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2008-05-28 Home Front: Politix

Ex-Bush spokesman Scott McClellan: President used 'propaganda' to push war

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Posted by gorb 2008-05-28 04:55|| || Front Page|| [6 views ] Top

#1 Sounds like he is betting on a huge dhimocrat victory.

Posted by DarthVader">DarthVader 2008-05-28 07:45|| 2008-05-28 07:45|| Front Page Top

#2 he was terribly ill-served by his top advisers
One of whom was you, idiot. No trouble "speaking truth to power" now that Bush is almost out the door and you've got a book to sell, huh? Sell it to the kos kiddies, you wanker.

Posted by Spot">Spot 2008-05-28 08:19|| 2008-05-28 08:19|| Front Page Top

#3 Or he trying to sell a book he wrote. Ole Scott was one of the worse white house spokesmen I've seen.

Posted by CrazyFool 2008-05-28 08:21|| 2008-05-28 08:21|| Front Page Top

#4 I completely agree CrazyFool. He always looked pale, sweaty and nervious. Not quite Presidential material....

Posted by Guillibaldo Thogum8821 2008-05-28 08:29|| 2008-05-28 08:29|| Front Page Top

#5 Propaganda is white, gray, or black.

Black is pure fabrication, lies.

Gray is a mix of truth and lies or uncertainties.

White is truth.

Nothing wrong with using truth in propaganda. Of course there is still perception, as non-Donks look at the Swifties as dealing in white propaganda while koolaid drinking Donk have to believe that it was all black propaganda.

Posted by Procopius2k 2008-05-28 08:30|| 2008-05-28 08:30|| Front Page Top

#6 I would have to argue that a WH communications guy is "in the loop". In fact, they are most often left out of the loop, precisely so they won't have a slip of the tongue.

If they attend meetings, the conclusion of the meeting is based on their *opinion*, even if it is not the consensus or decision reached by the group or the leader. You don't want that. Instead, after the meeting, they are given the *summary* of the meeting to rewrite into a press briefing.

If classified information is given at the meeting, you especially don't want them there.

Posted by Anonymoose 2008-05-28 09:27|| 2008-05-28 09:27|| Front Page Top

#7 So how many pieces of silver does a book deal go for these days?

Posted by Excalibur 2008-05-28 10:33|| 2008-05-28 10:33|| Front Page Top

#8 So how many pieces of silver does a book deal go for these days?

About the weight of your soul, Excalibur.

Posted by Seafarious 2008-05-28 11:18|| 2008-05-28 11:18|| Front Page Top

#9 Yet another Harriet Meyers moment for Bush. Scott was no doubt an attempt to reach out, kind of like Christy Todd Whitmann.
Can you say RINO ?

Posted by wxjames 2008-05-28 11:41|| 2008-05-28 11:41|| Front Page Top

#10 One CANNOT be completely candid and open in war, or in diplomacy. One must be incredibly naive to expect such.

In my opinion we went to war in Iraq for all the reasons stated, plus one overriding unstated reason - because it was the only place where we COULD 'legally' expand the war against Islamofascism. Fighting them in Iraq was and is far more practical than doing so in Afghanistan (logistics, population characteristics).
And while it was not ALL about the oil, it was about the oil. Not just Iraqi oil, but that of the whole Gulf region. And not specifically for our own supply, but for stability of the world supply - it's a fungible commodity, and besides, all major economies are interconnected anyway.
Whether Scott thinks so or not, Bush was probably right to take us to war in Iraq, and to do so in a less-than-candid and open way. In the PROSECUTION of the war there were certainly shortcomings (what's the saying? In war, the enemy also has a vote?) And although in hindsight we may think the solution would have been X-Y-Z, we'll never really know, because that was not the path taken, and so the obstacles which certainly would have arisen cannot be known. For instance, many are claiming we should not have disbanded the Iraqi Army - but if they had stayed intact might there have been a much stronger Shia-Sunni civil war? Or that we should have reached out to the tribes sooner - but would they have received us before feeling the horrors of Al Quaeda rule?
The one thing I actually have confidence in is that our leaders who made all these difficult decisions did so to the best of their (considerable) ability and with the best interests of the country at heart. They, like everyone else, were imperfect, but certainly not incompetent buffoons and crooks.

Posted by Glenmore 2008-05-28 12:38|| 2008-05-28 12:38|| Front Page Top

#11 Well said, Glenmore.

Posted by trailing wife ">trailing wife 2008-05-28 13:11|| 2008-05-28 13:11|| Front Page Top

#12 Who was Scott McClellan prior to being WH Press Secretary? I'd never heard of the cat, and I wasn't exactly blown away by his way in front of the press corps.

Posted by Grenter Protector of the Geats4975 2008-05-28 15:08|| 2008-05-28 15:08|| Front Page Top

#13 Glenmore, I think your comment wins today's grand prize for "right on" analysis. I particularly agree with your statement on reaching out to the tribal leaders. Sadly for our troops and treasure, the enemy needed to experience the fatigue of war/horror of AQI before being open to a US-led alternative.

Posted by remoteman 2008-05-28 15:57|| 2008-05-28 15:57|| Front Page Top

#14 Excellent Glenmore. Excellent indeed.

Posted by Besoeker 2008-05-28 17:30|| 2008-05-28 17:30|| Front Page Top

#15 McClellan? McClellan? Wasn't that the name of a mediocre general during Civil War, who ran against Lincoln in 1864 and who had between his partisans, many people whose acts bordered treason or were deep in it?

Posted by JFM">JFM 2008-05-28 18:01|| 2008-05-28 18:01|| Front Page Top

#16 It'll be interesting to contrast media coverage of McClellan's book with what amounts to the noncoverage of Feith's.

Posted by doc 2008-05-28 18:16|| 2008-05-28 18:16|| Front Page Top

#17 Thanks for the compliments, friends. An unusual experience for me, but I could grow to like it.

Posted by Glenmore 2008-05-28 18:20|| 2008-05-28 18:20|| Front Page Top

#18 I have always been critical of the WH press secretary for not putting the press corps in their place from the beging. The started out looking weak and went backwards from their. McCain should hire someone like Ann Coulter or Melanie Morgan when he ~~steals~~ wins. Sure they will call them a bitch but not to their face and press briefing will somehow come off a lot more....respectful.

Posted by Cyber Sarge 2008-05-28 21:21|| 2008-05-28 21:21|| Front Page Top

#19 The guy always looked like he was gonna piss his drawers. He had that deer in the headlights look that just tossed the power baton over the dias and into the hands of the press corps. Now he is whining. Wotta surprise.

Posted by remoteman 2008-05-28 21:31|| 2008-05-28 21:31|| Front Page Top

#20 Coulter and Morgan are both entertainers. Good ones, but entertainers. To really blow open the doors, John Bolton.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2008-05-28 21:39|| 2008-05-28 21:39|| Front Page Top

#21 McCain had a good point when he said he's speak before Congress every week and answer questions and defend his policies the way the Prime Minister does. I'm not sure Bush could but a President should be able to rather than hide behind Press Secretaries.

This would force the Congress to do their job and question things and unlike the media they would be held accountable for rude questions as most of these sessions would be covered and then turned into campaign commercials by both sides.

I hope McCain brings up the idea and in some way forces the Democrats to accept it because it would help our Democracy.

Posted by rjschwarz 2008-05-28 23:30|| 2008-05-28 23:30|| Front Page Top

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