McClellan: Bush misled U.S. on Iraq

[EvilMonkey]

I seem to recall that when Richard Clarke had his book coming out around election time, McClellan tearing into Clarke in his press briefing on March 22, 2004 when asked about Richard Clarke’s book blasting the Bush Administration for 9/11 and CIA intelligence failures:

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, why, all of a sudden, if he (Richard Clarke) had all these grave concerns, did he not raise these sooner? This is one-and-a-half years after he left the administration. And now, all of a sudden, he’s raising these grave concerns that he claims he had. And I think you have to look at some of the facts. One, he is bringing this up in the heat of a presidential campaign. He has written a book and he certainly wants to go out there and promote that book.

Hmmm.

[lostfan]

I seem to recall that when Richard Clarke had his book coming out around election time, McClellan tearing into Clarke in his press briefing on March 22, 2004 when asked about Richard Clarke’s book blasting the Bush Administration for 9/11 and CIA intelligence failures:

Hmmm.

That also is a totally valid criticism/accusation IMO.

[BearSox]

This is just an obvious play for money if I've ever seen one.

[NorthSideSox72]

This is just an obvious play for money if I've ever seen one.

Most likely. Unless he wanted to go back into government service again, because this pretty much precludes that.

 

But that's not even the real question anyway. The important question is, are the allegations true? Certainly they fit the pattern of what this administration has done. But its possible he may have exaggerated things, or embelished. Who knows? I'd like to see some folks vet out the book a bit, try to corroborate some things.

 

[BigSqwert]

This is just an obvious play for money if I've ever seen one.

I dunno. Put yourself in his shoes. You are calling out the President of the U.S. and his staff. Don't you think this guy will be looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life?

[southsider2k5]

What, the realization that this was one President you couldn't trust?

 

Lol. For all of the Presidents we have had over the last generations that you could trust...

[Texsox]

Lol. For all of the Presidents we have had over the last generations that you could trust...

 

Isn't that sad. I use the babysitter test. Which First couple would I want babysitting my kids? In my lifetime, I'd have to go with either the Carters or the elder Bush. Bill and Hillary would be at the bottom of the list. Of the current crop of candidates, I'd probably just stay home and watch them myself. But if that was not an option

 

Obama = McCain > Clinton

[NorthSideSox72]

Isn't that sad. I use the babysitter test. Which First couple would I want babysitting my kids? In my lifetime, I'd have to go with either the Carters or the elder Bush. Bill and Hillary would be at the bottom of the list. Of the current crop of candidates, I'd probably just stay home and watch them myself. But if that was not an option

 

Obama = McCain > Clinton

Based on that test, I think I'd trust McCain or Obama over most of the recent Presidents. Exceptions: Carter and Bush I.

 

[Texsox]

Based on that test, I think I'd trust McCain or Obama over most of the recent Presidents. Exceptions: Carter and Bush I.

 

Seems like an interesting topic, I added a poll to the 'buster. I wish I had added if it is the same person you would vote for.

[lostfan]

Eh, the only ones I really wouldn't want my kids with are Bill and Hillary. Chelsea isn't bad though.

[BigSqwert]

CNN/ABC reporter: Corporate executives forced pro-Bush, pro-war narrative

 

Jessica Yellin -- currently a CNN correspondent who covered the White House for ABC News in 2002 and 2003 -- was on with Anderson Cooper last night discussing Scott McClellan's book, and made one of the most significant admissions heard on television in quite some time:

JE

S

S

ICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRE

S

S

IONAL CORRE

S

PONDENT: I thin

k

the pre

s

s

corp

s

dropped the ball at the beginning. When the lead-up to the war began,

the pre

s

s

corp

s

wa

s

under enormou

s

pre

s

s

ure from corporate executive

s

, fran

k

ly, to ma

k

e

s

ure that thi

s

wa

s

a war that wa

s

pre

s

ented in a way that wa

s

con

s

i

s

tent with the patriotic fever in the nation and the pre

s

ident'

s

high approval rating

s

.

 

And my own experience at the White Hou

s

e wa

s

that, the higher the pre

s

ident'

s

approval rating

s

, the more pre

s

s

ure I had from new

s

executive

s

-- and I wa

s

not at thi

s

networ

k

at the time -- but

the more pre

s

s

ure I had from new

s

executive

s

to put on po

s

itive

s

torie

s

about the pre

s

ident.

 

I thin

k

, over time...

 

(CRO

S

S

TAL

K

)

 

COOPER: You had pre

s

s

ure from new

s

executive

s

to put on po

s

itive

s

torie

s

about the pre

s

ident?

 

YELLIN: Not in that exact -- they wouldn't

s

ay it in that way, but they would edit my piece

s

. They would pu

s

h me in different direction

s

.

They would turn down

s

torie

s

that were more critical and try to put on piece

s

that were more po

s

itive, ye

s

.

That wa

s

my experience.

 

Read the full article

[Balta1701]

The folks @ TPMTv with just a smattering of Scotty's bests.

 

[kapkomet]

Read the full article

Why?

 

Ask yourself that, and let me know what you think.

[BigSqwert]

Why?

 

Ask yourself that, and let me know what you think.

Why not?

[kapkomet]

Why not?

I'm asking why do you think that "big corporations" were pushing for the war, AND that they were loving GWB, as alledged by the article you cited.

[BigSqwert]

I'm asking why do you think that "big corporations" were pushing for the war, AND that they were loving GWB, as alledged by the article you cited.

I honestly don't know why. I wish I knew.

[lostfan]

Man that's easy. In the beginning, war coverage is fascinating, and people are glued to their TVs. Ratings. Revenue. Profits.

[BearSox]

Most likely. Unless he wanted to go back into government service again, because this pretty much precludes that.

 

But that's not even the real question anyway. The important question is, are the allegations true? Certainly they fit the pattern of what this administration has done. But its possible he may have exaggerated things, or embelished. Who knows? I'd like to see some folks vet out the book a bit, try to corroborate some things.

 

Well, you can't take anything he says with a grain of salt because just a while ago he was one of the president's supporters. And from what I've heard, it is that his editor "edited" a lot of the book.

 

Is some of it true? Probably, but that "truth" has been stretched out several times over, IMO.

 

I also think it is telling that he sprints to go on the far left media stations like MSNBC, but Fox news? Never...

Edited May 30, 2008 by BearSox

[BearSox]

I dunno. Put yourself in his shoes. You are calling out the President of the U.S. and his staff. Don't you think this guy will be looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life?

Not really. This isn't some bad espionage movie, it's real live

Edited May 30, 2008 by BearSox

[lostfan]

Well, you can't take anything he says with a grain of salt because just a while ago he was one of the president's supporters. And from what I've heard, it is that his editor "edited" a lot of the book.

 

Is some of it true? Probably, but that "truth" has been stretched out several times over, IMO.

 

I also think it is telling that he sprints to go on the far left media stations like MSNBC, but Fox news? Never...

His motivations are one thing, but the content in the book is altogether different.

[Balta1701]

Bob Dole went all Hulk Smash on Scooter today.

[Balta1701]

I seem to recall that when Richard Clarke had his book coming out around election time, McClellan tearing into Clarke in his press briefing on March 22, 2004 when asked about Richard Clarke’s book blasting the Bush Administration for 9/11 and CIA intelligence failures:

Hmmm.

It seems that at a hotel in NY last night, Scooter ran in to Richard Clarke, just after Clarke finished up on the Daily Show (Where Scooter will be on Monday). There was an apology involved.