By Denise Ross

Former White House spokesman Scott McClellan is joining the ranks of whistleblowers-long-after-the-play-is-over with his new book, What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception.

This from CNN:

The White House Wednesday said it was “puzzled” by a former spokesman’s memoir in which he accuses the Bush administration of being mired in propaganda and political spin and at times playing loose with the truth. …

“Scott, we now know, is disgruntled about his experience at the White House,” (White House spokeswoman Dana) Perino said. “For those of us who fully supported him, before, during and after he was press secretary, we are puzzled. It is sad. This is not the Scott we knew.”

There’s a growing number of stories about this new book, and I expect we’ll all be hearing a great deal about this for several weeks, especially as Hillary-Obama fatigue expands.

What’s notable is that the White House doesn’t deny McLellan’s claim. Instead, they attack him personally and try to cast doubt on his state of mind without ever discussing specific events or details. (Sometimes known as one flavor of the old non-denial denial.)

In the CNN story, one former Bush official did say that McLellan should have raised his concerns within the administration, and she does not recall him doing so. Then again, she might not have been privy to any objections he might have raised. But that is the closest thing I’ve seen to a direct confrontation of his accusations - and it makes for a much more credible debate of the matter.

I note that McLellan’s telling his story long after it could have much impact on events, but it’s still valuable information, for both a historical record and, perhaps, a cautionary tale for future generations.

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