Just a quick correction regarding Peter’s appearance on MSNBC yesterday afternoon. At 3:12 in the clip, the host quotes a “liberal website” saying “Feeling for Scott McLellan [sic]. Nice getting savaged for saying what everyone knows to be true anyway.”
The so-called liberal website is actually a twitter post from Mike Turk, the Bush-Cheney 2004 eCampaign Director. Damn that liberal media!
Scott McClellan Speaks Out [LINK]
Rove Calls McClellan A “Left-Wing Blogger” [LINK]
Bush Re-Elect eCampaign Director:”McClellan Savaged For Saying What Everyone Knows To Be True” [LINK]
CNN’s Jessica Yellin Says “Network Execs Killed Critical White House Stories” [LINK]
Murdoch: “I Think Obama Will Win… [LINK]
Rendell Doesn’t Think Clinton Can Win [LINK]
Sen. Coburn Not Happy With Obama [LINK]
NPR: Mich. Democrats Offer Plan To Restore Delegates [LINK]
Media Plays Up DNC “Chaos” This Saturday [LINK]
Delegate Dilemma…Seat Half? [LINK]
Pelosi’s Crystal Ball [LINK]
TIME: Team McCain Ready for Prime Time? [LINK]
Former Bush Press Secretary Scott McClellan has a new book out. And let’s just say it’s not exactly friendly to George Bush, Karl Rove, or any of the other knuckleheads who’ve been running our country for most of this century.
Putting aside the much more serious charge that the president and his team purposely mislead the nation into war with a coordinated propaganda campaign, I thought this find was symbolic of everything that is wrong with this administration. Via Jake Tapper:
Writes McClellan: “‘The media won’t let go of these ridiculous cocaine rumors,’ I heard Bush say. ‘You know, the truth is I honestly don’t remember whether I tried it or not. We had some pretty wild parties back in the day, and I just don’t remember.’
“I remember thinking to myself, How can that be? How can someone simply not remember whether or not they used an illegal substance like cocaine? It didn’t make a lot of sense.”
And yet, McClellan concludes, “I think he meant what he said in that conversation about cocaine. It’s the first time when I felt I was witnessing Bush convincing himself to believe something that probably was not true, and that, deep down, he knew was not true. And his reason for doing so is fairly obvious — political convenience…”
I honestly believe in this day and age that drug use, especially in a long gone youth is not a big deal. But deluding yourself into believe that said drug use didn’t even exist is emblematic of a much deeper problem with the truth. Something our president clearly isn’t a fan of.
On another front, Republicans said that Tony Snow, a commentator for Fox News and a former speechwriter for Mr. Bush’s father, was in negotiations for the job of White House press secretary. Mr. Snow would replace Scott McClellan, who announced Wednesday that he was resigning.
As first reported by CNN yesterday, Tony Snow has spoken with the WH about the job.
Other names mentioned:
Rob Nichols, currently the pres. of the Financal Services Forum? Insiders think his appointment is unlikely, although he does know Bolten.
Dan Bartlett It would obviously be a step down, but he is arguably the best on-camera communicator the Bush White House has… and he has a good relationship with most members of the press. He’s also — obviously — very close to Bolten and Bush. He could do it for the rest of the year, groom a deputy in the meantime.
Victoria Clark — She’s close to Bolten, and, importantly, could assert herself as a peer to Rove and Bartlett. Would she take the job if her access to Bush and Bolten were guaranteed? Would the WH worry about her role as Pentagon spokeswoman during the Iraq war? Still, Clarke, asked a few weeks back about whether she’d take the job, replied: “You know, what did Sherman say? If nominated, won’t run; if elected, will not serve. Not happening.”
Dan Senor — very well liked, but some in the president’s circle believe that he enjoyed the spotlight a bit too much when he was Bremer’s press guy. The Bush White House doesn’t reward flash and sizzle, at least when manifested by aides to the president. His recent marriage to NBCer Campbell Brown is considered by some Republicans to be a “deal-breaker.”
Brian Jones — currently the RNC’s comm. dir. Considered one of the best managers in the GOP comm. business. But he’ll likely stay at the RNC. He also lacks on-camera experience.
Ron Bonjean — current comm. dir to Denny Hastert; former comm. chief for Don Evans; has crisis experience, to boot. (He worked for Trent Lott during the relevant period of Mr. Lott’s career.) Smart and talented and well-liked by the press. However, he is also not likely to leave his current job.
Mark Corallo — former DOJ comm. dir./dept. press. sec., ex-Livingston press. sec, current for-hire GOP troubleshooter. He served in the Army as an infantry officer. He’s a consultant to Karl Rove’s Plame case legal team and also a kick-butt softball player. Corallo declined to comment.
Trent Duffy — recently stepped down as one of Scott’s deputies to tend to his new family. At the time, he said he had no interest in Scott’s job. Duffy is liked and respected by the press corps and WH staffers alike and is also close to Bolten.
Mark Pfeifle — in the Bush admin, served as FEMA press sec. and chief press counselor to ex-interior Sec. Gail Norton. Also a vet of many a GOP political operation (including the GOP convention in ‘04). Well-liked by reporters and by Three Who Matter — Ken Mehlman, Karl Rove and Pres. Bush.
You know the rest of the song…
Scotty ‘McTubsters’ McClellan is outta here, while Karl Rove loses his post in a psuedo White House ’shakeup.’
Howard Fineman: White House rearranges the deck chairs, but policy course stays the same
Senior White House Staff May Be Wearing Down.
But at a time when Bush needs his staff to be sharp to help steer past these political shoals and find ways to turn things around, he still has the same core group working since he turned his sights toward the White House. That group includes Card, deputy chief of staff Karl Rove, senior adviser Michael J. Gerson, counselor Dan Bartlett, budget director Joshua B. Bolten, press secretary Scott McClellan and national security adviser Stephen J. Hadley.
The succession of crisis after crisis has taken its toll. Some in the White House sound frazzled. While there are few stories of aides nodding off in meetings, some duck outside during the day so the fresh air will wake them up. “We’re all burned out,” said one White House official who did not want to be named for fear of angering superiors. “People are just tired.”
White House officials are never genuinely away from the job. Tied to their BlackBerrys and cellular telephones, they are often called to duty even during rare vacations. Weekends are often just another workday. Hadley, for one, schedules a full day of meetings every Saturday. Card comes to the White House on days off to go bicycle riding with Bush.
While other professions demand 14-hour days and six- or seven-day weeks, few involve as much consequence, much less the intense scrutiny of the Internet age. A former Bush aide said, “You don’t really realize until you’re gone” just how exhausting it really is.
One word: RETIRE. Your fatigue is hurting America and Americans. Oh, and while you’re at it, take Bush with you too. What a lame duck.
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