D.C. journalists to Scott McClellan: Huh?

The Bush White House wasn't the only crew stung by Scott McClellan's scorching new memoir about his experiences as the president's press secretary.

McClellan also lashed out at the Fourth Estate, saying the national press corps "was probably too deferential to the White House" when it came to questioning whether going to war in Iraq was justified.

An unscientific sampling of Washington journalists expressed puzzlement about McClellan's criticism -- or dissed it as downright hooey.

"It's a stunning and unsupportable statement," pronounced Mark Knoller, CBS Radio correspondent. "Transcripts of McClellan's press briefings provide more than ample evidence of the intense scrutiny imposed on the White House and its policies by members of the press. Most days, McClellan left the briefing room lectern positively spent by the pounding he faced from reporters."

ABC's Ann Compton was perplexed: "Is Scott suggesting the White House press corps can stop, or start wars?"

David Gregory, NBC News' chief White House correspondent, opined: "I think he's wrong." He added: "I think we pushed, I think we prodded. ...The right questions were asked."

The Washington Post's Dana Milbank resorted to a press secretary (McClellanesque?) sort of dodge: "I defer to Scott on this point," he said in an e-mail.

— Stuart Silverstein

Photo Credit: AP

Comments

[Mitchell in New York]

I am glad that McClellan appears to have come clean. But the fact is that many of us did know, or at least knew enough, and were angry and demoralized because there was nothing we could do to stop the war. Through poor judgment or political calculation (or both), our representatives in the House and Senate voted to authorize Bush’s war on October 11, 2002. As many of us as possible now need to say, in as many ways as possible, “we told you so.” And that in this election, we are going use our own good judgment, and elect leaders who will end a war that should never have begun.

"Iraq: It Was Never The Right Choice (and we told you so)"
http://msa4.wordpress.com/

[Monica]

This is the evidence the MSM doesn't want you to know.

http://www.thexreport.com/the_prague_connection1.htm

[Joey]

Talk about biased. I saw it - they WERE softballing him on the war, and they're doing the same to Mister McWar... I mean McCain... Right now. History repeats itself, and yet the actors claim ignorance every time tragedy comes around. How unaware of one's self can one be?

[sidney]

Oh come on Ms/Mr Journalists. Why are you acting so stung when you promoted all the propaganda giving to you by the WHite House at every turn. No one in the press corps did any journalistic research to find out the truth.

Please don't sit there and act perplexed when you know darn well that the entire press ate up the Bush's garbage and still does. The fourth estate is now owned by Murdoch and a few others. No one is reporting anything anymore, it is all garbage and please don't add insult to injury and claim you guys did not

Ari Fleischer acting surprised is a like a monkey trying to not act like a monkey. Ari is one of the biggest liars of them all. Bush lied. The reporters printed, carried it live or talked about it as gospel. We now know he lied. So please stop the lies! I know Murdoch signs most of your paychecks, but please have some integrity

[Dawson]

Nice try, but Scott is right. The media may feel good about themselves because they asked him tough questions, but on the whole, the media bought the story Scott and the administration was selling. Tough questions didn't lead to tough stories. Yes, there were a few tough stories in print, but TV "news" was falling all over themselves trying to out shock and awe us.

[Obama and McClellen 08]

McClellen is absolutely right. Where were the questions?
Our country is not served b a media who offers lip service for the administration. Never mind the media starting and stopping wars, who ask asking where is the proof?

[Doug LaPlante]

I am "STUNNED" by any media comments that deny
" press wimpiness" regarding serious questioning of the Bush administration's motive for going to war in Iraq!

[Dave Miner]

Press secretary to Satan is a thankless task.

[Isabella Clark]

Come ON. The press was completely cowed by the administration's threat of excluding them from press access. The corporate owners of all media rolled over for the administration. Tough questions were not asked. Instead of doing the hard investigation, reporters preferred being scribes. There has been lengthy commentary about the press's abdication of their role. Further, corporate owner's of the press continue to pat the bottom line. They insure that news is low on ideas and full of spectacle and cheap scandal. Look at the coverage of the primaries for guidance. You can't fool us. You failed us.

[Citizen Tom Paine]

Here's what I wrote yesterday on my own web site.

The subtitle of this book should be, "I'm shocked; shocked."

The saddest thing of all about Mr. Scott McClellan Agonistes is that just about anyone with a functioning amount of integrity, a reasonable bit of intelligence and an uncorrupted set of morals, has known all of this from Day One. He's just filling in the dialog.

While it's nice that Mr. McClellan has been able to shrive his soul whilst picking up a nice publisher's cash advance, this kiss and tell ranks (rank is the perfect word) right down there with the Memoirs of Don Juan. He had better not linger too long in the proximity of statues.

You're doin' a heckuva job, Scotty.

Add to that, directly addressing the suddenly outraged and uncharacteristically skeptical press corp . . . you were the ones who enabled this gang of criminals and liars. Now you are upset that one of them is telling the truth. You didn't challenge Bush, Chaney and Rove then. At least have the decent to do so now.

[Garth]

When the war was starting, those of us against the war were dismayed that the media would eventually accept what the White House was saying, and move on to the next story.

It is strange that McClellan is complaining about the media believing what the White House press secretary says, but please don't act like the media didn't have a short attention span back then.

[EU MAN]

Jornalists are mostly "for hire" , plenty of them if fired...fear prevails...How sad to see the ex-soviet system replay for the last 8 yrs in US...That is why dollar is weak, finances are a bust, and gas is "through the roof..." The unintelligent minority ruled by means of fear and deception...US will be lucky if OB gets the job...
Al Eurock

[Travis]

Of course the White House press corps can have a hand in stopping a war. Without the journalists, who else is there to hold a government to account? I believe that Scott McClellan acted very professionally, if reluctantly, for an openly dishonest administration. The press is partly to blame because they allowed Scott to run circles around them. Did any of you actually watch this stuff on CSPAN?? Scott certainly has the devil to pay for his own part in it. I hope that this revelation inspires others to come forward.

[Saxxon Domela]

Scott's the Man!
He won't be muzzled
He speaks the truth
It leaves them puzzled

Scott dear friend
You've made us blue
You're not the Scott
We thought we knew!

Damn you Scott
Now everyone Knows
Emperor Bush
Has no clothes!

[thekk]

The forth estate failed the American people by confusing objectivity with treating both sides equally, even though one side was presenting often fraudulent, thinly supported idealogy. White House statements were presented as credible when for many, simple fact checking would have revealed otherwise.

I'm sure the journalists you talked to did feel confused or sideswiped--much better than feeling the true guilt of your networks complicity.

Ratings, ratings, ratings!

[KYJurisDoctor]

I don't care to know why Scott told the truth in his book; I just want to read the facts REVEALED in in it to know "what happened" to the George Bush I voted for in 2000!

[adrock]

are they kidding? the press is absolutely obliged to bring to light the ignorance of our leaders when the times demand it. the press does have the power to stop wars by providing images and arguments that support anti-war movements, which were broadly suppressed by corporate and political powers in the lead-up to iraq. those that disobeyed were posted elsewhere or outright fired (ie dan rather). the fact that we live in a corporatocracy is no surprise, but the denial is still shocking.

[HoraceManoor]

scott's right -- american journalists are propagandists -- scott was working as a propagandist -- the journalists covering him let him get away with it because they were at ease dealing with a fellow propagandist

the proof is that american journalists only ask questions that fall within the system -- they don't know how to stand back & look at the system -- they lack awareness

[MyName]

they can't be serious. they can't possibly expect anyone to believe the right questions were asked. the press wrote what they were spoon fed, and nothing more. and, i suspect, this comment will not appear among the moderated comments.

[EricT]

Let the character assassination begin. By the time the White House propaganda machine is done with him, it will be clear that McClellan is one step above child molester. Of course, they'll fail to mention the fact that he was a respected colleague up until the moment he dared speak out against them.

[JohnW]

Good Lord. "ABC's Ann Compton says: 'Is Scott suggesting the White House press corps can stop, or start wars?'" Of course they can!! Does anyone seriously think competent investigative reporting *can't* stop a war, if propaganda and misrepresentation is what's starting it? How pathetic.

[kurt wieting]

The press are acting soooooo stupid on this one. They act like asking the press the secretary of the white house tough questions is investigative reporting. Of course the press secretary is going to give the press the line of crap the white house gives to him.. That's his job! Your job(the press) is to INVESTIGATE the truth. Not just pay dodge balll with a press secretary. Gregory's comentary on this one again proves he's the biggesy ego centric buffoon in the corps.

[G Gardiner]

Sorry to say, especially since I was often in disbelief that McClellan could stand at the podium and say such clear fabrications; but he is right on the complicity of the press. The Whitehouse was exceptionally sucessful at setting the terminology used in the media and at controlling access to personalities. While I'm sure the average reporter still had their heart in the right place the facts are what they are: By adopting the administration's lingo, flying flags on screen, treating very suspicious information with "respect" in order to secure what amounts to softball interviews on popular tv shows, the media made the prospect of war with Iraq a bit unbelievable, but acceptable. The desire to interview Colin Powell or Dick Cheny was far greater than the desire to demonstrate how clearly wrong they were and how misleading their statements. The fear of looking unpatriotic was no doubt much more powerful than the concept of objectivity.

Journalists are essential to our democracy and way of life, but the mainstream journalists from every side were out gunned and out manuevered by a power machine - of which McClellan was an integral part. He clearly took part in misleading and controlling language and thus messages, but as an outsider to the whole charade it seem very obvious. Object as they might in the press conferences, those journalist left with the language of the adminstration and thus the message. Hopefully this will be reviewed over and over in J schools around the world and the lessons will be learned.

[pamela]

No, the press did not push and prod. The media buried stories on the back pages, and did not do their job in challenging the President. I think that is the conclusion of most of us regular folks. You guys have become all about the bottom line. It has been a very sad seven years. Even during this election you've been more about scandal than issues. You have not served us well.

[Mark]

Good god, Entertainment Tonight asks more proddinq questions than the White House Press corp. Do they not realize how completely tame and complacent they are? Anyone asking a truly probing question will never be called upon again.

[Mark]

We are all guilty of failing to function as a democracy in the run-up to the war. In the interest of unity, the whole country fell into lockstep behind the President. Those who questioned or raised doubts, even around the water cooler, were seen as un-American. McClellan is right; we all share responsibility for not getting the right answers, regardless of what questions were or were not asked.

[josephfromsantafe]

I remember watching the Afghanistan onslaught and then the Iraq "shock and awe" sports cast with my jaw on the ground in disbelief that a press corp could be so transparently complicit in the affairs of state. I am just a simple high school grad who happens to pay attention, but even I could see through the Bush BS.

Y'all will know the truth, and the truth WILL set y'all free.

YOUR UNDERWEAR IS SHOWING!!

[BB]

Does Ann Compton remember how press coverage was a great influence in pulling out of Vietnam? Certainly, the White House press corps can stop wars.

[Opa2]

No doubt Mr. McClellan is telling the truth about the circumstances related to the start of the Iraq war. Only those of us not totally blind would disagree with the way he describes how this war got started. On the other hand, what does it say about him to bite the hand that fed him for all those years. Who would read, or buy, his books if he had NOT held that position. One can only surmise that he must be really mad at the way he was shown the door at the White House. If I remember, he was blamed for Bush not getting good reviews from the press and they thought that Tony Snow could do a better job. It turns out that nobody can repair Bush his reputation. He is, and always will be, the worst President ever.

[Adrian Brooks Collins]

How can any red blooded human being be surprised at McClellan's revelations or question their veracity? People: George Bush is the worst president in the history of the modern world. The Iraq war was roundly criticized by world powers from the get go. Bush lied at every turn to fuel the flames of fear mongering in order to justify his actions. No one misinformed Bush, if you believe that you've been tricked by Bush. Wake up!

[Rory Talbot]

"We asked the right questions"...?!?!?! Are you people drinking the punch?!?! You asked nothing of the sort! I did read the transcripts. After every lousy WH Press briefing. Never did you ask the WHPS or the President the hard questions! Never once! It's lunacy to make such a claim. Quite frankly, the country is in the sorry shape it's in because YOU GUYS FAILED DO TO YOUR JOBS! At least own up it! That anyone from the press corps would make such a ridiculous assertion speaks volumes about where the so-called Fourth Estate is located...that is, squarely in the pockets of the Big Corporations. You guys are a joke. Your coverage has been a joke. And your soft peddle was, ultimately, a joke on us. SHAME ON YOU ALL FOR ABANDONING YOUR POSTS in exchange for the opportunity to get cozy with the Bushies.

[Michael McGowan]

With the exception of the former Knight Ridder crew, there was little hard reportage leading up to the war. People asked questions, but they didn't dig up answers. KRT did, but its papers were in the heartland and not on the coasts. Thus, the drumbeat of lies and misinformation fed to the biggest papers was all that most people ever heard or saw. Check the excellent PBS documentary about those voices crying in the wilderness.

[Leon A Davis]

Kind of reminds me of David Stockman, head of the OMB in the Reagan administration. After he left his position, just like McClellan, he totally flipped out. And wrote a book as well, which included some fairly hateful things about the president and others in the administration. . Stockman said it was all about greed, and "hogs at the trough" and yada, yada, yada. Everybody knew he had reversed his opinions, but why be so nasty about it? So I hit Wikipedia on Mr Stockman, and guess what? Manhattan federal prosecuters have brought a case against him for fraud and the usual associated crimes. And the SEC has filed a civil suit for the same set of alleged crimes. If convicted, Stockman's looking at 30 years in the slammer. Why am I not surprised? I hope nothing like this happens to Mr McClellan, but there's no upside to gratituous attacks of this nature. Probably severed a hundred friendships at one whack, so he may as well throw away his Roldex and Blackberry.

[Jennifer in MO]

I tried to think of a polite way to say this, but are those puzzling over McClellan's comments about the press corps as dense as the administration?

There were far more pointed questions asked to Clinton about his sexual exploits. As I watched the WH press corps during the Bush Administration I wondered if there was an tacit understanding that those who push too hard would not be welcomed back. There is obviously a delicate balance which must be maintained for the press corps to do its job. I mostly blame the press in general for failing to dig deep, find out the truth and report facts, but the WH press corps is at the source and must push hard.

With some near heroic exceptions, the WH press corps let us down consistently with respect to the start of the war, the lack of progress of the war as well as during the aftermath of Katrina, the Valerie Plame scandal and at countless other times.

For those of you in the WH press corps who are "puzzled" about McClellen's comments take a look at your own performance and that of your colleagues instead of just being confused.

[Gavin]

The press is shocked. Shocked! To be told they weren't doing their job, being critical, checking the facts. "Balderdash!" they scream. "Hooey!" Well, had they been tuned in to Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, they would have known they were asleep at the wheel and complacent in the crimes of the Bush administration. For God sakes, these two comedians ask more incissive questions and show more revealing footage than the mainstream press! Colbert spoke truth to Bush's face at the White House Correspondents Press Dinner, and the press didn't get the joke. Because it wasn't a joke - he was dead-pan and dead-on. Now, Scott McClellan is saying the same thing, without the tongue in cheek. Wake up, journalists. Start being responsible for informing us and not just being tools of the politicos in Washington D.C.!!

[ted in pdx]

All four of the journalists you quoted disputed McClellan's assertions blaming the press corps for not pushing hard enough on this story. CBS Mark Knoller characterized it as "stunning and unsupportable". Together, all four, by their answers fullly substantiated the point McClellan was making.

My guess is that these are among the most highly compensated reporters in Washington D.C. And what a great job they've got: show up for the White House news briefings and ask tough questions; make the White House press secretary sweat. Never mind that he or she is the one person in the federal government who's primary function is to reveal absolutely nothing other than the carefully worded, rehearsed party line. Never mind that the rules of the game are such that troublemakers don't get called on to even ask questions.

The point has been made already: only Knight-Ridder actually investigated the factual basis for the administration's claims concerning WMD. The Washington Press Corps equates reporting on what various spokespersons have to say, and showing up for photo-ops as journalism. Why? Maybe because it's easy. Maybe because it's more enjoyable to hob-nob with the Washington elite than to actually go out and prospect for hard facts, risk a series of 'no-comments' or no-call-backs. Maybe it's because their bosses don't want them actually investigating the really rotten stuff that goes on back there, because there are limits on the amount of turmoil the members of the Washington DC Club can tolerate, and the members of the press corps are also members of that club.

Mr. Knoller, methinks they doth protest too much...

[greg]

Shocked! Shocked I say! Stuart, there is a difference in asking questions in a press conferenced and following the strings of evidence and writing a good piece. Scandal after scandal, lie after lie, the press would just let things go, drifting off. Just like all of those "retired"generals that the pentagon spoonfed the fourth estate with lies, and where is the LA Times follow up on that fiasco.

[Gregg P]

Bush Administration PART 2

Why Bush Keeps Bringing Up Hitler and WWII

Hitler wanted to make his perfect world by rule/war (The SS Etc.)
Bush wants to make his perfect world by rule/war (Democracy-Christianity)

Iran to Bush is like the United States to Hitler.
Both have stopped an evil Nazi thinker from creating his world rule.

The terrorist’s main objective was not to kill Americans during 911
The terrorist’s have stated that their main objective is to create economic downfalls for the United States !

This was not accomplished alone
.
Bush handed them this VICTORY by spending/borrowing money from China etc. for a false pretense war/revenge/Nazi movement in the middle east.

WE LOST OVER 4 YEARS AGO

Now he wants to attack the country that has been the success in stopping him. (Iran)
Just as Hitler wanted to attack the United States and anyone else in his way
.
The biggest problem with Americans is most Americans actually think we are the good guys.
Hitler had his countries minds in the palm of his hands also.

I am saddened to be an American ruled by this evil Dictator/Republican/Administration
When did Republicans turn to Nazism ?
31% approval rating (Who are these people ?)
Let me guess ! ( Mostly misguided American Christians and Jews ) Plus the easily manipulated !

Pathetic

[Gary Haden]

David Gregory, NBC News' chief White House correspondent, opined: "I think he's wrong." He added: "I think we pushed, I think we prodded. ...The right questions were asked."
What? The right questions were asked? Give me a break. David Gregory once affectionately referred to Bush as a goofball. He threw many of the stupidest softballs thrown Bush's way. I know the Press thinks only it can evaluate itself but that's not true. They were lousy at their jobs for the entirety of the Bush years. They contributed to the deaths of thousands of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. They were cowards. Plain and simple.

[TM]

They know they gave the Bush administration a free pass. The only real scrutiny applied was by a couple of reporters at Knight Ridder.

The falsity of the administration's claims should have been easy to confirm with a minimum of competent research. And it was confirmed pretty clearly by late 2002.

In fact, the foreign media had passed accurate judgment by then. The US media rolled over. "I think we pushed, I think we prodded. ...The right questions were asked." No. There came a point when questions were no longer necessary, when the responsibility of the media was to make a verifiable judgmnent, to tell their viewers bluntly: "The administration is lying. Their case is based on bad or outright fabricated information." And they should have kept on that story, for it was the factual one.

"Is Scott suggesting the White House press corps can stop, or start wars?" If he isn't, I am.

[Brian Concannon]

I wasn't in the White House Press room, but I did read, listen to and watch U.S. media coverage leading up to the war. The press as a whole certainly was far to deferential to the White House, failing in its responsibility to question whether the war was justified. I can't say whether the blame lies principally with the reporters or the editors, but there is certainly is blame to be laid at the feet of the U.S. press.

I also followed the foreign press, including British and French press. They did a much better job at reporting the weaknesses in the White House's case for war, so the problem wasn't an absence of available critical information, it was an absence if courage.

[Amanda]

Maybe the press should have actually done some journalism and not just taken McClellan's words for it. Scrutiny of a liar still only gets you lies. Millions of people in this country realized this *before* the war started.

The facts were there. The press failed to find them. The press failed.

[m.c.rove]

...and then David Gregory resumed his "hip hop" stylin' with K. Rove and the rest of the WH Crew.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdvHwtRdg_I

What a complete terd.

Of course the press was complicit--do we relly need the former press clown to tell us that?

[SandraL]

The problem isn't that the press didn't ask the right questions. The problem is that they accepted and "reported" the answers without proper analysis and investigation. They ignored and/or actively suppressed opposing points of view. In other words, they didn't do their jobs and simply acted as a propaganda outlet for the administration.

That doesn't excuse Scotty and the rest of the criminals in the White House. Blaming the media for not stopping the war is akin to a gang of bank robbers blaming the cops in the donut shop for not stopping them.

[Steve J.]

Does the name Judith Miller ring a bell? What about Tom Friedman?

Both those "journalists" share some of the responsibility for this Fiasco.

(And both of them work(ed) for another news organization called the Times.)

[Gerald Shields]

Oh oh. Looks like the spin is in!

[Jones]

Who are these American journalists kidding?
There were so many tell tale signs that the US was going to invade Iraq without justification that most of the citizens (in Europe) were against the war in Iraq, before the invasion began.
You didn't need to be a UN inspector on site to see the Bush administration was bluffing about the alleged 9/11 connection they hinted at repeatedly,
the WMD they blatantly lied about,
and of course,
the rosy Spread Freedom and Democracy song-and-dance that followed when the previous two reasons imploded.
Any self respecting journalist and many observant citizens could have easily embarrased Cheney, Bush or any other White House spokesman by just asking the right questions.
Instead, the "journalists" showed themselves to be little more than media harlots. God Bless Rupert Murdoch.

[Richard Watters]

Get real.

The press corp of America were and are a bunch of dupes.

No one asked tough questions. You people were complicite in the war. Cheerleaders if you will.

Best thing for you to do is shut up.

[Aerin]

Oh, that's really funny! "Who, us?"

IMHO, the press collectively bears PLENTY of blame for Iraq, for failing to seriously challenge the disinformation being put out by the administration. I remember complaining at the time that no serious reporting was being done, just the usual "he said, she said" stories so typical of today's substance-free journalism. And even those who expressed doubt about the grounds for war were afraid to be accused of being "unpatriotic," in the wake of 9/11. Every excerpt I've seen from McClellan's book is spot on! I might even buy it! Too bad he didn't see the light sooner.

[Eric]

Uhhhh, sorry Press. You guys don't get a free pass here -- it's pretty obvious that the Media did NOT do its job as the White House beat its war drums. Scott is absolutely right, but it's obviously fairly ironic, coming from the guy who was selling and defending the war.

The Iraq war is what happened when the People put a schmuck in office, and when the Press is too fearful of Uncle Sam and Corporate America to push back.

They were too busy following Paris Hilton around, and dancing around the White House's spin.