Former Bush press secretary backs Obama

[ZingPao]

ZingPao's note: This guy is familiar with republicans. What does that tell you?


NEW YORK – Scott McClellan, President Bush's former press secretary who angered old colleagues with a tell-all book earlier this year, said Thursday he is backing Barack Obama for president.

McClellan is the second former administration official to back the Democratic candidate this week. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell came out Sunday for Obama.

While Powell chose "Meet the Press" to make his news, McClellan did it at the taping of comedian D.L. Hughley's new talk show, which is premiering 10 p.m. Saturday on CNN.

Hughley found a little begging helped.

"We are a new show and your endorsement would probably mean a lot," Hughley said. "But don't look at the fact that I am black or, no pressure. Endorse somebody, damn it!"

McClellan, who was Bush's chief spokesman from July 2003 to April 2006, said he's always planned to support the candidate that has the best chance for changing the way Washington works and getting things done.

"I will be voting for Barack Obama," he said.

McClellan is also giving an extended interview on "Larry King Live" on Friday to talk about his endorsement.

McClellan grew disillusioned after leaving the administration and wrote a book, "What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception," that surprised many for its blunt talk. He admitted to being part of a White House effort to shade the truth about the case for war in Iraq.

The White House said Bush was surprised and saddened about the book.

[Nobodys Hero]

Hmmm. Stop me if I'm wrong but weren't both the afore mentioned gentlmen FIRED by the Bush administration? Big shocker that they're coming out for the other guy. Nothing more than rats leaving a sinking ship in my opinion, maybe not so much for Powell who is held in somewhat high regard by most but McClellan has never been revered as more than a low level, loudmouth buffoon. No one should be surprised by this after the somewhat unflattering book he penned fresh after his termination. What would be surprising to me is if anyone cares. "Scott McClellan's backing Obama? Quick! Stop the presses!"

[ZingPao]

I come from a long line of blue collar democrats. I was the first in the family to graduate from college, enter the white collar world and to register as a republican. To make a long story short, I think the republicans and democrats have become corrupted and have no vision. I have been preaching 3rd parties and Libertarians for years now. But back to the point, I think the Bush administration has just about ruined this country and I don't think McCain will be one bit different than Bush, so I post what I can to get people to not vote republican. It's the lesser of two evils, but I think McCain is the more evil of the 2 and Palin makes McCain look like a saint. We will see how she does on her deposition today. It is today, right? Okay here it is:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...3D47.DTL&tsp=1

[Nobodys Hero]

Originally Posted by ZingPao

I come from a long line of blue collar democrats. I was the first in the family to graduate from college, enter the white collar world and to register as a republican. To make a long story short, I think the republicans and democrats have become corrupted and have no vision. I have been preaching 3rd parties and Libertarians for years now. But back to the point, I think the Bush administration has just about ruined this country and I don't think McCain will be one bit different than Bush, so I post what I can to get people to not vote republican. It's the lesser of two evils, but I think McCain is the more evil of the 2 and Palin makes McCain look like a saint. We will see how she does on her deposition today. It is today, right? Okay here it is:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...3D47.DTL&tsp=1

I have a tendancy to agree with you but feel that a viable third party must infiltrate the house and the senate before any real progress can be made. If by some miraculous circumstance we were ever to elect a third party candidate to the office of the president without a strong third party presence in congress to come up with legislation he/she would in all actuality be a " lame duck" holding only the power to veto.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/wash...lan-obama.html

This just in: Scott McClellan, President Bush's former press secretary, announced Thursday that he is endorsing Barack Obama for president.

McClellan is the second former Bush administration official this week to come out in support of the Democratic presidential candidate. Former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell announced his endorsement last weekend.

McClellan's news, which he shared during a taping of comedian D.L. Hughley's new show on CNN, doesn't come as a huge surprise. McClellan, after all, drew ire from Republicans earlier this year when he published a tell-all book about his time in White House. The book, "What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception," was highly critical of Bush and his handling of the war in Iraq, which McClellan called "a serious strategic blunder."

The former aide told Hughley he planned to vote for Obama because he is the candidate most likely to change Washington.

McClellan became Bush's press secretary in the summer of 2003 -- shortly after the U.S. invaded Iraq. He resigned the post two years ago. At the time, their split appeared to be fairly amicable (on the day that McClellan resigned, President Bush told reporters that he and the outgoing aide someday would be "rocking in chairs in Texas and talking about the good old days"). But McClellan later wrote that he quit in part because he felt deceived by the Bush White House.

Specifically, McClellan accused former administration officials Karl Rove and I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby of misleading him during the investigation into the 2003 exposure of then-CIA operative Valerie Plame.

Our colleagues at the Swamp have more on McClelland's endorsement.

-- Kate Linthicum