I have held off writing anything about the new bombshell of a book “What Happened?” by Scott McClellan, former White House Press Secretary to President Bush, because I am quite angry over it. As an American who had argued vociferously against the Iraq war months before the invasion of Iraq, and who was opposed to the conservative tilt that this Administration applied to every facet of life, I still could find no reason to applaud the book. In spite of revealing much of what we had feared about this Bush White House being true, I could find no reason to run with the story here on my blog. After all, a former top Washington mover and shaker had written a book long after the facts to make a few dollars. Where was the honor? Where was his pen and angst at the time the tale was unfolding?
I guess I would like to think that our nation’s capital has men and women with spunk and principle that understand the grand role they play in our democracy. Sadly, Scott McClellan is no more than another Mr. Lubner, the silly character from Saturday Night Live, (back in the days when it was funny) who had no spine. For Scott to puff his chest and lament all that was wrong then with Bush and Company is woefully inadequate. And to make money on the lack of nerve he exhibited while in a position of power is nothing short of nauseating.
In contrast is Cyrus Vance, the Secretary of State for Jimmy Carter who had fundamental differences with the President over the Iran hostage rescue mission. Rather than bite his tongue and pretend that nothing was wrong with the policy he instead resigned. He was then free to express his opinions in the marketplace of ideas that makes this country so rich. And he was able to better define the issues at hand as they related to the hostage crisis. People might have disagreed with his decision, but he left with honor.
Too often the expedient route to moving upwards in Washington, D.C. tends to place folks on the wrong side of the fence. They often seem far too content to sit and watch as the wheels come off the bus. The time to react is when one notices that things are not right from where they sit. Pondering all this and writing it down years later to make a book deal is not honorable, but instead is greedy and wrong.
While it important to get the facts that surround this awful President and his team, McClellan should have just visited Congress under oath and told his story. No money to be gained, but he would have had his honor.
The only thing that can be said of Scott McClellan now is that he was truly a part of the Bush White House. They are all the same there.
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CAFFEINATED POLITICS 