Scott McClellan on Meet the Press

Scott McClellan took his What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception tour to Meet the Press this morning.

Tim Russert began the interview by reading a large portion of Bob Dole's widely circulated email to McClellan.

There are miserable creatures like you in every administration who don't have the guts to speak up or quit if there are disagreements with the boss or colleagues. No, your type soaks up the benefits of power, revels in the limelight for years, then quits, and spurred on by greed, cashes in with a scathing critique.

After Russert finished with Dole's "McClellan is an ingrate" email, McClellan replied that he respects Dole and his military service. He simply said, "I knew that this book was gonna spur a reaction...."

"I got caught up in the Washington permanent campaign culture just like everyone else."

McClellan uses that phrase again and again in his What Happened promotions, "Washington permanent campaign."

If President Bush was in permanent campaign mode, he wouldn't have such a dismal approval rating. He would have governed by polls and kept the American people satisfied. There might not be an American soldier in Iraq right now.

This permanent campaign stuff is ridiculous. Bush is constantly criticized, including by McClellan, for his stubbornness. The complaint is he doesn't listen to the American people. It just can't be said that the President is in campaign mode and bending in the wind of public opinion, pandering.

Russert wanted to know when McClellan changed his opinion of Bush.

He tossed up a portion of McClellan's book proposal – an insider's account of Bush's behind-the-scene persona, to dispel myths about him, and give a positive perspective to counter all the attacks against the President.

Russert said that's not the book McClellan wrote, noting that it's an incredibly negative account.

Then what followed sounded like a book reading at a book signing event.

Russert kept reading portions from McClellan's book and then he would pair them with statements made by McClellan when he was the White House press secretary.

Russert asked, "Were you shading the truth?"

McClellan acknowledged, "I was part of the propaganda campaign."

Throughout the interview, McClellan did more listening than talking. Russert was either reading or scolding him.

Russert asked McClellan why he didn't say anything when he knew Bush was deceiving the American people.

McClellan babbled that he was caught up in defending Bush. He said that when Bush makes a decision "he expects everyone to march in lockstep."

Russert seemed angry at McClellan.

Whether it was on Iraq, Valerie Plame, or Scooter Libby, Russert attacked McClellan for misleading the American people.

A number of times, Russert asked, "Why didn't you say... (Fill in the blank)?"

I think Russert enjoyed revisiting the Plame matter. He asked, "Did Karl Rove lie to the President of the United States?"

"That's my belief."

"Do you believe the president should have fired Karl Rove?"

"I think he should have stood by his word."

There was more reading by Russert, more amazement at McClellan's criticism now and the chasm between what he writes in his book and his previous words.

Of course, there was the usual psychoanalysis of the President, how to explain all the lies.

Russert commented, "It's self-deception."

McClellan agreed, "It is."

Russert showed a clip of Bush bidding farewell to McClellan.

PRESIDENT BUSH: One of these days he and I are going to be rocking on chairs in Texas, talking about the good old days and his time as the Press Secretary. And I can assure you I will feel the same way then that I feel now, that I can say to Scott, job well done.

McClellan reacted, "I continue to have a lot of affection for the president."

Really? He has a very odd way of showing it.

McClellan said it wasn't an easy book to write.

Really? I think it was an easy book to write. Great monetary reward tends to make otherwise difficult tasks easier.

McClellan called others to come forward and give their candid accounts. I guess he wants company in the ingrate camp.

After Russert accused McClellan of being an accomplice in the Iraq war and having blood on his hands, he challenged him to donate a portion of the proceeds of the book to support the troops.

McClellan said that he plans to do that. Of course, he offered no specifics.

Russert asked about the most important lesson McClellan learned from his experience.

Looking like a weakling eager to have the beating end, McClellan said, "The most important lesson is it's important to speak up at the time."

McClellan did sort of excuse himself though by adding, "I was young." Huh? It wasn't that long ago.

McClellan took blame for putting himself in a position where he willing passed along false information to the American people.

Russert seemed satisfied. I think Russert's angry approach was based in the grudge he holds against the Bush administration about the Plame affair.

Overall, it was a strange interview. It was nothing like Keith Olbermann's goofy, fawning interview with McClellan on his program last Thursday.

Scott McClellan, I don't want to get too fulsome on you but I don't think you're going to be dining out on the book for the rest of life. I think this a primary document of American history and I'm very impressed with it. At some point people will be teaching history based on it.

Russert didn't praise McClellan, like all the other lib Democrat media mouthpieces have been doing. He whipped him.

McClellan was definitely on defense. It reminded me of the old White House days, when he stood at the podium and met the press.

It really was a win-win situation for Russert. He could get his revenge on McClellan while reiterating McClellan's condemnation of the President and the administration.

It just doesn't get much better than that for Russert.
_______________

On a related note, Maureen Dowd "feels good" about Scott McClellan.

So now comes Scott McClellan, once the most loyal of the Texas Bushies, to reveal “What Happened,” as the title of his book promises, to turn W. from a genial, humble, bipartisan good ol’ boy to a delusional, disconnected, arrogant, ideological flop.

Although his analytical skills are extremely limited, the former White House press secretary — Secret Service code name Matrix — takes a stab at illuminating Junior’s bumpy and improbable boomerang journey from family black sheep and famous screw-up back to family black sheep and famous screw-up.

How did W. start out wanting to restore honor and dignity to the White House and end up scraping all the honor and dignity off the White House?

It turns out that our president is a one-man refutation of Malcolm Gladwell’s best seller “Blink,” about the value of trusting your gut.

Every gut instinct he had was wildly off the mark and hideously damaging to all concerned.

...We already know What Happened, but it feels good to hear Scott say it.