Mike McCready

See this entry on The Huffington Post.

Of this whole Scott McClellan affair there is one fact that particularly stands out to me. In order to raise the argument that Scott McClellan may be disgruntled the mainstream television media is pointing out that he was “forced out” of the White House back in April 2006. My question is, why didn’t the mainstream television media tell us that at the time?

I remember back around that time Bush’s new chief of staff Joshua Bolton told the White House staff that if they were going to be thinking about leaving in the near term they would do well to make the decision “now”. Then there were a few people who left, among them McClellan. At that time, if one read the blogs or dug into the analysis pieces it was discussed that Bolton was forcing some people out. There’s nothing wrong with that. He had been given authority over staffing hiring and firing. But why did the mainstream media have to be complicit in protecting the concocted story of McClellan deciding to leave the White House on his own? Why can’t mainstream television media level with the American people and report what is really going on instead of towing the line? Is it some sort of loyalty to Scott McClellan and his face-saving departure that he and the White House seemed to orchestrate at the time?

Sure, that’s nice but it’s not “doing their job” and now it has sort of backfired given that now he’s written this scathing book and his unhappiness with the way he was let go is being mentioned by some as a possible motive. I’m sure that for most Americans this is new news and to me that’s inexcusable.

Lastly, given Scott McClellan’s role in selling the war to the public and his criticism of the media not having done it’s job of asking the tough questions, I think he should go to work for the public by becoming an uncompromising, hard hitting investigative journalist working to expose the same sort of deception he was a part of. Given the lives and treasure this war has cost the country isn’t it the least he could do? He should do the work pro bono and donate the proceeds of his book to the cause of starting to make amends. Sure, it’s nice that he’s stepping up by telling the truth. That’s something more of this administration’s past and current members should do. But it’s not enough. Shouldn’t that come with hard consequences? Instead it’s coming with book sales!

Trackback URI | Comments RSS