Friday, June 20, 2008

McClellan Sells Soul Cheap

Today on Capitol Hill House Judiciary Committee chair John Conyers (D-MI) and Ranking Member chair Lamar Smith (R-TX) opened up a hearing on the alleged covert agent Valerie Plame Wilson's identity leak to the press. You may remember that Conyers promised impeachment proceedings against Bush/Cheney during the campaign season of 2004. Then he had to take it off his Congressional web site when newly installed Speaker of the House Pelosi promised no such thing.

The hearing was brought about to question Scott McClellan about what he knew/didn't know about the alleged leak.

Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL), whom you may remember as the official spokesman and arguing mouthpiece for Obama's campaign during the recent DNC meeting on the Florida and Michigan primaries, declared after the release of McClellan's tell-all book that he'd insist that McClellan be brought up to Capitol Hill and be questioned about statements made in the book concerning Bush/Cheney/Rove/Libbey/and Barney the dog. As far as I know, Mrs. Beasley is off the hook...

I watched the first of the hearing. I saw no need to watch the whole thing. It was immediately clear to me that this is all about McClellan getting revenge on Libbey, Rove, and to a lesser degree Cheney and Bush. He now wants to play victim. He says he wrote the book to tell the true story of what happened while he was at the White House. However, even he admits the finished product is different than the original book proposal. The publishing house, Public Affairs, is publisher of six books by George Soros, the largest contributor to Democrat 527's. These 527's are the only ones currently running hit ads against a presidential candidate. He has bankrolled attack ads on McCain on behalf of the Obama campaign.

McClellan, while claiming the high ideal of trying to change the culture of politics in D.C., of trying to bring bi-partisan cooperation is no better than Obama, also mouthing the words of an agent of change. Both have lost credibility on that point.

McClellan entered the hearing room yukking it up with the mass of photographers, all smiles and Mr. Happy To Be There. I think at this point he's just happy to be anywhere.

Conyers clearly is going for the obstruction of justice angle on the administration as far as intelligence reports not made public before the war in Iraq. He asked for Scott's 'thoughts' on the pardon of Libbey. For these Democrats, it's all about 'thoughts' and feelings, opinions. Not facts.

Lamar Smith welcomed everyone to the First Book of the Month Club meeting. For the next one, he said he'd like to recommend Ann Coulter's How to Talk to a Liberal, If You Must. He made reference to the fact that McClellan has no footnotes in his book, and very few quotes. He asked if it was written for revenge, for money? He noted that the three year investigation held by the special prosecutor found no evidence of outing of Plame at the instruction of the White House. Libbey wasn't even held accountable for that. The only charge he was held with was the same as Martha Stewart's in reference to honesty of testimony to the Grand Jury.

So, the road to a call for civility and bi-partisanship, conveniently lodged in the heat of a Presidential election year, at the end of a lame duck President's term, is paved with a check for $75,000. That is the advance McClellan verified he was given for his book. Plus whatever his cut of the sales profits are. I'm guessing McClellan will fall short of the millions made by the other agent of change using book form, Obama.

Looks like his very partisan publisher knew Scottie would sell his soul on the cheap.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

McClellan is a disgrace; only thing is, he doesn't know it. Or, maybe he does know it and is playing the Democratic Denial Card . . . you know, the one with the imagine of jokers on it.

Semper Fi

Karen Townsend said...

I think it comes from his mother, Mustang. She last ran for Gov as an Independent. Before that she was a Republican, before that a Democrat. Blowing in the wind.

I think he simply sold out for the money. He's newly married. No big announcements of a new job. I think he was planning on Obama amounts of money from a book.

Nikki said...

un freaking believeable...I mean seriously, do americans really care about this alleged leak? Its an oxy moron in my view to say that the President lost focus and over propagandized his policies and then to grandstand a stupid alleged CIA leaking? I don't see how the 2 differ. 75 grand...wow. what a putz. nice job! :)N

Right Truth said...

I could not watch much of this either.

He better be making friends on the Left, because he has burned all his bridges on the Right.

Debbie Hamilton
Right Truth

Z said...

you're all right...he did this for money. He did a LOUSY job, the worst ever? of WH press sec'y and he knows it. Who'd HIRE the guy?

Despicable..

I'm impresed by Lamar from Texas..GO, guy! It's about TIME the Republicans started giving it back..it's only been 8 yrs with nary a peep.

As a wise blogger commented the other day on another blog "the only thing Bush got for being nice and trying to reach to the other side of the aisle is some missing fingers". exactly.

You can't get respect if you don't respect yourself. No wonder Republicans are so demeaned in the media.

The WordSmith from Nantucket said...

I heard McClellan cite the recent Senate Select Committee Intell Report to back up his own recent propaganda on the "we were misled" theme. And my readers know how I look at it...