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Tuesday, June 03, 2008
The Trouble With Washington
In an interview with the Hickory Daily Record, NC-10 Congressman Patrick McHenry said the trouble with Washington is NOT the lying by administration spokesmen, nor the manipulation of "facts" via a complacent and cowed news media, but the writing of books ADMITTING that lying and manipulation went on.
The Scott McClellan book "is an example of what is wrong in Washington."
Oh-tay.
The Scott McClellan book "is an example of what is wrong in Washington."
Oh-tay.
Labels: Patrick McHenry, Scott McClellan
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Why He Will Go Down in History as President Knucklehead
A few quotes from Scotty McClellan's book about the Bush White House:
Why?
"He [President George W. Bush] set the [Iraq war] policy early on and then his team focused his attention on how to sell it. It strikes me today as an indication of his lack of inquisitiveness and his detrimental resistance to reflection...."
"[Bush was] a leader unable to acknowledge that he got it wrong, and unwilling to grow in office by learning from his mistake -- too stubborn to change and grow."
Why?
"One [reason] was his fear of appearing weak. A more self-confident executive would be willing to acknowledge failure .... [Another] was the personal pain he would have suffered if he'd had to acknowledge that the war against Saddam may have been unnecessary .... [Bush] was not one to look back once a decision was made. Rather than suffer any sense of guilt and anguish, Bush chose not to go down the road of self-doubt or take on the difficult task of honest evaluation and reassessment .... another motive for Bush to avoid acknowledging mistakes was his determination to win the political game at virtually any cost .... there was Bush's insistence on remaining true to his base .... As far as Bush and his advisers (especially Karl Rove) were concerned, being open and forthright in such circumstances was a recipe for trouble."
Labels: George W. Bush, Scott McClellan
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
The Buffoon Bites Back
Everyone will be talking today and for days afterward about the new Scott McClellan account of his years as Bush White House press secretary. Politico's Mike Allen has the first sneak peak at its contents.McClellan was widely viewed as a buffoon and a company suck from July 2003 to April 2006, his tenure as press secretary. Now he'll be a hero to Democrats for at least a day, a traitor to the Republicans for the rest of his life. For me it's hard to gin up much sympathy for the guy who is now in effect apologizing to the American people for lying to them repeatedly, day after day, about matters that stab to the soul of our identity as a nation ... lying with a big grin on that beefeater's face.
My first reaction on hearing the contents of his book? Shut up, please. Go cover yourself in ashes and dress your naked flesh in a tow-sack and sit in penance at the main gate of Arlington National Cemetery ... if you want to repent. Don't sell books.
I'll get over my disdain, maybe by the end of the day. But at the moment I'm feeling mean and unforgiving ... to be told at this late date that everything we thought all along about this administration and its nasty war were true.
Labels: Bush administration, Scott McClellan
