In which he brings up the point I’ve stressed twice today: Why didn’t McClellan say a damn thing about any of this until he wrote a book 2 years after resigning? If he felt he was being used for propaganda and to mislead the public, why did he remain in the Administration for years?
“It’s almost like we’re witnessing an out-of-body experience,” Bartlett said of McClellan. “We’re hearing from a completely different person we didn’t have any insight into.”…
Bartlett said the bewilderment stems from “Scott’s decision to publicly air these deep misgivings he’s never shared privately or publicly” with fellow Bush insiders. “To do it now, through a book, is a mistake,” he added.
Again, his concerns were so strong that he never said a word even to fellow members of the Bush Administration? The first time he brings up concerns about propaganda is in a book years after he terminated his employment?
Bartlett asserted that McClellan did not play a major role in key events, noting that the former aide was serving as deputy press secretary for domestic issues during the run-up to the war in Iraq, raising questions about how McClellan could claim the President used “propaganda” to sell the war.
“I don’t think he was in a position to know this,” Bartlett said flatly. He said it’s “troubling” that McClellan is now “gives credibility to every left-wing attack” on anecdotes that are “either thinly-sourced or not witnessed by him” in the White House.
Earlier, Karl Rove responded to McClellan’s allegations that he and Libby had a meeting in which they discussed what to say regarding the Plame incident. As Rove pointed out, he and Libby had meetings all of the time, which McClellan didn’t take part in. How did he come to the conclusion that the two had discussed Plame, when he had didn’t sit in on their meetings?
Furthermore, as I wrote earlier:
McClellan alleges Rove misled him about his involvement in the Plame incident. McClellan’s question to him, Rove claims, was whether or not the Bush adviser leaked Valerie Plame’s name. Rove answered NO, which would be an accurate answer. Richard Armitage himself admitted to being the source, which several media outlets (including WaPo) had long suspected.
Update: Mission accomplished, Mr. McClellan alleges Rove misled him about his involvement in the Plame incident. McClellan’s question to him, Rove claims, was whether or not the Bush adviser leaked Valerie Plame’s name. Rove answered NO, which would be an accurate answer. Richard Armitage himself admitted to being the source, which several media outlets (including WaPo) had long suspected.
Update: Mission accomplished, Mr. McClellan.
by Stephan Tawney on Wed, May 28, 2008