What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception
Friday, July 23rd, 2010 at
4:39 pm
What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception
Scott McClellan was one of a few Bush loyalists from Texas who became part of his inner circle of trusted advisers, and remained so during one of the most challenging and contentious periods of recent history. Drawn to Bush by his commitment to compassionate conservatism and strong bipartisan leadership, McClellan served the president for more than seven years, and witnessed day-to-day exactly how the presidency veered off course. In this refreshingly clear-eyed book, written with no agend
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Review by The Spinozanator for What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception
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Scott McClellan was given information to relay to the press about the Valerie Plame incident. Two years later he became convinced he’d been set up to spread lies – maybe not directly by Bush, but certainly by Rove and Libby, and encouraged by Cheney. That was his apparent tipping point. McClellan rethought the whole tenure of his association with the Bush Administration in Washington, began to have epiphanies, and formed new opinions. He doesn’t tell us much we didn’t already know or suspect, but boy does he tell it. This time around it’s coming from a trusted insider who followed Bush to Washington from Texas. Here are a few of his observations:
*Bush believes his own spin (better known as [...]) and demonstrates a remarkable lack of inquisitiveness.
*Bush favored propaganda over honesty in selling the war. Cheney steered war policy behind the scenes, leaving no fingerprints.
*Bush and his team repeatedly shaded the truth, manipulated public opinion, and sold the Iraq situation in such a way that the use of force appeared to be the only feasible option.
*Contradictory evidence was ignored or discarded, caveats or qualifications to arguments were downplayed or dropped, and a dubious al-Qaida connection to Iraq was played up.
*The Bush administration didn’t check their political maneuverings in at the door after the win – instead, they maintained a permanent campaign mode, run largely by Rove.
*Presidential initiatives from health care programs to foreign invasions were regularly devised, named, timed and launched with one eye (or both eyes) on the electoral calendar.
*Operating in the campaign mode means never explaining, never apologizing, never retreating. Unfortunately, that strategy also means never reflecting, never reconsidering, never compromising.
*Bush is out of touch, operates in a political bubble, and stubbornly refuses to admit mistakes.
*The press is partially responsible for giving Bush soft questions and enabling the president.
*Despite the expose, McClellan describes Bush as a man easily intelligent enough to be President, possessing personal charm, wit, and enormous political skills, who did not consciously set out to engage in these destructive practices.
*McClellan asserts, “What I do know is that war should only be waged when necessary and the Iraq war was not necessary.”
Let’s analyze this a little. All administrations – all humans – try to present themselves in the best possible light, usually to the point of self-deception. Bush insisted from the beginning on certain points of discipline in his administration and under his guidance they did it better – in my opinion, beyond better, extending to abuse of executive power. I don’t dislike all the items on Bush’s agenda, but it’s hard to tolerate a presentation so one-sided it borders on dishonesty. I think McClellan is right in that Bush successfully sold us a bill of goods on Iraq. Even Wolfowitz conceded, “Iraq’s supposed cache of WMD’s had never been the most compelling casus belli. It was simply one of several. For bureaucratic reasons we settled on one issue, WMD’s, because it was the one reason everyone could agree on.”
So it wasn’t WMD’s. Bush was influenced by his war cabinet and others to invade Iraq to seize a valuable piece of real estate. This power grab was going to change the balance of power in the Middle East, change history, and create a legacy for Bush – but he forgot to read the history books. They demonstrate how many times we have attempted to democratize a country and failed – starting with the Philipines in 1898. After the Cold War ended, many democratized of their own accord – when they were ready. War is not a thing to initiate on a hunch.
“Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth or easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tide and hurricanes he will encounter. The statesman who yields to war fever must realize that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events.”
– Winston Churchill
Review by Grigory’s Girl for What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception
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Many people have assumed this book is a tirade against the Bush administration, a ranting and an epiphany. It really isn’t. It’s actually a rather tepid affair, and it doesn’t really reveal anything we haven’t already heard.
Scott McCellan sounds more sad and disillusioned than anything. In the beginning, he actually like George W. Bush and sincerely believed (quite naively) that Bush was going to end the partisan divide that engulfs Washington. He really felt that Bush could bring the country together, and felt, at heart, he was a compassionate conservative. Needless to say, Bush didn’t govern from the center but from the hard right, and Bush became arguably the most partisan president in history. Knowing about Rove’s hardball tactics in Texas, it’s kind of silly that McCellan would actually believe that Bush would bring people together.
The book reveals that Bush lied about the war, that Bush isn’t a particularly curious person, that there were no WMD’s. Well, most of us who have been following the news over the last number of years know this very well, so the book isn’t this shocking expose. Bush lied about the Iraq war, and it’s a horrible thing, but at this stage of the game, it’s not particularly revealing or shocking.
As a book, it’s an OK read. For those who expect a visceral tirade against the Bush adminstration, look elsewhere. This one is still critical of Bush and Cheney, but McCellan is more disillusioned than angry here, and after all is said and done, it’s a rather tepid book.
Review by James Hiller for What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception
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I’ll admit up front that I’m not a G. W. Bush fan in the least. I didn’t vote for him twice, and consider myself a true blue Democrat. So, you might be saying, “Of course, he’s going to give the book five stars” because of his political beliefs. In actuality, as I will mention later on in the review, this book managed to somewhat change my picture I have of our current president for the better, all the while, giving an intriguing glimpse into his administration.
“What Happened”, written by Scott McClellan, former press secretary to the Bush White House, provides a very interesting look at the operations within the everso secretive machinations of the house on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. McClellan describes in a brief and accessible way his experiences as he worked his way up to his position. The “secrets” he revealed aren’t stunning to anyone who’s spent time reading the newspapers or following the coverage on the Plame scandal, or the build up to the Iraq War. What’s interesting is that someone who had inside knowledge, “was in the know” about so much of this, confirms and denies much.
I won’t go through a laundry list of claims that Scott tells in the book. The overt coverage, and other reviewers, have done that enough. I will tell you that, despite his accusations and thoughts about his time in the White House, the story paints a far broader picture than these “stunning revelations”.
As with many political memoirs, the author recounts his childhood life and his lead up to his current position in a slow, detail orientated, tedious way. Not McClellan. He jumps into the story feet first, and provides one, maybe two chapters dealing with his early life, and most of it pertaining to when he began to work with then Gov. Bush. Thankfully, 95% of the book solely focuses on the White House years.
McClellan fully admits, throughout the book, to what he saw and didn’t see, knew and didn’t know. People looking for evidence that Bush rushed to war right after 9/11 will be disappointed. I appreciated his candid thoughts about people still currently serving in the White House, from Condi Rice to Vice-President Cheney. His discussion on the Valerie Plame scandal is extremely thorough, mainly because he became press secretary during that time.
However, and this is near revolutionary, I admired McClellan’s discussion on a topic covered extensively by the media: the personality of Bush. It’s clear that at first he admires the man, and throughout his time, I believe that admiration deepens. But McClellan’s admiration isn’t blind; he’s able to view Bush as a person, complex and whole. I spent the last few years demonizing the man, thinking his public persona of being inflexible and resolute, was truly what he was like. However, after McClellan telling about Bush visiting the military wounded, and other actions done in the privacy of the White House, I’ve come around a bit and (here is where I gulp), see Bush as more of a whole person now.
And for that alone, I give the book five stars. History will judge the Bush Adminstration for it’s actions. “What Happened” gives us an inside peek at the man at the center of the storm, and what is a peek it is.
Review by Padre Pete for What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception
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NOTE: This is a final edited version of the “diary” review I began last week. My local mall bookstore had the book on their shelves less than one week before the official release, so I purchased it and began reviewing it here. In lieu of the drawn out, repetitive “diary,” that was previously here; having completed the book I am re-working the review so that it is more cohesive.
Originally I was compelled to join this discussion for a number of reasons. First and foremost is that most of the other reviews at the time (and still) are/were very partisan and from folks who obviously have not read the book. Secondly, over the years my political leanings have changed towards the center. This is a key part of McClellan’s book which is obvious to anyone who has read it. The author is a Republican, and has many good things to say about W. Bush and others, and, as you might typically expect from a Republican, negatives about the Clinton Admin. Yet (as we all know) he also criticizes aspects of the current Administration; yet rather than a best-selling “gotcha” work by a Coulter or Franken, he offers up an honest look at the good, the bad, and everywhere in between of all sides of our current political situation.
The book is well structured. It does not begin, as so many of these recent books do, by with 9/11, but instead begins with a look at McClellan’s work in the White House, then shifts to the author’s beginnings in the political world as the son of one of the nation’s first female Mayor’s (of Austin, Texas), and relationships with family members such as his Grandfather who was the highly respected Dean of a Law School. This helps the reader become grounded in the moral and ethical upbringing of the author.
The reader sees early on that the author is qualified for the White House job as he served in a like capacity for then Governor George W. Bush in Texas. During this portion of the book, as well as others, the reader is also availed of many of the positives of George W. Bush that helped him to be elected both as a governor and president. He had a record in Texas of reaching across the aisle and working with others for the good of the state. From the author’s detailed, yet readable (meaning not boring) accounts of his upbringing the reader can understand right away how he likes the idea of working together for the good of the country. He admits that bare knuckle campaign tactics are used when people run for office, but remembers a time that once the dust had settled, our country used to come together and move forward.
What makes this book even more interesting and enlightening is to be reading it while listening to the all the support/attacks on it from those who have not read it. For instance as McClellan talks in depth about his experience on the campaign trail with W and his (McCl’s) part in the Florida recount, the reader sees a loyal Republican team player.
It is around Chapter 5 where the core political analysis from McClellan comes in. He introduces from different books about the concept of “the permanent campaign” – which that chapter’s title. Here the book goes from bio to an in depth look at the modern political culture by paring down the various traits i.e. “gotcha politics” and spin machines and more. He ties this into the overall reach of the book by beginning to point out where the new W. administration began to be flawed. He writes on page 72 “Unfortunately, the incoming Bush administration learned some of the wrong lessons by watching the Clinton White House. As they planned for the new regime in Washington, they did nothing to change the status quo.” He goes onto explain the “everyman, reach-across the aisle” politician that W was as Governor; they same theme that W campaigned on as president was not appropriately carried over as the people surrounding the new leader of our country decided to play the game by the same Washing rules used by the Clinton’s folks (adding that the current administration took that brand of politics a step farther).
The biggest shift in policy of course begins appropriately with 9/11 where we get his interesting insight and perspective to that day and period. Again the author continues with a (in my humble opinion) non-partisan balancing act as he criticizes Carl Rove as the first to make 9/11 a partisan issue, but at the same time has no kind words for one Sen. Clinton who, although not the first, made a big partisan move from the other side of the aisle. It is around this period that shatters the image of hope that McClellan had for the W. Bush admin – one that could break the partisan stuff and work together. He sees 9/11 as a time where we could have built on that, but people went back to their play books.
The book continues with the thesis of what Bush wanted the administration to be but what it became instead, due in no small part to running of the “permanent campaign” which relies too much on propaganda and less on an open sharing and questioning of the issues. Added to this (as we have heard) is the press’ blind following of the former, and not earlier on strongly questioning the reasons for going to war with Iraq.
What Happened continues on this vein trough the rest of McClellan’s tenure in the administration. I found this to be an open and honest read by a credible person and one that is good for all who have an open mind to pick up and read. The current political game being played out in our time is being played by both parties and the author gives food for thought looking not only at who is to blame (and remember he goes to B0TH sides of the aisle for this), but also what all of our future leaders, including new Presidential Administrations can do to alter this negative course of “gotcha” politics which our country is currently engaged.
Review by IngeniousGirl for What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception
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In particular I wanted to address Chapter 15 “Out of Touch”. He reviews the disaster of the Hurricane Katrina and the message comes out loud and clear, Bush couldn’t make the decisions other than to say get it done (whatever that would have been). Bush failed to realize the disaster for what it was, and failed to properly assess how he, the President, should have responded, which response was quite plainly pathetic. I will always remember the views of the people on rooftops and Bush in his bunker as well as the lone photo op Karl arranged for him on board air force one so out of touch so out of his mind.
I cannot ever forgive him and his Senior Advisors for the utter and complete failure to decide to attack and invade Iraq without an end game without considering input from more sober and experienced Sr. Advisors namely, consider the end game, the consequences and of course all of our young courageous men and women, where some gave, some gave all. God Bless America and may be be humbled by our blunders as led by this President.