Friday
May302008
White House Gaggle
Friday, May 30, 2008 at 10:24AM
Briefer Dana Perino
The focus of the morning gaggle was Scott McClellen's book. White House press secretary Dana Perino said that she has heard about the calls for McClellan to testify before Congress, but that she has not had a chance to address it specifically with White House counsel. When asked if Perino had plans to read McClellan's book she replied "I certainly have no plans to buy it." She said that the White House counsel had reviewed the book and that the White House had been aware of the effect it would have for some time. She said that McClellan has the right to write what he wants, but it is White House wish "that is would be based on some semblance of fact."
There was a discussion about Perino's own perspective on the job as press secretary. She said that one can be as involved as a press secretary as one desires to be. She defined it as a matter of will , not a matter of access. She said that she was very satisfied with her access as press secretary.
She reiterated the White House's primary objection to the book, which is, as Perino phrased it, McClellan's allegation that the White House purposefully misled the American people in the run up to the Iraq war. "Our central objection is to the message of the book , not just the messenger," Perino said. She said that she doesn't remember McClellan complaining about access when she worked under him as deputy press secretary. She said that this book is written with hindsight and that at the time of McClellen's tenure there was nothing to object to as the White House was going off the intelligence it had at the time, which Perino pointed out was accepted by other nations as well.
The President had his normal briefings and later on will record his radio address. The topic of this weeks address is the priorities that Congress should focus on when it returns from Memorial Day recess. The President spoke to Pakistani President Pervez Musharaff on the phone as a follow up to their meeting in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. Perino announced that Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer will lead a delegation to Rome for the conference on world food security in the first week of June.
When asked whether the president agreed with Vice President Cheney's characterization of the war in Iraq as "succeeding brilliantly," Perino said that while Iraq's progress remains reversible, the strategy of the surge was the right one and that Gen. David Petraeus, who she said was "brilliant in his own right" was implementing the strategy that is gaining progress. She said that Maliki is uniting his government through the offensives in Basra, Mosul, and Sadr City. And she said that the donor's conference to get other Arab nations to invest in Iraq, is something that will take time to gain the trust of donors.
The focus of the morning gaggle was Scott McClellen's book. White House press secretary Dana Perino said that she has heard about the calls for McClellan to testify before Congress, but that she has not had a chance to address it specifically with White House counsel. When asked if Perino had plans to read McClellan's book she replied "I certainly have no plans to buy it." She said that the White House counsel had reviewed the book and that the White House had been aware of the effect it would have for some time. She said that McClellan has the right to write what he wants, but it is White House wish "that is would be based on some semblance of fact."
There was a discussion about Perino's own perspective on the job as press secretary. She said that one can be as involved as a press secretary as one desires to be. She defined it as a matter of will , not a matter of access. She said that she was very satisfied with her access as press secretary.
She reiterated the White House's primary objection to the book, which is, as Perino phrased it, McClellan's allegation that the White House purposefully misled the American people in the run up to the Iraq war. "Our central objection is to the message of the book , not just the messenger," Perino said. She said that she doesn't remember McClellan complaining about access when she worked under him as deputy press secretary. She said that this book is written with hindsight and that at the time of McClellen's tenure there was nothing to object to as the White House was going off the intelligence it had at the time, which Perino pointed out was accepted by other nations as well.
The President had his normal briefings and later on will record his radio address. The topic of this weeks address is the priorities that Congress should focus on when it returns from Memorial Day recess. The President spoke to Pakistani President Pervez Musharaff on the phone as a follow up to their meeting in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. Perino announced that Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer will lead a delegation to Rome for the conference on world food security in the first week of June.
When asked whether the president agreed with Vice President Cheney's characterization of the war in Iraq as "succeeding brilliantly," Perino said that while Iraq's progress remains reversible, the strategy of the surge was the right one and that Gen. David Petraeus, who she said was "brilliant in his own right" was implementing the strategy that is gaining progress. She said that Maliki is uniting his government through the offensives in Basra, Mosul, and Sadr City. And she said that the donor's conference to get other Arab nations to invest in Iraq, is something that will take time to gain the trust of donors.
McClellan testifies in Congress
Former White House Press Secretary under George W. Bush Scott McClellan testified under oath before the House Judiciary Committee. McClellan presented the committee with his knowledge of the lead-up to the war in Iraq and the Valerie Plame leak, two topics he discusses in his book “What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception.”
McClellan stated that he did not know if the leak of former covert CIA agent Valerie Plame was used as a way to further criticize Plame’s husband, Ambassador Joseph Wilson. In his book, McClellan says that he finds it unlikely that President Bush would have authorized Scooter Libby to leak classified information and said he cannot rule out Vice President Cheney give the authorization. Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) said that the statements made in McClellan’s book are enough to consider impeachment proceedings on Cheney.
On the Iraq War, McClellan said that counterevidence is crucial in the lead-up to a war and that the Bush White House ignored evidence that was contradictory to the administration’s goals. Though he admitted Bush never used words like “shade the truth” or “propaganda,” McClellan said that the war was presented to Americans in those manners.
McClellan explained that the purpose for writing his book was to share his experiences with the American people and to analyze how a popular governor became a polarizing president, frequently beginning his responses by reminding the committee that he discussed the answer in his book. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) posed questions to McClellan that challenged his motivations for writing the book, asking about the political positions of the book’s editors and inquiring on the profits McClellan will receive. After McClellan repeatedly said “Can I finish my response?” as Smith interjected with additional questions, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) apologized to McClellan, stating that the committee’s purpose was to investigate topics discussed in the book, not to question McClellan’s character.