McClellan: ‘I’d be glad’ to testify about Bush White House
- added May 30, 2008
- 22 responses
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"Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said Friday he would be willing to comply with a rumored congressional subpoena to discuss the administration’s handling of pre-war intelligence, telling CNN’s Wolf Blitzer he’d be “glad to share my views” if asked to testify.
Facing a firestorm over his book, McClellan also confirmed reports that he had apologized to Richard Clarke for questioning his honesty after the former counterterrorism official published his own book critical of the White House.
“That was part of our talking points at the time. I didn’t even read the book,” McClellan admitted Friday. “…And I think you’re seeing the same thing happening now at this White House, that information – or rather, that people are saying things about my motivations and about me in terms of this book, and they haven’t even had a chance to read the book, or haven’t taken the opportunity to read the book.
“I think that anyone who is objective who reads the book will see that it was a very tough process to come to these conclusions. It wasn’t easy to write these things.”
Former colleagues and top Republicans have been blasting McClellan since his book was released earlier this week. On Friday, Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole – who said he had not read the new book – called McClellan a “miserable creature” in a scathing e-mail that quickly became public.
McClellan told CNN he did not believe he needed to apologize for misleading the public as he now concedes he did. “I have come to terms with it, and realized that some of what I said was badly misguided,” he said Friday. “There's things we did right, and there's things we did wrong. The things that we did wrong overshadowed so much of what we did right. … and I think the American people see through what I have been saying the last few days, that I do regret that I didn't realize some of the things then that I do now.”
He also said he did not believe he needed to apologize to President Bush, and did not think the president would be reading his book, or talking with him about what he had written. "I don't expect that, at least not any time soon," he said.
"I don't need to ask for any forgiveness from him because my comments are sincere and honest … it was tough getting to the conclusions I drew, but they were absolutely the truth from my perspective"."
CNN Associate Political Editor Rebecca Sinderbrand
Facing a firestorm over his book, McClellan also confirmed reports that he had apologized to Richard Clarke for questioning his honesty after the former counterterrorism official published his own book critical of the White House.
“That was part of our talking points at the time. I didn’t even read the book,” McClellan admitted Friday. “…And I think you’re seeing the same thing happening now at this White House, that information – or rather, that people are saying things about my motivations and about me in terms of this book, and they haven’t even had a chance to read the book, or haven’t taken the opportunity to read the book.
“I think that anyone who is objective who reads the book will see that it was a very tough process to come to these conclusions. It wasn’t easy to write these things.”
Former colleagues and top Republicans have been blasting McClellan since his book was released earlier this week. On Friday, Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole – who said he had not read the new book – called McClellan a “miserable creature” in a scathing e-mail that quickly became public.
McClellan told CNN he did not believe he needed to apologize for misleading the public as he now concedes he did. “I have come to terms with it, and realized that some of what I said was badly misguided,” he said Friday. “There's things we did right, and there's things we did wrong. The things that we did wrong overshadowed so much of what we did right. … and I think the American people see through what I have been saying the last few days, that I do regret that I didn't realize some of the things then that I do now.”
He also said he did not believe he needed to apologize to President Bush, and did not think the president would be reading his book, or talking with him about what he had written. "I don't expect that, at least not any time soon," he said.
"I don't need to ask for any forgiveness from him because my comments are sincere and honest … it was tough getting to the conclusions I drew, but they were absolutely the truth from my perspective"."
CNN Associate Political Editor Rebecca Sinderbrand
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Of course the "Bush People" will try to ruin McCellan now for speaking the truth. Is that not what we do to all who speak even a little truth?
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Scott McClellan is a great example of what it’s going to take to get back our country. When I heard about his book, I posted here at current.com that he should be forced to testify and treated as a hostile witness. I was wrong! Scott McClellan is doing what is necessary to change course. Accountability is a necessity. I’m afraid he will be treated as a hostile witness, but it will be the Republican representatives who will be using the hostile witness tactics.
If I could send Scott McClellan one message, it would be ‘THANK YOU’! Your courage is commendable and I hope a beacon to others who are teetering on the fence to speak out. America needs courage to face our future. Many wrongs have been committed and need to be corrected. We need to show the world, we are better than this. Scott McClellan is showing us, we can speak up, we should speak up! -
I think Mr. McClellan wants to distance himself from the atrocities of the current regime, to clear his conscience and hopefully save face in the future.
"Naturally the common people don't want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. ...Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country." ~ Hermann Wilhelm Göring at the Nuremberg trials (sound familar? IMPEACH IMPEACH IMPEACH!)
And Miers/Rove must be *forced* to testify before Congress concerning the Plame outing.
Sheesh.
Psssssst ... Congress ... do something!-
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- Amber_LaStrega
- 3 months ago
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He's come a long way baby!
There's more of them willing to co e forward no doubt. But, I am well aware of how things things work - for starters, the Busheney gang of thugs has been working on everyone and anyone they fear will turn them out, be it by attacking or bribing - and if they haven't, they will.
Think it doesn't happen ALL the time in America's judicial system - IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME!-
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- VoyagerFilms
- 3 months ago
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Agreed VF.
And consider what's happened to the whistleblowers in the Siegelman case. House burned to the ground, car run off the road, personal office files rifled through yet nothing stolen.
Criminals have no qualms with committing crime[s] ... but the current rethug regime is freakin' dangerous.-
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- Amber_LaStrega
- 3 months ago
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I agree Amber but if we all do nothing then we are complicit in apathy. There should be more people like him and we should make it clear that he is supported
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- cubbingabout
- 3 months ago
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about time someone from the inside speaks the truth, to bad that its a bit to late.
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I lose all respect for people who write books like this.
On the one hand you think wow he's great look at him standing up to the big bad mean president. That's the easy thing. Because that's what people are already doing so why not join the club and make money. All the same thinkers will buy the book and point at sections and go SEE I was so right.
On the other hand it's undermining the President in the final hours. It's pointless. What he should have done if it were as bad as his book is proclaiming was said something earlier. There is a saying that says better late than never, but in this case he should have said something earlier or shut up.
The last months of a presidency, of a two term one at that, and someone rolls on out from under the skirts of the White House to go, "Oh the badness" and people should crowd up to him and give him praise for what he's doing? Hell no.
I hate when people proclaim to speak the truth when all they spew is rotten venom. If his book was really truthful then there would be good things to say about Bush from that book. If there's nothing but negative and oh no he's bad, bad man, then I don't think that book is as truthful as the dictionary would define truth.
The book is tainted with "Well I think" and that makes for a sucky truth book. State what it is you saw in the best observing method you can and let people think what they will. Tainting the book with a bias view prior to anyone reading it is so dumb.
I dislike this man and will never read his book. -
I think this "shocking turn of events" comes just a bit too little and too late.
"Too little" because it really doesn't add to what we the public have already concluded or suspected about the Bush Imperium. The NOLA fly-over? Yeah, it was a failed PR gimmick. Never giving up the campaign bus after 2000? Again, pretty much a given. Running on propaganda? No big surprise there.
"Too late" because it comes at a time when there is nothing that can be done ABOUT some of the things bring brought up. So Karl Rove and his merry band of miscreants pulled a fast one on the world... yeah, and what is the Congress going to do about it? NOTHING! They're going to have hearings and committee meetings and that's all that they can do.
Impeachment, you say? Not on Nancy Pelosi's watch! "Impeachment is off the table." Remember those words?
This is all just part of the con. By the time you realize that you've been had, the players will have already left office and there will be NOTHING that you can do to hurt them. -
Good. Let him testify and then arrest him too as an accessory to a crime. Coming out now? Where the hell was he when it counted? Now he is making money from his book (hope the profits are going to help troops coming home with PTSD) and getting plenty of air time. But will it lead to Congressional impeachment hearings? Of course not. This is an "election" year. Too little too late is right. He also enabled it all and should now stand trial with all the rest of them. He is no hero to me. Just someone who wants to desert the ship before it sinks and make as much money as he can before it goes down.
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- JanforGore
- 3 months ago
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Though it's good to hear what someone in his (former) position has to share, a lot of this strikes me as repairing a guilty conscience at best, covering up his own tracks at worst.
Information like this should be free trade anyway; the government should be much more transparent. -
I don't understand, if he's underoath and tells congress everything what would it change? He would tell us "we invaded Iraq because we thought they had weapons of mass destruction." A nd then Bush would say were winning in Iraq and then...nothing new happens.
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To J-Jammer - how refreshing to read that ignorance is bliss.
Do you care that the vast majority of humanity abhors the Bushit regime? Does it rock your convictions to realize you are part of the problem?
When gas hits $5 a gallon in August will you still believe that your president's energy policy was anything but a horrible amoral bent-over posture of a man who could and would sell out humanity to save his own ass? -
Wait... Why hasn't Bush been impeached since the release of this book?
Bush should have ben impeached years ago. He fixed BOTH elections... -
Bush has not been impeached because Nancy Pelosi cannot find her spine.
Here's hoping Shirley Golub kicks Nan's arse in the upcoming election.
http://www.shirley08.com/-
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- Amber_LaStrega
- 3 months ago
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Or is this just another well orchestrated distraction from something more ominous????
The lot of them should be imprisoned for crimes against the American People and Humanity. The truth is known. What happened to accountability? -
Sorry, but we're dealing with the government here. Accountability went out the door a long time ago.
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