O’Reilly uses every bully-boy, tough-guy, strong-arm tactic in his thuggish satchel. McClellan didn’t blink. To his credit, he’s standing by his book. All. of. it. In fact, the deer-in-the-headlights glaze he had for years at the WH press podium seems now to be entirely gone. We’re impressed.
Here’s O’Reilly’s complete, three-segment, testosterone-amped, failed attempt to take down McClellan on tonight’s O’Reilly Factor…
BTW, some on the supposedly-Progressive side — such as the folks at MoveOn and other friends of ours — have condemned McClellan for not speaking up sooner and for “profiting from lying to the public” during his time at the White House. While we understand that general impulse, we think the knee-jerk reaction may be a mistake. McClellan himself said last Sunday on Meet The Press that he hopes others will step forward to do as he did. So do we.
He’s taken a huge hit from “his own” side by coming out as he has in a rather extraordinary and unprecedented way. His realizations, late in coming or otherwise, seem to be quite legit, heartfelt and rather courageous. It seems to us we should be more interested in making those who might do the same feel safe to do so, rather than kick them from all sides. Just our .02.
Ahhhh… Billo … Where IS the beef ?
“Here’s O’Reilly’s complete, three-segment, testosterone-amped, failed attempt to take down McClellan on tonight’s O’Reilly Factor…”
Maybe he’s on steroids which would explain his thick skulled rages.
I hope you are right Brad. And if McClellan is legitimate in his endeavors and not spinning for some potential reverse psychology win by the republican side, than he does deserve a heartfelt thank you. And he should feel welcome in America, land of the free home of the brave. Peace.
O’Reilly is one of the few people I can think of that I can say I truly despise. I really find it almost impossible to listen to him, although I forced myself to, in this case. It is simply amazing to me that such an obviously psychologically damaged person has the position and audience he has in this country. He is really at least as misguided and self-aggrandizing as Joseph McCarthy was, although, despite his threats, bombast and self-delusion, he certainly lacks the power to make people’s lives difficult in the way that McCarthy did. Thank goodness for that!
All that said, McClellan did hold his own and didn’t back down in the face of O’Reilly’s bullying tactics. I have to admit that, as much as I disliked McClellan for the role he played as the voice of the Bush Administration, I have to grudgingly say that what he is doing takes a lot of guts. His book and apparent epiphany certainly put him in “No-Mans-Land” as he alienates his former allies but is unlikely to be fully accepted or trusted by the left, either.
Yeah Scotty, (during pillow talk:) try to get Jeff Gannon to write a book, now that’s dirt I’d love to read.
I want to believe that he is seeing the light but will wait and see. (Instinctively, I ask what is the ulterior motive.)
He did say he would give a percentage of the sales to returning vets … so that’s an A+.
Wait til Billo reads……..
Could not agree with you more.
Your 2¢ worth should be in 24-point boldface type at the top of the page.
Brad:
Nice notes. I’ve known Scott (a little) for a long time, and I have to say that I think (a) this is the strongest interview I’ve seen him do, ever, with anyone, and (b) you are right to characterize his views as heartfelt and courageous. Agree with Scott or not, he has clearly not taken the easy way out on any of this. And you are right to rebuke the progressives who condemn Scott with a knee-jerk reaction.
I say integrity is welcome wherever and whenever it rears its pretty little head.
People can change for the better. There’s always hope.
I am on the fence about Scott McClellan. I suspect writing the book was therapeutic and probably did stir some insights. And I agree he has not picked the easy way out. He could have written a loyalist tract, or a sentimental memoir void of information and opinion. He didn’t. He is being treated alot like David Addington by the Press and I suspect almost any figure from the Administration will suffer the same fate. There will be no Deep Throat revelations I’m afraid. But there will be bits and pieces to fit together for quite a few years—long enough for the NeoCon diehards to compose a counter-narrative and start over. And that is what makes me angry. I know they will because there has been no silver bullet, no Deep Throat, no history-making convictions. Abramhoff’s story had the most potential to bring Bush to a halt, and it was deftly shuffled off to Buffalo.
Brad, I like your 2 cents. Let’s give Scott a chance.
I had always thought that Ari Fleischer’s departure was due to him not being able to stomach the bullshit anymore. Considering his reaction to McClellan, I was clearly wrong on that count – I expected a tell-all book from him. But it was also apparent that Scott became less and less of a capable liar for the Bush Crime Family as time went on. It’s an interesting position to be in (interpret ‘interesting’ as you will) to have a job where your primary duty is to tell lies and dance around the truth. Eventually it has to fall apart (oh what a tangled web we weave…)
Think Dana Perino will last through January?
#10…
Gtash,
Wait…you don’t think it’s “history-making” that it WAS the president who outed Valerie Plame?
I have to add the caveat that I’ve not read the book yet, but if McClellan does state that bush admitted this, I think that’s pretty significant; although god knows they seem to have gotten away with plenty of horrors. I want to hope that Waxman & Conyers et al will bring this whole madhouse crashing down around their ears, but…
Hope he testifies. Hope he has good security.
And I agree with Brad: Scotty done good. We want MORE whistleblowers. We should welcome them with open arms. (keeping our skepticism, though, like mace, in the pocket)