McClellan’s book kicks off the party-planning process

By Debra LoGuercio

©Copyright 2008, Debra LoGuercio, all rights reserved

Have you pre-ordered your copy of Scott McClellan’s soul-purging confession, “What Happened: Inside the White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception” yet? Mine’s in my Amazon shopping cart as we speak.

In televised interviews and excerpts from the former White House press secretary’s book, McClellan reveals the deception leading up to the war and George W. Bush’s “thinking” on going to war with Iraq (it was at the top of his “to do” list upon taking office), and outlines how key members of Bush’s staff actively deceived not only McClellan but Bush himself.

McClellan says Karl Rove and Scooter Libby lied to his face about their involvement with the outing of the identity of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame, and he dutifully reported their innocence to the Washington press corps. And thereby, to us.

McClellan further asserts that White House staff “shaded the truth” about the necessity for going to war with Iraq as part of the “marketing” strategy for the war. The use of the word “marketing” is particularly alarming. If marketing is necessary for a war, then a war isn’t necessary. The necessity should be obvious. It shouldn’t have to be marketed to Americans like some product we previously didn’t realize we couldn’t live without, like a TiVo or an iPhone.

Retired Four Star General Wesley Clark appeared on Dan Abrams’ “Verdict” program last week, and in discussing McClellan’s assertions, talked about the decision making process involved in declaring war. The bottom line, Clark said, is that you go to war only when it’s absolutely necessary; when you have no other choice. This was not the case in Iraq, said Clark. Not only did we have other choices, such as letting the United Nations investigators finish the inspection process or ramping up sanctions against Iraq, other possible approaches were not even explored by Uncurious George.

McClellan affirms what everyone who didn’t vote for the reelection of the worst president in U.S. history already knew: The decision to go to war in Iraq was premature, poorly planned and, above all, without justification. It had nothing to do with 9/11 or weapons of mass destruction, and everything to do with Bush’s ego, stubbornness, intellectual shallowness and a desire to go down in history as a wartime president who changed the face of the Middle East.

Oddly enough, Bush actually will achieve the latter – not as the president who generated democracy and peace in the Middle East, but the one who turned it into a hornet’s nest of hatred for the United States and a breeding ground for terrorism. It isn’t Osama bin Laden’s face on a poster that recruits young Muslim men for jihad. It’s George W. Bush’s.

They don’t hate freedom, people. They hate us. Now more so than ever. You can thank the 43rd President of the United States for that.

The blame falls on Bush, because the catastrophic Iraq War falls on his watch. However, McClellan also says Bush was given faulty information from his staff regarding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, possibly deliberately. In other words, Bush was duped, as were we when the lies were unknowingly delivered by McClellan. No wonder McClellan’s talking. His soul feels dirty.

Was Bush lying about the justification for war or was he duped? That’s for the prosecutors to determine. It’s possible Bush didn’t know he was lying (although I doubt even he is that dull), but somebody did, and I suspect that somebody is Dick Cheney, who has been running the Bush Administration from the shadows since Day One. Bush should be run out of town on a rail. But Cheney should go directly to jail.

That’s a nice little rhyme. Dibs on the copyright.

As for McClellan’s book, why buy it when clearly I’ll agree with every word? Simply for the waves of orgasmic “I told you so” satisfaction that’ll ripple through my soul. I’ll savor every word of validation. As one of my faithful readers exclaimed to me immediately following the release of McClellan’s book, “We have been vindicated!”

In that spirit, might I point out that Inauguration Day is Tuesday, January 20, 2009. It’s time to start planning for the end of our national nightmare. Another reader suggested we ignite a nationwide celebration. So, I’m striking the match. We’re already planning the party here in Winters. You do the same in your own town. Start by saving some Fourth of July fireworks this year to set off later. Independence Day comes in January next year.