http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/may/31/the-liberal-anti-war-group-moveonorg-yesterday-lau/
And on Thursday, former Republican Sen. Bob Dole, of Kansas, sent an e-mail to Mr. McClellan directly calling him a "miserable creature" and also suggesting that he donate his profits, though in a different way than MoveOn did.
"There are miserable creatures like you in every administration who don't have the guts to speak up or quit if there are disagreements with the boss or colleagues," Mr. Dole wrote. "No, your type soaks up the benefits of power, revels in the limelight for years, then quits and, spurred on by greed, cashes in with a scathing critique."
Mr. Dole said that "when the money starts rolling in you should donate it to a worthy cause, something like, 'Biting The Hand That Fed Me.' "
"You should have spoken up publicly like a man, or quit your cushy, high-profile job,” Mr. Dole said. "You're a hot ticket now, but don't you, deep down, feel like a total ingrate?"
Mr. McClellan responded to Mr. Dole publicly, saying, "I have had time to reflect and go back, and what I'm saying is sincere.”
"I have a lot of respect for Sen. Dole,” he added.
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/may/31/the-liberal-anti-war-group-moveonorg-yesterday-lau/
MoveOn says McClellan should not profit
More politicans slam ex-staffer, call for proceeds donation
Jon Ward (Contact)
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan's book "What Happened" is seen at the White House in Washington, Thursday, May 29, 2009. McClellan defended his bombshell book about the Bush administration on Thursday, saying he didn't speak up against the overselling of war in Iraq at the time because he, like other Americans, gave the president the benefit of the doubt.
The liberal anti-war group MoveOn.org today launched a petition drive calling on former White House official Scott McClellan to donate the proceeds of his book to veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The petition drive, intended to create pressure for Mr. McClellan to be asked about it on the morning news-interview shows Sunday, is the latest signal of a backlash by Democrats and Republicans alike against the former press secretary for turning on his ex-boss, President Bush.
MoveOn's petition e-mail, sent out to its supporters Saturday morning, said that Mr. McClellan's "coming clean is admirable.”
"But McClellan shouldn't profit off the role he played in our nation's largest foreign policy blunder,” the release reads.
"After spending years defending the Bush administration and perpetuating the lies that led our country into war, Scott McClellan is poised to make bank — his tell-all book is a bestseller and he may make hundreds of thousands or millions,” MoveOn says. "Meanwhile, our troops are still dying in Iraq.”
Originally posted by zeeblebotI read your post zeeblebot. You having a change of heart about the 'virtue' of this war and the way your country was led into it?
...the overselling of war in Iraq [...] our nation's largest foreign policy blunder [...] the lies that led our country into war [...] our troops are still dying in Iraq
Originally posted by zeeblebotIndeed. Nobody seems to be doing that. Which is interesting.
you wouldn't expect me to weed thru that and pick out all the bits i disagreed with, would you? ...
He may be a "snitch". He may be "gutless". He may be an "ingrate". But is anybody saying - substantially and explicitly - that McClellan is wrong or that he is a liar?
Are you?
Originally posted by zeeblebotWell that makes your take on it meaningless - which is of course your prerogative.
if he donates all his proceeds, i'll take it all back.
Either what he is saying is significant analysis of the way your country was governed or it isn't.
The donation thing is irrelevant.
Originally posted by zeeblebotYeah. You say he is wrong and probably a liar. Spell a few bits of it out for me. "If he donates his proceeds, he's just wrong"? So donating money turns lies into mistakes? You're not making any sense.
anything else i can spell out for you? 🙂
Originally posted by zeeblebotBut that's not what you said. You said "...he is wrong and probably a liar. but if he donates his proceeds, he's just wrong." It would seem you don't have a moral compass. If that is so, your apparent moral indignation at McClellan's alleged 'motives' becomes hypocritical, surely?
if he donates the proceeds, he doesn't have a profit motive.
Originally posted by zeeblebotDole's fulminations seem a little odd:
former Republican Sen. Bob Dole, of Kansas, sent an e-mail to Mr. McClellan directly calling him a "miserable creature"
"There are miserable creatures like you in every administration who don't have the guts to speak up or quit if there are disagreements with the boss or colleagues. No, your type soaks up the benefits of power, revels in the limelight for years, then quits and, spurred on by greed, cashes in with a scathing critique. [...] You should have spoken up publicly like a man, or quit your cushy, high-profile job. You're a hot ticket now, but don't you, deep down, feel like a total ingrate?"
Ingrate? What a strange - and perhaps revealing - choice of word. Dole appears to be talking about "honour" and yet what kind of "honour" is it he's talking about? It's not 'honour in truth', it's not the 'honour of public service', it's not the 'belated honour' of coming clean, the 'honour' in admitting one's mistakes. In fact Dole's snide remarks seem to have no real substance: snideness because snideness is what's called for sometimes in damage limitation situations. "Ingrate"? Forget about country. Forget about truth. Forget about actual "honour". The only "honourable" actions Dole seems to want from McClellan is for him to continue to conceal the truth and also to display the kind of personal loyalty that is the essential ingredient of cronyism.
Originally posted by zeeblebotSurely all elected officials owe their first loyalty to the people and not to other elected officials within a small clique. That's the democracy that the Founding Fathers fought and died to ensure.
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/may/31/the-liberal-anti-war-group-moveonorg-yesterday-lau/
And on Thursday, former Republican Sen. Bob Dole, of Kansas, sent an e-mail to Mr. McClellan directly calling him a "miserable creature" and also suggesting that he donate his profits, though in a different way than MoveOn did.
"There are miserable creatu ...[text shortened]... 'm saying is sincere.”
"I have a lot of respect for Sen. Dole,” he added.
Scott McClellan is reporting to the US public -- his employer -- on the failings of other employees of theirs. Where's the fault in that, assuming that McClellan's claims are basically true? (As there is every reason to believe that they are, given that none of this is particularly new information; the only new thing is hearing a few more details and having it confirmed by someone who was in the Bush administration.)
How can it be OK for the Bush administration to systematically and repeatedly mislead the US public to promote the Iraq war, yet not OK for someone to tell the truth about this happening?
Originally posted by FMFhow is that and how is that what i said?
But that's not what you said. You said "...he is wrong and probably a liar. but if he donates his proceeds, he's just wrong." It would seem you don't have a moral compass. If that is so, your apparent moral indignation at McClellan's alleged 'motives' becomes hypocritical, surely?