Scott McClellan’s Tell All

(Note: I would really appreciate some recognition for not making a bad Star Trek joke about beaming people up.)

I now know what I want for Father’s Day.  Hands down, no questions asked, I want a copy of former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan’s tell all, What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and What’s Wrong With Washington.

Sure, most of it will undoubtedly be the kind of star struck fawning that one might expect from a Bushite, but there is at least one section of the book that promises to be a page turner, and already has the political junkies buzzing up a storm.

There’s no question about it, the Bush Administration has made it clear that above all else, loyalty is the greatest of all virtues.  With this being said, it’s a little tough to predict exactly how the White House will react to a passage in the one time White House mouth piece’s upcoming book that points a pretty damning finger at “five of the highest ranking officials in the administration”.

McClellan, who apparently was as loyal as they come, was apparently hurt and turned a little bitter over what would eventually be known as Plamegate.  While the media turned into a sea of fire over the outing of the CIA agent and wife to Ambassador Joe Wilson, it was McClellan’s job to fend off the swords and arrows targeting key members of the administration.

Repeatedly he staunchly contended that the leak did not come from the White House, specifically defending Rove and Libby who according to him had nothing to do with it.  Or so he thought.  In the back halls of the White House, McClellan had asked the aides, along with the President himself, whether or not the controversial figures were involved with the Plame leak.

And he was lied to.

That the Administration lied in the Plame affair is not something likely to cause much of a shock, particularly among leftist circles.  What does make this unique however is that this is a man who was “in”.  This was a guy on Bush’s team who is essentially confirming what went on, and it makes yet another powerful piece of evidence as to the character of the current administration.

As I said earlier, loyalty is highly valued among those of the Bush and Cheney crew.  But I suppose for at least Scott McClellan, loyalty doesn’t involve being the fall guy forever.