Scott McClellan bails on John McCain; President Bush still on board

Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, the consummate Bush loyalist no more, has a knack for dropping bombshells.

He did it with his tell-all book about life and lies in President Bush's inner circle.

And now comes his grinning declaration, taped for a new weekend CNN show, "D.L. Hughley Breaks the News," that he has a favorite in the presidential election, and it is not John McCain.

His face lighting up as bright as his French blue shirt, it is clear what he's going to say before he opens his mouth.

"I will be voting for Barack Obama," he declares.

So the week that began when one former top Bush administration figure, former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, endorsed Obama ends with the endorsement of another.

White House Press Secretary Dana Perino indicated as recently as Wednesday that the president indended to vote for McCain.

— James Gerstenzang

Photo: Scott McClellan and President Bush, in 2006. Credit: Ron Edmonds / Associated Press

Comments

[Kevin Hayes]

McClellan was asked a question and answered it - not exactly an endorsement. The tone of many of these comments is frightening; there's nothing as sad as conservatives realizing they are about to lose a national election in a landslide.

[An American Patriot]

I am an American first and foremost. I hate to admit it but I was a Republican for more than 2 decades. Voted for Bush 43 in 2000. But what that man has done and McClellan presented for 3 years.....to us all was all smoke and mirrors. It has led our country to where it is today. The comments I read here are so biased and so full of hatred for Obama....who is as American as McCain...that it makes me sick to the stomach. The hatred has been perpetrated by news-less stations like FOX News.....the word 'news' in their name should be eradicated as its least news and nothing but opinions by disgrunteld people pushing ultra right wing agenda of the republican party. Gone are the days when FOX news could preach stuff and people like me would belive that crap.....we are more aware and more educated and can think for ourselves.

We need to all unite and see what’s in the best interest of our great nation. We cant have party allegiance if its not good for our country. Anything that divides us should be filtered out ( e.g. FOX news). We need to vote on issues and not because one candidate or an "opinionated" channel has created a euphoria of hatred and disseminated wrong info.

McClellan, Powell and many Republicans like me have made an educated decision to fight for our country from within, by putting aside our party allegiance and voting for the 'right' person, to dig us out of the hole that the Bush administration has put us in.

I urge my fellow Americans to indeed put the "country first" (not a mere slogan) and vote with your conscience and without hate and prejudice. Do the right thing! This country has been divided way too long and we need to now start the slow process of recovery and healing. We got to stop the bleeding and get back on track.

SCOTT, YOU ARE MY HERO!

[Jeremy Montoya]

You have another Obamaican.

[SKV]

Scott McClellan has no gravitas and no credibility. He's so obviously self-serving. His endorsement will not help Obama, and it won't hurt McCain.

However, McCain might take a lesson -- if you betray your principles, you lose stature.

[qwerty]

If I Wanted To Communicate In The Most Egregiously Annonying Way Possible.....It would Probably Be In A Manner As Hopelessy Devoid Of Basic Writing Skills As This One.

Sarcasm aside, McClellan's endorsement won't be much of a (if at all) boost for Obama.

[pawanna]

what do you expect from a turn coat. Do you think the Democrats want him? I don't think they do!!!!!!

[Alice Schaffer Smith]

Thoughtful Americans will be voting for Senator Obama. To have a President who is computer illiterate and erratic, a Vice President who is blinded by religious fanaticism and has no world view, would make us look like the Roman Empire in its last days with Nero and Julian in control.

[Rony, CPA]

To the poster who said that Clinton made Social Security taxable is WRONG.
Ronald Reagan made Social Security taxable:

"To understand these stealth taxes, you have to look back to the early 1980s. Ronald Reagan appointed a commission, chaired by future Federal Reserve chief Alan Greenspan, to come up with ways to keep Social Security solvent. The commission's recommendation: Make the wealthiest retirees pay partial taxes on their Social Security benefits. In 1984 that recommendation became law."

[AB]

i love YOU obama & heightssss

[Jennifer Estes]

Scott McClellan obviously realizes how wrong he was to feed our wonderful country all those lies. I'm sure it's weighed heavily on his soul which is why he's being so publicly honest post-Bush career with his book. I don't forgive him but it's a start. Glad to see he's making the right decision for the best candidate.

Scott was only a pawn in the Bush administration's destructional game on America.

[Daisy]

Kevin:
Re: "The tone of many of these comments is frightening; there's nothing as sad as conservatives realizing they are about to lose a national election in a landslide."

It's more of nervousness and uncertainty. Every historian or economist will tell you that raising taxes on ANYONE in/near recession will put you in a depression. More government and more intervention is not the answer. That's one of the biggest failures of Bush administration -- for letting government size and spending get big, bigger, biggest.

[E. Joyce]

Integrity and honesty are what counts! With all the lies that McCain is telling and with his choice of a running mate with winks and bad grammar, he has shown he is a man with no honor. The press has really been kind to him as well. They never mention the S&L scandal he was a part of, him dumping his wife and cheating with rich Cindy, or his constant flipflopping. I do respect his service in the Navy as I do all servicepeople, but being a POW doesn't qualify you as president. Many men were given the same opportunity to go home but they wouldn't sign the confession and become traitors. Hats off to McCain and others who did the same. Also, are republicans made of teflon? Everything that happens is Clinton's fault. Apparently Bush was less effective than even I thought!

[Brook]

Only someone who fancies himself an important or influential figure offers endorsements. Since we know that Scott McClellan is currently neither, this "revelation" speaks to his inflated ego and /or desire for publicity (how else is he going to get any? He has to go work for someone else for a few years before he can betray them by writing a tell-all). Oh BTW I am now officially endorsing John McCain. Someone write a story about me, please.

[sam]

Scott McClellan could you contact me please?
web page has details.

[tkh]

This kind of story is the EXACT reason the Main Stream news organizations are losing money and market share. Who wants to listen to this dribble? It's inconsequential.....next relevant story please.

[Holdfast]

This raises the IQ of both parties.

[bill]

Maybe now David Gregory will finally want to be friends with Scott.

[Chase Hamil]

As someone once said: "Keep your friends close and Scott McClellan closer."

[Chris]

Loving all of the righteous indignation from the Republican commenters. The truth hurts doesn't it?

Scott McClellan is far braver for exposing all the deceit and failure of the executive that those who remain silent.

Most of what he's saying is already common knowledge, just that he's managed to salvage some of his own credibility by admitting that it is as bad as we all assumed rather than continuing as one of Bush's professional liars.

He joins the likes of the Generals who sacrificed their careers to challenge Rumsfeld's idiocy. Proper patriots, not just political lackeys.

[db]

I haven't read one intelligent thing by a republican. So, either the smart ones aren't commenting on random articles or there actually aren't any smart republicans left, just a bunch of crazy uninformed conservatives.

try factcheck.org