“What Happened” A revealing Blog about how Scott McClellan followed in his parents footsteps by turning his back on his political friends and associates. Scott McClellan is the new Benedict Arnold.
This week, former White House Press Secretary, Scott McClellan released his new book entitled “What Happened.” It is about his experience working in the Bush White House and has created a firestorm that just might burn McClellan and end any future he may have had in Republican politics. His book is being promoted as a political “tell all” that reveals how the Bush White House spins the daily news.
Scott McClellan comes from a family with deep roots in Texas politics. He was born in Austin, Texas and is the grandson of the late Page Keeton, a former Dean at the University of Texas Law School. His brother Mark is the former Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and was in charge of the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services. His father is a former attorney and supporter of Lyndon Johnson. Scott is also the youngest son of former Austin Mayor, former Texas State Comptroller and former Texas gubernatorial candidate, Carole Keeton-McClellan-Rylander-Strayhorn. (More on his parents later).
Scott graduated from the University of Texas, was the Chief of Staff for a Texas State Senator; he managed three of his mother’s political campaigns and eventually was hired by Karen Hughes as the White House Deputy Press Secretary. In 2003 after Ari Fleischer stepped down McClellan assumed the role as White House Press Secretary until he was politely asked to leave and promptly replaced by Tony Snow in 2006.
McClellan was Press Secretary during a very difficult time and was sent into the lions den daily and faced not just questions from the press but feverish criticism of the White House at a time when the war in Iraq was not going well, Katrina had devastated the Gulf Coast and the press was all over the Valerie Plame CIA leak investigation.
Democrats were vigorously bashing President Bush and applying pressure to White House staffers by threatening them with prosecution as well as offering immunity from it for anyone that was willing to come out of the wood work and testify. They were looking for any evidence that would help end the careers of Karl Rove, Elliott Abrams, Scooter Libby, Secretary Rumsfeld, Vice-President Cheney or even the President. One can only imagine the heat McClellan felt at the time but it pales in comparison to the heat he will take for breaking Ronald Reagan’s famous 11th Commandment, "Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican."
Maybe there is a timeline of events that explains the enormous difference between the opinions expressed in other books written by former Bush administration officials. Books by retired General Tommy Franks, Advisor Karen Hughes and Press Secretary Ari Fleischer are far more positive where as CIA Director George Tennet, Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill and Press Secretary Scott McClellan are much more critical of Bush, Cheney and Secretary of State Rice.
One set of books was written by those who enjoyed adoration and success as part of the administration while the others have had to answer for mistakes by the administration or themselves. Certainly Director Tennet and Secretary ONeil have a lot to answer for in regards to their mishandling of intelligence information and the economy. But what about McClellan, what if anything did he have anything to answer for, perhaps not much.
Many former White House insiders have expressed their surprise in regards to the comments in the book while others have accused McClellan betrayal. When asked about the book Karl Rove said “This is not the quiet Scott I knew then and just doesn’t sound like the same person.”
Ari Fleischer seemed a bit more irritated and questioned McClellan’s judgment by saying “If he felt this way he should have declined the job or said something like I did… when I disagreed with the President I made sure he knew it.”
And former advisor Mary Matalin was even more brutal by questioning McClellan’s depth of intelligence when she said “Everyone is being too nice to Scott and doesn’t want to say it but when I was there (in the White House) Scott contributed nothing to the discussions that took place, when others like Scooter Libby would add twelve things or Karl (Rove) would come up with five things in a meeting, Scott contributed nothing, he could not come up with even one. He just sat there and said nothing.”
In his book “What Happened” Scott McClellan disparages the White House for what he sees as its efforts to spin the information McClellan released to the press each day. He portrays the President as using the Iraq war to secure his legacy and bring his dream of democracy for everyone to the middle-east. McClellan portrays himself as a disgruntled, responsible, whistle blower who feels duped and betrayed by his former boss and comrades for putting him in the hot seat, forcing him to endure multiple sweat-downs by the press. McClellan provides commentary from his point of view in his book and he is entitled to it. However, his book was written in a style more fitting of a radical left wing blogger with an axe to grind than a former insider. It lacks many of the supporting facts that a book of such potential significance should have to back it up.
He is entitled to his perspective and like McClellan, as a Republican, I have my own issues with the administration despite having voted for Bush twice. No President is perfect and this one has fallen short of the expectations that many had for him.
The problem I have is that if Scott McClellan truly felt the way he says he did, he either should have resigned in clear and open protest to Bush’s policies or done what Ari Fleischer did and confront the President and others in the administration behind closed doors in an effort to move policy discussions in a different direction.
Beyond that, I think the press is missing one very significant item in the discussion of McClellan’s book. Scott is following in the exact footsteps of his parents.
Scott’s mother, Carole Keeton-McClellan-Rylander-Strayhorn wanted to run for the Republican nomination for Governor in 2006 but did not receive enough support from insiders in the Republican party to do so. The fiery and often controversial Texas Comptroller and “One Tough Grandma” had hoped to receive an endorsement from the administration in her efforts to unseat Republican Governor Rick Perry but the endorsement never came and George Bush publicly endorsed Perry.
Governor Perry is a former Democrat Congressman and Railroad Commissioner. In 1989, The Dallas Morning News named him one of the most effective legislators, that same year he switch his party affiliation. Rick Perry, like McClellan’s mother is himself a rather controversial figure due to his political history of supporting various tax increases and pet projects .However, he is considered by many Republicans to be a converted fiscal and social conservative while maintaining his status as a good ole’ boy insider.
Carole Keeton-McClellan-Rylander-Strayhorn is another Democrat convert who joined the Republicans during the 1980’s and soon became a very vocal force in the party. She makes no apologies for her brash nature, sassy attitude or her personal spending decisions while in office. In one example she had a very expensive day care and play room added to her office so she could have her grandkids and their nanny with her during the work day. For those unfamiliar with Texas politics it might be easiest to describe her as resembling a friendly but obnoxiously opinionated neighbor. Sometimes you like her, other times she is just too over the top to stomach.
In 2006 Strayhorn began publicly feuding with Governor Perry over what she termed his “inability to provide leadership on issues such as school finance and government spending and his support for privately-financed large-scale road projects” She said that Governor Perry is "a weak leadin', ethics ignorin', pointin' the finger at everyone blamin', special session callin', public school slashin', slush fund spendin', toll road buildin', special interest panderin', rainy day fund raidin', fee increasin', no property tax cuttin', promise breakin', do nothin' phony conservative."
She also ripped Perry for his agreement with a statement made by Pastor John Hagee of San Antonio. Hagee is known for his fire and brimstone style sermons and while Perry was in attendance one Sunday Hagee said “If you live your life and don't confess your sins to God Almighty through the authority of Christ and His blood, I'm going to say this very plainly, you're going straight to hell with a nonstop ticket." Perry was asked about the sermon afterwards and said “It is my faith and I'm a believer of that." He went on to confirm that he views The Holy Bible as the word of God without error.
Strayhorn blasted Perry for the statement while also having to defend her previous decision to remove the tax exempt status of the Unitarian Universalist Church by claiming that the church is not a religion despite the denomination's long standing history in America. Its former members include Presidents John Adams, John Quincy Adams and Millard Fillmore.
Scott McClellan’s father, Barr McClellan, was a contributor and strategist in the Democrat Presidential campaign of Lyndon Johnson when he ran against John Kennedy. Barr McClellan later voluntarily surrendered his law license after facing strong disciplinary action from former colleagues in regards to litigation he had with a local bank. Facing potential bankruptcy and unable to practice law he wrote the book “Blood, Money & Power: How LBJ Killed JFK” alleging that Lyndon Johnson was a conspirator in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Sound familiar…?
Scott McClellan, like his mother and father have followed in the footsteps of famous American General, good friend of President George Washington and Revolutionary War Hero, Benedict Arnold. Were it not for Benedict Arnold our nation would likely not exist. He was the hero of many critical battles including Philadelphia and Saratoga. But when he was passed over for promotions and faced financial difficulties and courts martial for improper conduct he made plans to surrender West Point to the British. Fortunately the plot was discovered before it was too late but the damage was done and Arnold switched sides to become an extremely well paid General in the British Army.
Benedict Arnold attempted to justify his actions in an open letter entitled “To the Inhabitants of America.” In a letter to George Washington, he wrote "Love to my country actuates my present conduct, however it may appear inconsistent to the world, which very seldom judge right of any man's actions.”
In Carole’s case her move away from the Republican party was done to enlarge her war chest as an Independent candidate for Governor. She justified her action by saying she was following in the footsteps of Sam Houston who left his party to become the only Independent to ever serve as Texas Governor.
The three McClellan’s each had a significant impact on their political party and surely accepted many dirty jobs others would not. 
But like Benedict Arnold, when they felt betrayed or isolated they turned their back on former associates and sacrificed their political worthiness for money and the opportunity to toss others under the bus.
There is no doubt that McClellan was Press Secretary during a very difficult time in this nation’s history and he has good reason to feel unhappy about how his service ended.
But after briefly considering the actions of his parents when they were faced with similar choices it is very easy to see the acorn doesn’t fall very far from the tree.
Email this • Technorati Links • View CC license • Subscribe to this feed • Sphere: Related Content • Add to del.icio.us • Share on Facebook • outside.in: geotag this story • Discuss on Newsvine • Stumble It! • Add to Mixx! • Digg This! • Save to del.icio.us