Scott McClellan: Bogart or Paul Henreid?

Scott McClellan's memoir, "What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception," which officially debuts next week, has gone to #1 at Amazon and caused consternation among high-ranking Republicans who are speaking out publicly against the book.

Some say they are "puzzled" and "sad" about the former White House press secretary's claims, which others say are "patently false." Publishers Weekly compares this to "Casablanca," in which a fully-aware Captain Renault (Claude Raines) makes a show of being "shocked, shocked!" at the goings-on at Rick's; Publishers Weekly suggests that Karl Rove, Dan Bartlett, Dana Perino and Ari Fleischer are simultaneously performing the role.

So what does that make Scott McClellan? Is he Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), the Resistance fighter, putting everything on the line to fight for justice? Is he Humphrey Bogart in the role of Rick Blaine, keeping his head down and taking no sides, deciding belatedly to stand up to the authoritarian regime?

Or could he be the lovely Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), torn between two very different men, finally compelled to go with her conscience instead of her heart?

Carolyn Kellogg

Comments

[george girton]

I must say I'm very impressed that everyone in the White House has read Scott McClellan's book so quickly!

[Alice]

How long will it be before Scott McClellan ends up dead or at Gitmo?

[Michael]

McLelland like Lazlo, Blaine or Lund? Please! One doesn't get to be Press Secretary to the likes Rove, Bush and Cheney by fighting for justice. Surely McLellan is more like "Signor Ferrari" (Syndey Greenstreet).

[Richard]

McClellan is lucky the bar is open to him. Can't say the same for Bush, Cheney and Rove.

[Maggots]

I know that Bush is definitely Major Strasser.