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Scott McClellan: A Revolutionary
View of My Former Colleague
By Jane Hampton Cook
Disagreement over foreign policy. Questions
about his capabilities. Zingers to his integrity. His
sensational story sends shockwaves. He also gets a hefty sum.
Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan? No, Benedict
Arnold, the Revolutionary War’s most famous traitor.
Let me make it clear, I do NOT think Scott McClellan, my former
colleague in George W. Bush’s White House and governor’s
office, has committed treason against his nation. Arnold and
McClellan are on opposite ends of the betrayal scale, with
Arnold
’s decision to abandon the patriots and join the British at
ten and McClellan’s at two or less. McClellan has not sold
national secrets to a foreign power, but, like
Arnold, he is guilty of personal betrayal to the leader he served and
his colleagues. His book, What
Happened, has also injured the ability of future presidents
to trust their staff.
The similarities between Arnold and
McClellan, however, are striking. Gen. Benedict Arnold published
an eye-popping pamphlet explaining his decision. Like McClellan,
Arnold
opposed a foreign policy decision. He believed it was wrong for
the Continental Congress to accept
France
as an ally. He also claimed he was never wild about the
Declaration of Independence, yet he served in the army for four
years after its issuance. Did
Arnold
express his concerns? Who knows, but his fellow officers were
certainly shocked at his passive aggressive behavior.
Arnold
could have quit. He didn’t have to go over to the other side.
McClellan’s press secretary predecessor,
Ari Fleischer, said he was “heartbroken” over his former
deputy and friend, calling him “Poor Scott.” Fleischer made
an important point. White House senior staffers have a
responsibility to give the president their opinion. Several key
White House players said McClellan never discussed his
Iraq
concerns with them. He had the opportunity. As a courtesy, he
should have waited until the president left office to publish
his account. McClellan’s behavior appears passive aggressive.
The unstated and most likely reason for
Arnold
’s betrayal were the arrows against his honor. I think the
same is true for McClellan, whose integrity and skills were
questioned by the press and others. Arnold
had briefly served as
Philadelphia
’s military governor. Questions about his integrity appeared
in newspapers. The result was a trial putting George Washington
in an awkward coordinating role.
Washington
had to be fair to both sides and gather information, which
postponed the trial. A fed up Arnold
told
Washington
he’d rather be executed than have his honor offended through
delayed justice. By the time the trial took place, it was too
late.
Arnold
had turn coated. Ironically, the trial went
Arnold
’s way, resulting in a mere reprimand. Within weeks,
Arnold’s treason was uncovered, but he slipped away before anyone
could catch him.
I worked in the seven-member press office with McClellan when
Bush was governor of
Texas
. I found him affable, hardworking, loyal, and easy going. I’m
shocked, but more concerned about the implications for the
presidency: Will future presidents withhold information from
their senior staff and miss out on their advice as a result?
White House staffers must be responsible with their
publications. My first book, Maggie
Houston, was published in 2002 while I was working in the
White House media affairs office as a webmaster (the book
contract was in place in 2000). The day I brought my first copy
with me to the office, I “ran into” President Bush in the
hallway—a rare occurrence. I was so giddy, I broke some
protocol by stopping the president to show it off. Because I was
conscious of his trust in me—the web gal—I quickly explained
my book was about
Texas
hero Sam Houston and his daughter Maggie. I wanted to be clear I
hadn’t written a book about him.
I’m also concerned about the public’s
perception of Bush politicos. I want people to know that not
everyone who has served President Bush gets outrageous sums of
money just for writing a book. There are many of us who have
returned to private life to work hard for our families doing
something we love. Since leaving the White House, I have
published two books, Stories
of Faith and Courage from the Revolutionary War and The
Faith of
America
’s First Ladies. Book number four on
Iraq
is due out next spring. I want people to buy my books because
I’m a good writer and a fantastic storyteller, not a flame
thrower. I hope people will be encouraged by the lives of
ordinary folks, such as Ben Franklin and John Adams, who gave up
their quiet lives to live loudly for liberty for you and me.
Whether the subject is betrayal or a blessing, I want to write
about those human emotions and conflicts that transcend
generations. But I hope the result is inspiration, not
capitulation to fifteen seconds of fame.
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