THE BLUSTER OF A SHRINKING MAN

Even though it's everywhere today, next week's Scott McClellan tell-all about his time in the Bush Administration is going to continue to rock the political world for a little bit. I tend to trust people more when they stake their reputations and careers on venturing far off from expectations like this in order to tell the truth. Obviously, there are other factors afoot: 1) He is selling a book, 2) He needs to absolve his own actions from the shrinking man of the title of this post and the shrinking man's henchmen, and 3) He very likely has scores to settle either with colleagues in the Administration or media types that asked him the questions he calls softballs.

It is typical and sad to read the response from the White House as well as the former colleagues McClellan refers to. I am not sure to whom Karl Rove still appeals -- beyond Fox News-lovers -- but his credibility is near shot if it is not already. McClellan's claim that the Bushies governed as if on a campaign footing is not shocking to me because I'm used to it after all these years of "Bush's mandate" being thrown around, but it should not be shocking to anyone who remembers that a campaign -- i.e. political -- operative was given the governing post of deputy chief of staff. Firing U.S. attorneys for political reasons; leaking a CIA operative's name and then lying about it under oath; and now, among many other instances I could name, the former Alabama governor situation he has on his hands all are prime examples of McClellan's accusation.

Dana Perino should just pack her bags right now. She has to be the worst press secretary since Dee Dee Myers -- and not because she's a woman, Mary. Perino is probably worse, because I would assume Myers at least knew what the Cuban Missile Crisis was. Perino just looks like she is going to pee herself when she faces reporters, her voice is annoying and her answers pretty pathetic.

At least since Bush allegedly does not read newspapers, he appears pretty insulated from ever hearing about this book. Perino said he was informed about it, but at this point, that's exactly the kind of statement I do not believe. These people need to leave, fast.

UPDATE: Absent reading the book and only relying on media reports of it, I should not say that McClellan's words reinforce my current negative opinion of President Bush and his Administration. Also, his timing is very suspect. If Ari Fleischer is right that McClellan did not voice concerns or opposition to these issues when he was in the Administration, then how much does this matter now? It seems he is more concerned about washing his own hands of any culpability in the many controversies to which he spun denials, defenses and misdirection.