WASHINGTON - Former White House spokesman Scott McClellan, whose explosive new book brimming with withering criticism of his former bosses in Bush administration, said he is thinking about voting for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
In an interview Thursday night with MSNBC’s “Countdown with Keith Olbermann,” the former spokesman for President George W. Bush said he was “intrigued by what Sen. Obama has been running on about changing the way Washington works.”
In his tell-all book, “What Happened — Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception,” presents himself as a one-time true Bush believer who mistakenly fell in line behind a propaganda campaign to sell the war in Iraq.
McClellan said he also has respect for Republican candidate John McCain “for the way he has worked across the aisle with Democrats.” He says he is still considering who to support.
“I’m going to take my time and think it through,” McClellan told Olbermann, a harsh critic of Bush and his conservative allies.
McClellan began a publicity tour for his book on Thursday and gave his first television interviews to NBC, which has come under fire from the White House for its handling of a recent interview with Bush and comments he made about Iran.
Trackback
15 comments so far
Republicans for Obama
- Posted by MattAnyone who did not speak up at the time or before waiting so long and to do it as McClellan is has no right to speak about integrity. It is obvious he has a personal agenda and that agenda does not include “truth.”
- Posted by Carlton PrinceCarlton Prince
Where is the scathing White House reply accusing him of misfeasance of duty and as morally deplete? Or is that yet to come?
- Posted by SeanYes, Carlton, because we all know what happened to people who spoke up during the Bush regime…
- Posted by Bob DobAs a retired government public affairs officer (spokesman), I can sympathize with McClellan. At first, you don’t realize you’re telling lies — after all, the boss you trust is providing you the information that you are using. Then, you begin to wonder; finally, you realize you have been telling lies.
- Posted by Joe McAnallyThen, you have to consider the fact that you have kids to feed. Yeah, not a glorious reason, but a dose of harsh reality.
I lied repeatedly during my career, but it was what my bosses wanted me to do and what the taxpayers were paying me to do.
I knew the WMD line was a lie from the very beginning — probably because I’d had more experience as a paid liar than Scott had.
It was amusing to hear the usual asinine comments from Ann Coulter last night regarding this book. To think that people pay to read/hear her rubbish says a lot about the IQ of the masses in this country. Well, the fact that roughly 30% of the country still thinks Bush is doing a good job is pretty scary (his wealthy friends are roughly 2% of the country so the other 28% are just plain dumb).
- Posted by DaTruthRead the book first; speak later.
- Posted by NateBob Dob please tell us what happened to those who spoke up during the Bush presidency? I think one is about to be the Dem nominee for president.
McClellan is a weasel if he had a problem he should have resigned.
- Posted by John COf course McClellan would keep silent at the White House. People are reluctant to blow the whistle, especially if your boss happens to be the President of the United States. It isn’t very surprising that he would come to recognize the silliness of the administration after being away from the circus for a couple years.
- Posted by DerekMcClellan’s revelation comes as no surprise to those of us not stupid enough to believe in the propaganda that has been coming out of the Whitehouse for 7 years now. A presidency and administration that has all but destroyed this country. McClellan has courage to stand up for the truth and to go against the lies, narcissism, and bully tactics of Bush and those ignorant louses that “believe” in Bush. The 28% percent supporter are the weak among this nation…clinging to a lie and deception because they don’t have sufficient self consciousness to examine their beliefs.
- Posted by RobWhy are they attacking McCllelan when they should be addressing the contents of his book?
- Posted by ob08There is this matter of a book on sale. That means $$$. This always introduces the possibility of ulterior motives in what is being said. The more contraversial, the more $$$.
Of course, nothing is proven, but, we cannot help but wonder.
- Posted by Kerry CookeThe guy must now be afraid of the consequences of his mild expose.
Yes - it must have taken courage to pour scorn on an administation of confusion, deception and ineptitude.
They may attack him, but it is essential that we all discover what was really going on.
I say good for him: he’s done the right thing.
- Posted by The Truth Is...So what’s new. Scott McClellan is another guy telling the story that the whole world knows, so what has changed. Business as usual!
- Posted by Zafar HusainZafar is relatively spot on, in retrospect: we all know what a pile of junk the Bush administration turned out to be.
The trouble is, it has done enormous damage to the US and I think whoever takes over will have one hell of a job on their hands.
I do not envy them: they may find it impossible to succeed.
- Posted by The Truth Is...