Balloon Juice » Blog Archive » McClellan Throws Self, Rest of White House Under the Bus

May

McClellan Throws Self, Rest of White House Under the Bus

by John Cole

Thanks for speaking up so early, when we could do something about all the lies you witnessed. Dick.

Assholes, Republican Crime Syndicate - aka the Bush Admin. | 7:54 pm |

70 Responses to “McClellan Throws Self, Rest of White House Under the Bus”

1
May 27th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
dr. bloor

Wouldn’t have made a nickel doing it your way, silly blogger.
2
May 27th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
r€nato

if you need a (further) example of the resistance of the Bush dead-enders to the facts, read the comments at that Politico story. Once again, since Simple Scotty is criticizing the Golden Child, everything he writes can be dismissed since he’s just trying to sell books. Apparently the wingnut standard is, Bush himself would have to come out and say, “I’m a giant fuckup!” and even then I doubt the Bush backwash would believe it.
3
May 27th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
rob!

i tried leaning on the rudder of the previous post, to steer it away from Misogyny Bay, but it didn’t work, so i’ll repost what i wrote:

“He misled the country over the real reasons we went to war.”

wow, what a bulletin! other shocking revelations:
—salt is salty
—audrey hepburn was kinda pretty
—bill clinton occasionally strayed from his marriage
4
May 27th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
r€nato

I too am getting pretty sick of all the Bush enablers who come out and say, ‘gee, yeah, the Dirty Fucking Hippies were right all along.’

How about a fucking apology? I don’t want to buy Scotty’s book, nor Bruce Bartlett’s, nor George Tenet’s; I want to punch each and every one of them in the mouth.
5
May 27th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
Soylent Green

Way to stand on principle, McClellan. Though in your case when you have a book to flog, principal plus interest.
6
May 27th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Andrew

I’m eagerly awaiting the TalkLeft post that uses McClellan’s book to blame Obama for the war in Iraq.
7
May 27th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
w vincentz

Let’s be fair to Scotty. You all know he needs the money from the book sales so he can upgrade his wardrobe. All those dresses he purchased back in 2003 are now out of style, and you know how expensive a new blond or redhead wig costs.
Now, Tucker is calling him an “ineffective” press secretary.
Come on bow tie guy, cut the drag queen a break!
8
May 27th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
r€nato

So, one can pretty much assume that every Bush White House press mouthpiece is lying and covering up for Worst President Ever, right? I mean, it’s not like their MO changed after Simple Scotty left.

McClellan writes… “[Bush] was terribly ill-served by his top advisers, especially those involved directly in national security.”

So much for that horseshit that it didn’t matter if Bush was an inexperienced idiot, because he’d have all these wise advisors surrounding him.

Hell, is there ONE SINGLE CAMPAIGN PROMISE, other than tax cuts, that this asshole kept?
9
May 27th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Mary

I think this needs emphasizing.

HE SAYS THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS CORPS WAS TOO EASY ON THE ADMINISTRATION DURING THE RUN-UP TO THE WAR.

Wait, let me try that again:

HE SAYS THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS CORPS WAS TOO EASY ON THE ADMINISTRATION DURING THE RUN-UP TO THE WAR.

That’s hardly news, of course, but those lapdogs need a kicking.
10
May 27th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Mary

Crap. The red and the blink worked during preview …
11
May 27th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
r€nato

Tucker is calling him an “ineffective” press secretary.

...and the smearing begins.

Have to say, though, I couldn’t believe that our press corpse could stand there and listen to this guy bullshit day in and day out. He was not a very convincing liar. He would stammer, sweat, and generally look like he was getting an unlubricated enema whenever he was out there pushing the daily lies for WPE.
12
May 27th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Warren Terra

Hell, is there ONE SINGLE CAMPAIGN PROMISE, other than tax cuts, that this asshole kept?

Didn’t he promise to appoint judges in the model of Antonin Scalia, or am I thinking of someone else?

I would take such a promise as a Campaign Threat, not a Campaign Promise, but his base, of course, disagrees.

I think there were also a bunch of coded promises to the Xtian right, and he probably has got a pretty good track record on those, too.
13
May 27th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
r€nato

HE SAYS THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS CORPS WAS TOO EASY ON THE ADMINISTRATION DURING THE RUN-UP TO THE WAR.

yeah, I don’t think our press corpse is going to react very well to being told, “you got pWN3d! by the guy who did the pwning. I predict Simple Scotty ain’t gonna get invited to the Sunday talk shows to discuss exactly what a bunch of pathetic n00bs the White House reporters were.
14
May 27th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
cleek

HE SAYS THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS CORPS WAS TOO EASY ON THE ADMINISTRATION DURING THE RUN-UP TO THE WAR.

he’s right.

but i expect they’ll be a little more focused next time.
15
May 27th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
w vincentz

THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS CORPS WAS TOO EASY ON THE ADMINISTRATION DURING THE RUN-UP TO THE WAR….
and the Press Secretary informing them was?
Classic! The blind leading the blind.
16
May 27th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Jorge

ARRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH

It was so hard being an anti-war Democrat. It was so frigggin hard watching the country give the Republicans the majority again and to see GW get re-elected.

ARRRGGGHHHHHHHHHH

We were crazy for saying there were no WMDs and that this was a war of choice. We had Bush Derangement Syndrome because we said that GW had no intellectual curiosity and played politics with everything.

AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHH

This country owes us Obama (I’m having a meltdown) and a fillabuster proof hill for 4 years.

THEY
OWE
IT
TO
US

ARRGGHHHHHH
17
May 27th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
KRK

i expect they’ll be a little more focused next time

Unless there’s barbecue.
18
May 27th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Warren Terra

The White House Press Corps was too easy on the administration during the run-up to the war…

Don’t worry, they’ll make up for it by being extra-tough on President Obama. On average, they’ll be just exactly tough enough.
19
May 27th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
w vincentz

Yup Jorge, ya get that way after a while.
ARRGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
20
May 27th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
mark

This is bad news for Democrats.

First!
21
May 27th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
JGabriel

Cleek:

i expect [the press will] be a little more focused next time.

Only until the next Republican president. Funny how that works.

.
22
May 27th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
nightjar

Absolution won’t come easy for these sanctimonious motherfuckers. Let them hoist on their own petards and wriggle like the slimy Salamanders they are.

No offense to the Salamander.
23
May 27th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
passerby

ARRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH

I’m a New Orleanian.

Fuck you McClellan and your million $$$$ tell-all.

T
24
May 27th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Rick Taylor

Thanks for speaking up so early, when we could do something about all the lies you witnessed. Dick.

I’d go easy on him. With congressional oversight effectively neutered as administration officials just ignore subpoenas, this sort of thing is the only way we’re ever going to find out what happened.
25
May 27th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
From Pine View Farm » And This Surprises Us How?

[...] Via John Cole. [...]
26
May 27th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
JL

Walter Pincus of the Washington Post was writing articles questioning the Administrations evidence or lack there of. Unfortunately it was buried not only inside the print version but also the online version.
27
May 27th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
passerby

“One of the worst disasters in our nation’s history became one of the biggest disasters in Bush’s presidency. Katrina and the botched federal response to it would largely come to define Bush’s second term,” he writes.

and yet, still, what did you have to say,...cocksucker??

Earthlings around the world were heartbroken by these events, but you, asshole, you, McClellan had nothing to offer until now, when there are $$$$$$ involved.

Low. Life.

Bottom. Feeder.

T

p.s. It’s close to my heart so please, allow my name calling.
28
May 27th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
p.a.

By: John Cole May 27, 2008 at 7:54 pm

Thanks for speaking up so early, when we could do something about all the lies you witnessed. Dick.

I know I’m a dope for typing this about this ‘administration’- any recent admin. really, but this one especially: has anyone resigned? I’m obvioulsy not talking department secretaries, undersecretaries, associate secs. etc; they’re the true believers. I mean anyone in the Washington departmental food chain who were political appointees? I think there was a faith-based guy early on, but any others?
I know there have been resignations among civil-service type science employees at EPA, maybe NASA. But any Bushite political hack anywhere? Any level? Any? ‘Heckuva job Brownie’? Was he just reassigned? Rummy? Was he a ‘spend more time with the family’ guy?
29
May 27th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Notorious P.A.T.

I’m eagerly awaiting the TalkLeft post that uses McClellan’s book to blame Obama for the war in Iraq.

I’m pretty sure that post has already been written. I found a TL discussion that said Obama should be blamed for the war because he hasn’t been able to stop it as a Senator. Thus, everyone who voted for the war (hint, hint) is absolved. I didn’t bookmark it though.
30
May 27th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
passerby

passerby said:

p.s. It’s close to my heart so please, allow my name calling.

No, no, I’m not asking, I’m declaring: Any and all Bushites are full of shit and, really, not worth our (intelligent) attention.

Cocksuckers all!
(not that there’s anything wrong with that (understand what I’m sayin’.))

T
T
31
May 27th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
ThatLeftTurnInABQ

That’s hardly news, of course, but those lapdogs need a kicking. to be fed into the business end of a chipper-shredder and used as mulch on the medians of the nation’s highways, to make better use of the carbon.

fixt.

If Dante were writing today, there would be another circle in hell reserved for our glorious political press corps.

At least the hacks who were grinding out Pravda in the old USSR had the excuse of writing within hailing distance of the Lubyanka, which would tend to concentrate one’s mind on the task at hand. In our case, never was so much freedom so wasted on so many with so little to show for it.
32
May 27th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
sidereal

Is it possible to throw your boss under a bus, jump under the bus yourself, and roll around in a pile of money at the same time? The metaphors are becoming. . difficult.
33
May 27th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
ThatLeftTurnInABQ

That’s hardly news, of course, but those lapdogs need ~~a kicking~~. to be fed into the business end of a chipper-shredder and used as mulch on the medians of the nation’s highways, to make better use of the carbon.

double fixt?
34
May 27th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Dreggas

McLellan needs to be sent to prison and gang-raped with broomsticks, even a murderer’s dick is too good for that ratfink.
35
May 27th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Warren Terra

There have been a fair number of civil-service and diplomatic corps resignations in protest, and at least some military ones, like that Gitmo prosecutor.

But I can’t think of a political appointee who’s distinguished themselves by resigning in protest or by speaking out while still in office. A few – a vanishing few – have spoken out after they were fired (Lawrence Wilkerson, a couple of the US Attorneys, Paul O’Neill). Some of them have even been quite eloquent – but none would do so in office, and none resigned.
36
May 27th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Elvis Elvisberg

How, exactly, did this change of heart take place? And why can’t someone, anyone in this administration show an iota of integrity and blow the whistle at the time?

Conservatives are, of course, deeply concerned with family values and Righteousness and whatnot, so here’s what the house organ of Movement Conservatism had to say about McClellean at the time:

The essence of the story is that Karl Rove needs to go because he’s made life difficult for McClellan. You have to figure, therefore, that the story was leaked or sanctioned by McClellan, a fact that is telegraphed clumsily by a series of pro-McClellan sentences. “Many mid-level staffers inside have expressed frustration that press secretary Scott McClellan’s credibility was undermined by Rove, who told the spokesman that he was not involved in the leak….’That is affecting everybody,’ said a Republican who has discussed the issue with the White House. ‘Scott personally is really beaten down by this. Everybody I talked to talks about this.’” ... Yes, I’m sure people are wandering the halls of the Old Executive Office Building, murmuring to each other, “I just can’t get any work done because of what’s happened to Scott!”

Look, let’s talk turkey. McClellan isn’t a very good press secretary, to put it mildly. He looks as though at any moment he is going to bolt from the podium and go running into the bathroom to throw up. Karl Rove is the most effective White House strategist in our lifetimes.

Absent more bad news for Rove, if there were a choice about which of the two of them ought to exit, the answer would unambiguously be: Keep Rove and let McClellan walk.
37
May 27th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
passerby

sidereal says:

Is it possible to throw your boss under a bus, jump under the bus yourself, and roll around in a pile of money at the same time?

Evidently, yes.

you crack me up!

T
38
May 27th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
The Moar You Know

gang-raped with broomsticks

Given the GOP’s record of kink, why are you assuming this doesn’t already happen voluntarily, on a weekly basis?
39
May 27th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Dreggas

The Moar You Know Says:

gang-raped with broomsticks

Given the GOP’s record of kink, why are you assuming this doesn’t already happen voluntarily, on a weekly basis?

true, but at least with broomsticks there are splinters involved.
40
May 27th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Garrigus Carraig

Hm. Laughs might be required.
41
May 27th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Anya

Hey John, I thought, like me you hated the term “threw under the bus”. It is my least favourate expression.
42
May 27th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Darkness

i expect they’ll be a little more focused next time

Unless there’s barbecue.

Barbecue for half, chocolate for the other half.

And free cigarettes.

100s

(Obama, I hope you’re taking notes.)
43
May 27th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Punchy

McClellan is just another liberal fascist. Anything he says is clearly BDS, built up from years working for…..wait a minute. Hold…..on. Uh…nevermind.
44
May 27th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
OriGuy

Crap. The red and the blink worked during preview …

Wordpress preview lies like a Republican.
45
May 27th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
jake

Dear BushCo Contritionists:

No one is impressed. Shut the fuck up.

If, by some strange fluke, Bush and his remaining minions wind up at The Hague, your asses better be there to provide testimony for the prosecution or we’ll hunt you down and lay some hurt on you.
46
May 27th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Bey

Do not reward this dickhead with a nickle of your money. 4000 dead, our grandchildren bankrupted, our government in tatters and this bastard owns a big piece of that.

If you must read it, check it out from the library.
47
May 27th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
chuckieboyc

Surprise, surprise. Too bad all of these gutless, fascists cocksuckers (chimpy, dickhead, powell, rice, rummy, wolfowitz, etc) wont be locked up as war criminals.
48
May 27th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
nightjar

Upon more research, there is some controversy as to whether linking to Quicksilver is legal, as apparently it is operated in another country.
49
May 27th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
Warren Terra

There is some controversy as to whether linking to a site offering to let you watch a movie currently in theaters is legal? Some controversy? Imagine that …
50
May 27th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
nightjar

Warren Terra Says:

There is some controversy as to whether linking to a site offering to let you watch a movie currently in theaters is legal? Some controversy? Imagine that …

Where I live there aren’t any theaters, so John would you please take take down my link if it’s inappropriate.Guess i thought if Google linked to it, it must be OK. Sorry
51
May 28th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Mark

In defense of McClellan:

At least he had the decency to look uncomfortable in the job, unlike World-Class Liars like Snow and Fleischer.

The battle isn’t over, and as long there are Hinderakian fanatics out there distorting the record people like McClellan should be encouraged, not trashed, when they put the real history down on paper.

And for those who hate him, don’t worry: the republicans’ll rip him to shreds for you.
52
May 28th, 2008 at 12:28 am
MobiusKlein

McClellen needs to tell it to the moms, dads, babies who will never see their kid / dad again in this world.

He needs to crawl over broken glass to beg forgiveness. He needs to change bed linens in Walter Reed for a decade before he can say dick. Oh, he can take time off to testify under oath at the war crimes trial.
53
May 28th, 2008 at 12:34 am
Tattoosydney

Without wanting to raise the whole “droopy boobies” thing again…

As a long time cocksucker, I object to that term (which is associated with pleasure to so many) being linked to these people for whom there are so many other terms which are more appropriate… like asswipes, fucktards or lying, manipulative, morally bankrupt weasels.
54
May 28th, 2008 at 12:56 am
croatoan

Speaking of cocksuckers, I wonder if Scotty’s book explains male prostitute-cum-journalist Jeff Gannon’s unexplained overnight stays at the White House.
55
May 28th, 2008 at 1:00 am
J. Michael Neal

Now we have Dana Perino, who is just too damned dumb to be able to write a four page paper telling what she knows about the White House’s inner workings, let alone a whole book.
56
May 28th, 2008 at 2:31 am
TenguPhule

Speaking of cocksuckers, Now we have Dana Perino

Fixed.
57
May 28th, 2008 at 6:03 am
Bey

Tatoosidney you’re right. To call him a dickhead is to demean dicks everywhere. I’m sorry.

He’s an apologist for the most corrupt, evil, disgusting administration in several generations. If not of all time. He gets zero credit from me for coming out now, when it’s far too late to stop some of the crimes that were committed in our names.

Not a nickel people.

Being this pissed this early can’t be good for me….
58
May 28th, 2008 at 6:43 am
mellowjohn

in the best of all possible worlds, scotty’s book will be released on monday and in the remaindered bins by wednesday!
59
May 28th, 2008 at 7:24 am
Paul

Now we have Dana Perino, who is just too damned dumb to be able to write a four page paper telling what she knows about the White House’s inner workings, let alone a whole book.

The depths of her ignorance, when she guested on “Wait wait Don’t Tell me” were truly breathtaking.
60
May 28th, 2008 at 7:36 am
4tehlulz

The depths of her ignorance, when she guested on “Wait wait Don’t Tell me” were truly breathtaking.

I heard that; you could almost feel the shock and horror coming through the radio.
61
May 28th, 2008 at 7:36 am
AkaDad

How about a fucking apology? I don’t want to buy Scotty’s book, nor Bruce Bartlett’s, nor George Tenet’s; I want to ~~punch~~ swiftly kick each and every one of them in the ~~mouth.~~ junk.

FTFM
62
May 28th, 2008 at 7:38 am
4tehlulz

How about a fucking apology?

Anything less than seppuku is unacceptable to me.
63
May 28th, 2008 at 8:12 am
Cyrus

If Dante were writing today, there would be another circle in hell reserved for our glorious political press corps.

Eighth circle, bolgia two.
64
May 28th, 2008 at 9:41 am
GoMS

Sorry, but you guys are idiots. You live in America, land of the free. This guy is as free as the rest of you. He will make a pile of cash from his book. That is his choice. Every politician, including Obama (whom I like) is doing this for money, fame or some other selfish reason. No one works in politics for the good of the electorate, are you that dumb…hmmm…maybe you are. It’s a job and that’s it…grow up and smell the ice melting. Our history is limited, get what you can! Hahahahaha!
65
May 28th, 2008 at 9:42 am
mere mortal

From the article:

McClellan recommends that future presidents appoint a “deputy chief of staff for governing” who “would be responsible for making sure the president is continually and consistently committed to a high level of openness and forthrightness and transcending partisanship to achieve unity.

Yes, in any rational administration, we call the person holding this position “The President of the United States.”

Particularly when said PotUS campaigned explicitly as a “uniter.”

Everyone absolutely must click through and read this thing all the way through, it’s just hilarious.

Bush deceived the country about Iraq? NO WAY!

Rove and Libby lied to the public about Plame? FOR REAL?

The president and his aides treated their time in the White House as a permanent propaganda position, in continuous campaign mode? GO ON!
66
May 28th, 2008 at 11:11 am
Darkness

In all fairness to Cuban-Missile-Clueless Perino, someone with a whole brain would only have it explode doing that job. Messy that. I mean, come on, do you really expect a human in that job, with those sleazebags. yech. I like having someone there I can’t possibly feel sorry for.
67
May 28th, 2008 at 11:35 am
jake

Anything less than seppuku is unacceptable to me.

After the Bushkkake comes the seppuku.
68
May 28th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Blue Raven

As a long time cocksucker, I object to that term (which is associated with pleasure to so many) being linked to these people for whom there are so many other terms which are more appropriate… like asswipes, fucktards or lying, manipulative, morally bankrupt weasels.

Amen. I’d add traitors to that list.

Mmm… cocksucking… stares idly off into the ether
69
May 28th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
binzinerator

“McClellan says the administration relied on ‘propaganda’ to sell the war.”

In other words, McClellan says the administration relied on McClellan to sell the war.

McClellen needs to tell it to the moms, dads, babies who will never see their kid / dad again in this world.

Hell yes. But that’s not enough.

Anything less than seppuku is unacceptable to me.

What he said.

It burns me up to know this craven simpering little man is now making piles of money writing about the crimes he helped enable. The victims, the grieving moms, dads, wives, husbands and children, they won’t see a cent. Where is justice in this? When will we have justice?
70
May 28th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
binzinerator

McLellan needs to be sent to prison and gang-raped with broomsticks, even a murderer’s dick is too good for that ratfink.

I might deem this acceptable for McClellan in leiu of seppuku, because I understand seppuku requires one to have honor in the first place, and a deep sense of shame when one loses it, in order for one to consider seppuku.

I may deem this acceptable, but I hope to hell the Americans and Iraqis who lost a loved one in the war demand something more as a way of absolution. Something involving blood.