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.