BOOK  (CONT)

We conferred with McClellan and decided that he was better off working on his book than grappling with the media (I did not immediately realize that there was a firestorm on the Web and cable) and when our intrepid publicity director, Whitney Peeling, began forwarding reporters to me, I explained that the chapter reports that McClellan believes that Bush, at least initially, did not know he was telling his press secretary to relay a series of howlers about who said what to whom. The full story must await publication.

The backlash then ensued: "McClellan's Publisher Does Damage Control" (Truthdig). Roger Ailes, the eminence grise of Fox News, wrote on his blog that it was all a case of publisher "hype." Based on my perusal, coverage of the episode in the print versions of the major newspapers seemed to be confined (if included at all) to wire accounts of McClellan's assertion that he was misled and so was the president. But the newspaper Web sites, including the Washington Post and the New York Times, joined in the fray with blog entries and chat sessions conveying full sound and fury and the "deflating" fact that McClellan was not accusing the president of deliberate deception.

So what does it all add up to?

Scott McClellan is writing a responsible book about his moment in history. Much of our popular media, including some leading brand names, apparently shoot first and ask later. The blogosphere and cable news operate in a universe of their own in which frenzy and vituperation are the major currency.

As for the known perpetrators of the Plame leak, whatever they may have done to McClellan and the pursuit of truth, they seem to have gotten away with it. Karl Rove is now a contributing columnist for Newsweek and is getting a substantial book contract. Libby was convicted of perjury but excused from jail time by President Bush.

FAIR USE NOTICE -This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.