makes Mc. spew more crap about the president.:puke: :puke:

Get it all out Mc. you'll feel better.

Stewart showed the clip of Bush saying something like when he "retires" he wants to spend time with McClellan in Texas (or whatever). And McClellan's reaction was like "Yeah. That's really gonna happen."

And let's remember Watergate. Ron Ziegler, the press secretary, was sent out every damn day w/another lie. And the next day, he had to say the statement he made the day before was "inoperative." Later, he did say that no one really told him anything because they didn't want him to go out and knowingly lie to the press.

I think the same thing happened with McClellan. They (McClellan and Ziegler) both "knew" they were not being truthful but didn't know exactly the what or why of what they were saying. Unfortunately, they felt very loyal to those they were talking about and no one clued them in.

I could see it w/McClellan because I watched Ziegler going through the same crap. And really. Think about it. How much power does a press secretary have? Other than C.J. on the West Wing? Zip. The only difference here is that McClellan wrote his book BEFORE Bush left the White House. And I think that takes a certain kind of courage.

Press secretaries have no power. They just tell the media what they are told to tell the media. That's it. Now how they present it is a different story. There are some who are good with the press, some who are glib and the press KNOWS they're lying and others, like Dana Perino, who look good but are dumb as dirt.

That's my take on this. McClellan is much more honorable than Ari Fleischer who now heads some GOPher propaganda group. Tony Snow was nothing more than FOX "news" flack and then we have pretty Dana Perino who doesn't know the difference between the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missle Crisis.

Jeeze.

I see all of the right wing chumps on TV today trying to pretend that Scott went crazy or is just a disgruntled former employee looking to make a quick buck.