The Question Is Why

Hey, did you hear Scott McClellan has a book out? Yeah. He'll be enjoying his fifteen minutes and all the liberal love he can handle. Then, the left will tire of him and he can go over to MSNBC, endorse Obama and begin cheering for the Oklahoma Sooners. If it wasn't so sad, it'd be hilarious.

Poor Scott. The guy was so out of his league as Press Secretary and had the misfortune of serving after Ari Fleischer and before Tony Snow. Tony Snow being the best one so far. Do you even remember the roll out of Ari's book? It got, like, six interviews and no glowing press reviews. Hmm. Scottie worked for Ari. Too bad he's not such a quick study. Ari says he is "heartbroken".

I don't care so much about the words in the book as I do what in the world motivated the man to sink so low. I don't even care so much that he bashes his former co-workers and 'friends' as badly as he does. I just simply ponder, why?

I am fascinated by people. I love life stories. My favorite books have always been biographies. And I read obits in the paper. The stories of lives lived make wonderful reading. So, with Scottie's life background and story, what happened?

Scott McClellan is the youngest of the four sons of Carole Keeton Strayhorn. His mother was born and enjoyed a life of privilege in Austin, Texas. Her father was a much beloved dean of the University of Texas Law School. Austin re-named a section of a city street after the man. Carole began her political career on the Austin School Board, was Mayor of Austin, on the Texas Railroad Commission, and State Comptroller. She ran for Governor, first as a Republican, then as an Independent. She was first a Democrat, in her early political days. You don't think a Republican would be elected Mayor of Austin, do you?

Scottie managed three of his mother's campaigns. He met George W. Bush through her and became a trusted member of his inner circle. A young guy, Bush treated him like another little brother. After working for Bush as Governor, he followed him to D.C.

He should have stayed on a back bench but was elevated to Press Secretary. To put it kindly, he was not up to the task. He always seemed, to me, to be afraid of the press corps, too concerned with them not liking him. And they didn't.

McClellan now claims his editor 'tweaked' the book. Now that the storm has hit. Now that his former friends and co-workers ask him what in the world he is talking about. And why. His publisher has a long history of liberal publications, including books by George Soros, so judge that as you will.

The only conclusion I come to is that the published this book because he wasn't exactly burning up the world with his rising career. No big new jobs waiting as he was fired from the press secretary gig. So, he did it for the money. And by saying vicious, nasty statements he was guaranteed a best seller by the deranged who lap this stuff up. The far left feel so very vindicated. They were right about this administration all along, you know. That is what they say now.

Or, does it also have to do with the fact that President Bush didn't endorse his mother in her races for Governor of Texas? He endorsed his own former lt. governor, our current governor.

Revenge and a bigger bank account. Well, he does have a new wife to support. She, too, worked for the Bush administration. Wonder what she says behind closed doors. The President and First Lady were guests at the wedding.

McClellan was quick to criticize former members of the administration who wrote tell-all books, unflattering to the President and his administration. Two, in particular, Paul O'Neil and Richard Clarke, both came under fire from McClellan. So, McClellan is a hypocrite now.

What will he do when his new best friends in the left side of the tv world are bored with him? Go home and count the book sales receipts, I suppose. His credibility is shot, his reputation is gone, and the lingering question is if he was so appalled by the administration's behavior, why didn't he resign? Why accept the positions and then be fired? Why claim he was in the loop and knowledgeable of motives and discussions when it is easily proven he was not. Why didn't he, at the very least, speak up?

Beam me up, Scottie.