Scott McClellan, the Lastest White House Whistleblower

"...we are puzzled." Words from the current White House Press Secretary, referring to former press secretary, Scott McClellan's new book, "What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception." Of course, like the others who have ventured to tell the truth about the culture of deceit inside the Bush White House, McClellan will be dismissed as self-serving and disgruntled by insiders and die hard Bush supporters. Those of us who have been thinking for ourselves during this whole sad era knew better all the time. It was so clear, if you really listened to what was being said and did not let partisan politics color your perception.

McClellan reportedly writes that, "President Bush relied on an aggressive "political propaganda campaign" instead of the truth to sell the Iraq war, and that the decision to invade pushed Bush's presidency "terribly off course." That point was very evident as Bush sent his people far and wide to "sell" the war to the United States and its Allies. Members of Congress were openly courted and Bush went on TV and in front of Congress to convince the world that invasion was the only course of action, while those of us who opposed this action listened and said "why?"

The White House and former staffers are already denying McClellan's book. They question his motives and say, "why didn't he do or say something then?" Speaking out against something as big as the Bush White House and its war, would have taken an exceptionally strong person. That person would have had to have been ready for complete ruination. I can't imagine what despair would have befallen McClellan at the hands of Rove, Cheney, right wing talk radio, and the die hard Republican faithful. The Dixie Chicks were almost driven from a successful music career by these people for simply exercising their right of free speech. McClellan would have been harried to this day and driven into some sort of quasi-exile by these people. Free speech does not enter into their vocabulary.

As it is today, McClellan is free of the White House. He will probably suffer somewhat, because he will never be able to work with any of his former friends and staffers, at least those who remain blindly loyal to their leaders. However, by waiting until now he is preaching to a much larger congregation than he would have been at the time this terrible catastrophe began. Many people will be much more understanding, because it is much clearer now that Bush and his people lied. If many people could not see it then, they surely can see it now.

Thanks to McClellan and others like him, we are getting a very clear picture of how the White House worked and its chain of lies and deceit that continues to fool so many people to this day. There will be others who finally have the courage to speak out as time goes by. Historians will surely look back on these days as some of the darker days of our nation. In my opinion they are even darker than the days of "Tricky Dick," one of the new "poster boys" of today's Republican Party.

Later that day...

As I reflect more on this issue, it has occurred to me that, unlike Bush, Cheney, and Rove, McClellan may very well have had to come to terms with his conscience. To have worked among this group of "ne'er do well's," seen the results of their criminal actions, and then realized that he represented them and defended them in front of the world must have caused much inner tumult. McClellan may have realized that he played a part in this tragedy and, therefore, he had to expose the truth to cleanse his soul.