McClellan’s tell-all implicates Bush in Plame scandal.
McClellan’s tell-all implicates Bush in Plame scandal.
Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan will publish a memoir in April titled “What Happened.” In an excerpt posted by his publisher, McClellan implicates “the President himself” in the Valerie Plame scandal:
“The most powerful leader in the world had called upon me to speak on his behalf and help restore credibility he lost amid the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. So I stood at the White house briefing room podium in front of the glare of the klieg lights for the better part of two weeks and publicly exonerated two of the senior-most aides in the White House: Karl Rove and Scooter Libby.
“There was one problem. It was not true.
“I had unknowingly passed along false information. And five of the highest ranking officials in the administration were involved in my doing so: Rove, Libby, the vice President, the President’s chief of staff, and the president himself.”
McClellan, who orchestrated the White House’s stonewalling of the investigation into the leak, later said he was lied to by those directly involved.
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82 Responses to “McClellan’s tell-all implicates Bush in Plame scandal.”
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What did he know, when did he know it, and how did the cover up work…
Inquiring minds, say about 400 million of them would like to know.
November 20th, 2007 at 9:53 amWhy don’t one of these people actually stand up while in office instead of afterwards while they are trying to sell a book?
As to the actual issue at hand, wouldn’t that make the president guilty of a crime? I believe it would, and that is an unequivocal basis for impeachment. Nancy and Harry, where are you?
November 20th, 2007 at 9:56 amLet’s all stand on one foot waiting for this to make a splash on any news show but KO’s Countdown, even though the blogosphere is all over it this a.m….
November 20th, 2007 at 9:58 amI had been wondering who the “John Dean” in this administration was going to be. Maybe it will be Scott McClellan.
I also want to know who the “Mark Felt” will be…
November 20th, 2007 at 9:58 amsounds like a felony to me , what was it the senior bush said while heading the CIA about what should happen to individuals who blow the cover of our spies abroad ?
November 20th, 2007 at 9:59 amUse the presidents fathers own word in the sons impeachment proceedings.
White House discrediting of Scott McClellan starting in …3…2…1…
November 20th, 2007 at 10:00 amBush is guilty of treason.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:01 amNancy don’t let these criminals go scott free.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:02 amLets not forget, even if it is the smoking gun, gutless dems wont do anything about it. Even, if bush was killing babies on the front lawn of the whitehouse, Pelosi would be there screaming “impeachment is off the table”. You can present all the damning information you want, what difference does it make. We have a bunch of guttless dems in charge of congress.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:02 amTREASON !
November 20th, 2007 at 10:02 amThe fisa speach was nice nancy ,now how about showing us there really is a difference between democrats and republicans !
November 20th, 2007 at 10:04 amOK now what? Fitzgerald reopen Grand Jury?
November 20th, 2007 at 10:04 amSounds like a supermarket tabloid headline tease. McLellan, his publisher, and their publisher will benefit; I’d be shocked if anyone else does.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:07 amSo is Scotty saying that Bush wanted him to restore Bush’s credibility with the public and then he lied to to Scotty about Plame? Does that make any sense?
November 20th, 2007 at 10:08 amHigh crimes and misdemeanors , please earn my vote Nancy, before the next election is cancelled !!!!!
November 20th, 2007 at 10:08 amNo one could have predicted that anyone in the Bush administration would lie.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:09 amjust because you spill your guts later doesn’t mean your not guilty.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:09 amIt would be nice to dig up the old TP threads from when McClellan left his job at the WH; Im sure the comments would be along the lines of “good riddance to bad rubbish” or “there goes another member of the Bush crime family”.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:10 amSo I stood at the White house briefing room podium in front of the glare of the klieg lights for the better part of two weeks and publicly exonerated two of the senior-most aides in the White House: Karl Rove and Scooter Libby.
He never exonerated anyone. By the time of his little act of political theater, we already knew who Novak’s source was.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:11 amComment by Minotaur — November 20, 2007 @ 10:10 am
And what does have to do with anything, pray tell? Your President committed an act of treason. Why don’t you have the guts to address that fact, instead of making a cowardly and pathetic attempt at diverting the discussion?
November 20th, 2007 at 10:12 amHow much longer before Bush and the gang flee to Paraguay?
November 20th, 2007 at 10:13 amBut, but, but 9/11 changed everything!
November 20th, 2007 at 10:14 amScott is just doing what that little weasel Stephanopolis did. He’s angling for a spot on some political commentary show with this mea culpa.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:15 am…enter the Burning Bush…
November 20th, 2007 at 10:17 amI’m sure Minotaur is right that the doughboy was trashed here. All with good reason. The man lied to the American people. He himself is now admitting as much.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:18 amOkay, it’s been awhile since all of this started, and I’m having trouble remembering the details.
Out of those five named, plus McClellan, which ones testified before Congress? Before a Grand Jury? Under Oath?
We already know the rest of them don’t have to obey subpoenaes like those of us who are not in the king’s court. But how about Scotty?
November 20th, 2007 at 10:20 amSeems like Plame and Wilson have some grounds to have their civil case reinstated, at least. Put Scotty on the stand–he is now on record and in print saying this, so national security/executive privelege can’t be used as an excuse to throw out his testimony I would think.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:21 amWhen the time was right to tell the truth, people like McClellan were continuing to lie to the public. This isn’t the first time that someone has exposed what part he played, or what he knew, in the White House deceptions. The problem is that they wait until they are long out of office, make a deal with a publisher, and go on a book tour, which discredits them to some degree; it opens them up to criticism of their intentions by the White House and its supporters, and doesn’t carry the same weight as it would if they had taken a deep breath, called a press conference, and blew the whistle while they were still in their jobs, and then resigning.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:23 amNow it looks like this is more an attempt to assuage their guilt and make a profit than it is for the altruistic purposes of saving the nation.
Of course, my argument would have required that the press actually cover such a briefing, and given daily historical context for the charges being made - but we all know that important stories are given their 24-hours, and then the media move on to the really good stories about wife-killers, blonde bimbos, and sports figures.
I will be curious to read Scott’s book, but any facts in there will be practically post mortem, and the thought of impeaching Bush/Cheney in the summer before an election is unrealistic. The best we could hope for is that Bush/Cheny&Co. are indeed brought up on criminal charges after they leave office and before they escape to Paraguay.
And another rat surfaces and says, “While I’m making a measly living off your measly tax dollars, I’ll lie and distort the facts, but only when I can make the big bucks, then I’ll tell the truth.”
November 20th, 2007 at 10:23 amIt would be nice to dig up the old TP threads from when McClellan left his job at the WH; Im sure the comments would be along the lines of “good riddance to bad rubbish†or “there goes another member of the Bush crime familyâ€.
Comment by Minotaur — November 20, 2007 @ 10:10 am
Our sentiments haven’t changed just because the criminal is putting a book out. Staying silent while his higher-ups commit high crimes makes McClellan an accomplice to those crimes. I hope he’s prosecuted along with all the rest of them.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:24 amInteresting that he includes Rove in the “it wasn’t true” admission.
Rove has not been brought up on charges, yet McClellan is saying he is involved. Hmmm.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:24 amBeam me up, Scotty, I find no intelligent life in your book.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:27 am“I had unknowingly…”
That is the only part I don’t believe.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:27 amDon’t you just despise these weasels who write post-career-tell-all books to make themselves feel better and makes some bucks.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:30 amThe time for Scott to have spoken up has long gone. His character is not restored by this. If anything, he looks worse. We all knew he was lying for his bosses.
Scott,your job may have been to lie, but your duty was to the United States, and if not that, then to your own self-respect.
I don’t give a crap if the entire WH staff writes a book and exposes Bush.
The only problem is people will buy the junk and thereby continue to support these characters.
I can’t see what difference it makes. Bush defecates on the US Constitution every day, and that worthless excuse for an American Nancy Pelosi still won’t allow impeachment.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:31 amNOC , NOC whose there ?
November 20th, 2007 at 10:31 amNancy ,nancy who ?
November 20th, 2007 at 10:32 amNovember 20th, 2007 at 10:32 am
anybody home ?
November 20th, 2007 at 10:33 amCan’t some “Son of Sam” law keep this guy from profiting? I guess not, since he’s never been charged with anything…but the bottom line is, most of his book sales will be generated through the admission that he stood in front of the public and knowingly lied to protect some corrupt politicians, not the Constitution. That was, and is treasonous since coming forward then would have surely changed the outcome of the 2004 elections. Somebody sue this guy to get back all the billions that have been sucked out of our country since the day he stood there and knoowingly lied. Impeachment would surely have been on the table if congress had gone Democratic in 2004.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:35 amIt would be nice to dig up the old TP threads from when McClellan left his job at the WH; Im sure the comments would be along the lines of “good riddance to bad rubbish†or “there goes another member of the Bush crime familyâ€.
Comment by Minotaur — November 20, 2007 @ 10:10 am
The man was a mouthpiece for liars. What else but rubbish could he be referred to as? The fact that he owns up to his crimes now doesn’t change anything. If you think this exonerates him then you must believe what you read to be true. How can you support Bush/Cheney/Rove given the assertion that they lied to the American public? Sounds like you’re on the same pile of rubbish that Scotty is. Neither of you cares much about integrity or honor, you just care that your side is the supposed winning side.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:36 amWhat am I saying, there wouldn’t have been a second term if Scotty had come forward!
November 20th, 2007 at 10:36 amSo the person who was keeping Scottie quiet appears to have lost his/her leverage. Or maybe the statute of limitations has expired.
Was it Rove? Methinks Rove tempted Scott with Jeff Gannon and once the two were involved he used it as legerage to keep Scottie quiet.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:37 amThis just confirms what many (most) already knew. Why do these things come out during book promotional tours and not Congressional hearings like they should?
Isn’t treason a high crime? I think it might have been Plame herself who had said that if it was a foriegn press to which the identity of a CIA agent was revealed, that would be treason. Is this the old republican double standard?
Do they really have to make child sacrifices on the WH lawn before anything is done?
November 20th, 2007 at 10:37 amSo is Scotty saying that Bush wanted him to restore Bush’s credibility with the public and then he lied to to Scotty about Plame? Does that make any sense?
Comment by Blackacre — November 20, 2007 @ 10:08 am
In the parallel universe Bush and the GOP exist in, it makes perfect sense.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:45 amImpeachment fodder! Smoking gun!
November 20th, 2007 at 10:48 amThis is immediate grounds for impeachment. What the hell is the dem caucus thinking if they dont try and impeach now?
November 20th, 2007 at 10:48 amHas Pelosi/Ried cleared off the table yet?
November 20th, 2007 at 10:48 amDear Scotty, Don’t go hunting with Richard Bruce Cheney.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:52 am#48
November 20th, 2007 at 10:53 ammaybe it’s been cleared for just desserts , if you still have an appetite.
eat up democrats , you can save the nation and even win the progressive vote in the next ( assuming there is one ) election.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:55 amI’m not sure that lying by the president is objectionable behavior. He has never been forcefully confronted by leading servants of the goverment for us to think otherwise.
November 20th, 2007 at 11:07 amAnd the way the Justice Department is run must mean that they concur.
Suuuuuure, He had nooooo knowledge….
November 20th, 2007 at 11:12 amWe can’t impeach ANYONE on the basis of what this guy says. The man was a professional liar–remember?
November 20th, 2007 at 11:15 amI’m not sure that lying by the president is objectionable behavior.
In the case of treason it makes him complicit or responsible. period.
November 20th, 2007 at 11:15 amWe can’t impeach ANYONE on the basis of what this guy says. The man was a professional liar–remember?
Comment by Perry logan — November 20, 2007 @ 11:15 am
But if i get a blow in the oval office you can impeach? Riiiigiigggggghhhhhttttt.
November 20th, 2007 at 11:16 amPatrick Fitzgerald needs to know what transpired between Cheney and Libby. Cheney orchestrated the crime, and Libby protected him by lying about it. Fitzgerald’s chance to get at Cheney was through Libby, but that chance ended when Libby cut a deal to commit perjury and obstruct justice in return for commutation of his sentence. Fitzgerald should reopen the investigation and subpoena McClellan to determine whether he has any direct knowledge of Cheney’s role in the underlying crime, and/or any knowledge of a deal between Bush and Libby to obstruct justice. Ultimately, however, it is up to Congress to impeach Bush.
November 20th, 2007 at 11:23 amWe can’t impeach ANYONE on the basis of what this guy says. The man was a professional liar–remember?
Comment by Perry logan — November 20, 2007 @ 11:15 am
Actually, Congress can impeach on the basis of a liar’s testimony. It happens in the courts, where it is up to the jury to decide whether a liar has enough credibility to believe in their salient testimony. In this case the jury is Congress.
November 20th, 2007 at 11:24 amCount the lies (highlighted for your enjoyment).
————
Q Do you think that the Justice Department can conduct an impartial investigation, considering the political ramifications of the CIA leak, and why wouldn’t a special counsel be better?
THE PRESIDENT: Yes. Let me just say something about leaks in Washington. There are too many leaks of classified information in Washington. There’s leaks at the executive branch; there’s leaks in the legislative branch. There’s just too many leaks. And if there is a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is. And if the person has violated law, the person will be taken care of.
And so I welcome the investigation. I — I’m absolutely confident that the Justice Department will do a very good job. There’s a special division of career Justice Department officials who are tasked with doing this kind of work; they have done this kind of work before in Washington this year. I have told our administration, people in my administration to be fully cooperative.
I want to know the truth. If anybody has got any information inside our administration or outside our administration, it would be helpful if they came forward with the information so we can find out whether or not these allegations are true and get on about the business.
Yes, let’s see, Kemper — he’s from Chicago. Where are you? Are you a Cubs or White Sox fan? (Laughter.) Wait a minute. That doesn’t seem fair, does it? (Laughter.)
Q Yesterday we were told that Karl Rove had no role in it —
THE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q — have you talked to Karl and do you have confidence in him —
THE PRESIDENT: Listen, I know of nobody — I don’t know of anybody in my administration who leaked classified information. If somebody did leak classified information, I’d like to know it, and we’ll take the appropriate action. And this investigation is a good thing.
And again I repeat, you know, Washington is a town where there’s all kinds of allegations. You’ve heard much of the allegations. And if people have got solid information, please come forward with it. And that would be people inside the information who are the so-called anonymous sources, or people outside the information — outside the administration. And we can clarify this thing very quickly if people who have got solid evidence would come forward and speak out. And I would hope they would.
And then we’ll get to the bottom of this and move on. But I want to tell you something — leaks of classified information are a bad thing. And we’ve had them — there’s too much leaking in Washington. That’s just the way it is. And we’ve had leaks out of the administrative branch, had leaks out of the legislative branch, and out of the executive branch and the legislative branch, and I’ve spoken out consistently against them and I want to know who the leakers are.
November 20th, 2007 at 11:39 amBush is just a better looking Nixon with a far crappier trade policy.
November 20th, 2007 at 11:40 amBush is just a better looking Nixon with a far crappier trade policy.
Comment by dwstar — November 20, 2007 @ 11:40 am
Nixon was paranoid and vicious, but he had more brains in his thumb than the entire Bush administration can claim. I hated the man’s guts while he was in office, but in retrospect some of his foreign and domestic policy decisions were positively “liberal”, particularly when compared to the Republicans who have followed him into the White House.
It creeps me out to think that I have any nostalgia at all for the Nixon years; just goes to show how things have deteriorated.
November 20th, 2007 at 11:45 amI’m not at all surprised that Shrub was involved.
I am extremely pleasantly surprised that someone is starting to break ranks and tell the full story. Let us hope that this is like a snowball rolling down a hill.
November 20th, 2007 at 11:49 amWhy should the whole country wait until April to find out how the President lied to us, and why should we have to pay for it in book form?
Summon this dude before Congress now, under the banner of impeachment hearings if necessary.
I might remind you all that impeachment requires only a majority vote of the House (removal is then discussed by the Senate), and it is possible to impeach a President several times.
November 20th, 2007 at 12:06 pmIt boggles the mind why people like Scotty McFelon would come out with a tell-all book about how he lied for the people who were involved in the Plame matter now. The Wilson still want answers. The point is the McFelon has to live with the fact that he lied for the Administration and ruined a covert officer 21 year career in the CIA.
November 20th, 2007 at 12:09 pm[McClellan]: “I had unknowingly passed along false information. And five of the highest ranking officials in the administration were involved in my doing so: Rove, Libby, the vice President, the President’s chief of staff, and the president himself….â€
“… and it only took me a couple years to screw up my righteousness and my indignation at being so used enough to stop lying for them and leave….”
“Buy my book, please. I’m willing to do anything, screw anyone, for money. My ‘morals’ are entirely of the pecuniary sort.”
Cheers,
November 20th, 2007 at 12:14 pmThat the administration was lying to the public about this treasonous crime is predictable. I don’t want people to forget that Time and Newsweek also lied to the American people and that they represent the “Fourth Estate.” These were lies of ommission. The managing editors of these esteemed rags knew before the 2004 election that Bush was lying about the Plame affair and they didn’t think the public needed to know before making an informed voting decision. Time and Newsweek - simply a disgrace.
November 20th, 2007 at 12:23 pmFellow readers, PLEASE NOTE:
I just called Henry Waxman’s office, 1-800-828-0498 is one of the toll-free numbers you can use.
The person answering the phone had NOT known about this, but promised to pass on the information.
Since Mr. Waxman just contributed a Thanksgiving article to Think Progress, I told that person to check out Think Progress ASAP.
PLEASE call his office, and ALL your senators and reps on this one.
The TREASON has been exposed by McClellan, and it is time that the WAR CRIMINALS get what they deserve for it.
Sincerely,
NRA Gun Nutes
November 20th, 2007 at 12:30 pmTREASON!
November 20th, 2007 at 12:31 pmThanks Scotty, Mr Conyers will get right on it.
I sure Mr Bush and everyone else involved will get a new reprimand written into some report issued by some congressional committee. Yep, we’re talking real justice for the treasonous activity of outing a convert agent. Yep, a really long reprimand too.
See, there really are consequence for acts of treason even if you’re a Republican.
November 20th, 2007 at 12:32 pmCome on, folks, CALL WAXMAN!!
Conyers, too, although the person answering the phone, who ALSO didn’t know about it, sounded nonchalant about it.
PLEASE call Congress NOW at 1-800-828-0498.
Spread the word to EVERYONE about it.
Let’s get Congress to DO SOMETHING about these TRAITORS.
Sincerely,
NRA Gun Nutes
November 20th, 2007 at 12:37 pmI emailed Congresman Conyers Jr. from the House Judiciary Committee. I requested that he reopen the Plame investigation and sent the link of Thinkprogress article.
November 20th, 2007 at 12:55 pmI emailed Congresman Conyers Jr. from the House Judiciary Committee. I requested that he reopen the Plame investigation and sent the link of Thinkprogress article.
Comment by SP Biloxi — November 20, 2007 @ 12:55 pm
Thanks, SP. You da PERSON!! (don’t know your gender from SP)…
It seems that NO ONE on TP wants to talk about this any longer.
From the PSYOP “trolls” I can understand, but we should be SCREAMING this the EVERY rep and senator…
Sincerely,
NRA Gun Nutes
November 20th, 2007 at 1:12 pmI’m not interested in after-the-fact mea culpas. That variety of truth-telling is only done to attempt to exonerate the person who lied to begin with. If McClellan had been any kind of an upstanding citizen of this country, he would have refused to carry water for Bush. He would have refused to spread the lies that led this Nation into the quagmire we are in today. Instead, he’s nothing more than a traitor to this country who willingly told lies to the American people for a paycheck. Shameful, all of it.
November 20th, 2007 at 1:44 pmI think Scotty’s just trying to get out of the way of the future he sees bearing down on him: being forever known and despised as mouthpiece (and probably indictable accessory) to the most criminal administration in American history. And that squishing sound I hear is that of spines not stiffening in Dem offices on Capital Hill.
November 20th, 2007 at 2:10 pmA verb, a noun, a lie.
November 20th, 2007 at 2:20 pm#4 - Deep Throat is apparently a role that’s switched off between Larry Craig, Mitch McConnell, and Lindsey Graham.
Oh, wait…you meant the OTHER Deep Throat…
November 20th, 2007 at 2:26 pmincredible!
November 20th, 2007 at 2:49 pmit’s acceptable to impeach a president for lying about getting his dick sucked, but not a cover-up of this magnitude?
this country is F_CKED!
Does Scotty have a death wish?
November 20th, 2007 at 2:57 pmWaxman is a fraud.
Comment by cold_hard_left — November 20, 2007 @ 2:42 pm
Bush is a COXUCKER punk TRAITOR to the USA who needs to be waterboarded in Gitmo until he drops dead.
And goes to meet his new MASTER Satan.
Who will smash in the little punk’s face every second for ETERNITY.
WHAM! SPLAT!
WHAM! SPLAT!
WHAM! SPLAT!
WHAM! SPLAT!
WHAM! SPLAT!
WHAM! SPLAT!
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Sincerely,
NRA Gun Nutes
November 20th, 2007 at 2:59 pmMcClellan was just out front touting an ad supporting the war…DUH. He was all over networks and cable stations prior to Patreus’ “report” to Congress.
I have no doubt that he has the blessing of the White House (What a misnomer with those dark, evil characters in there). He simply claims he had no idea…he will sell some books, and it will all blow over, as did the Tenet book, and the others that basically said the same thing.
These people feel they can do ANYTHING with inpunity because they are who they are…and thus far, no one has REALLY challenged them, not even Fitzgerald, in my opinion. My only hope is that the World Court will get them for CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY.
“Everything the right-wing does is designed to accomplish one of two things, either:
(a) transfer wealth from everyone else to the rich, or,
(b) distract everyone else from the fact that (a) is occurring.”
~Jack Clark (The Rational Radical)
McClellan was indeed the DISTRACTOR…as was/is Fox News; Snow, Perino; Limbaugh, et al.
November 20th, 2007 at 4:55 pmBut, we all knew that already, it was obvious when he was feeding us those lies, jeez.
Will that “Liberal” media pick up on this and show how we were lied to?
No, you say, mmm, thought so.
Will the Democratic congress investigators pick up on this and show how we were lied to?
No, you say, mmm, thought so.
Will progress blogs be the only place this news will show up?
Of course, you say, mmm, thought so.
Bush/Cheney
Hague Trials ‘09
Buck Fush
November 20th, 2007 at 5:26 pmThose of you who didn’t already know this should keep up.
November 20th, 2007 at 6:51 pm