What Happened (McClellan book)
| Company type | Memoir |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | June 2, 2008 |
| Founder | Scott McClellan |
| Products | Book |
What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception is a bestselling memoir authored by Scott McClellan, who held the position of White House Press Secretary from 2003 until 2006 during President George W. Bush's administration. Published on June 2, 2008, the book's excerpts were released a week prior, attracting widespread media coverage. It rapidly secured the top spot on the New York Times bestseller list as well as on Amazon.com.
Content
In this work, McClellan delivers a pointed critique of the Bush administration’s conduct regarding the Iraq war, while simultaneously expressing personal respect for President Bush. He charges the President with "self-deception" and suggests that governance was driven more by a "permanent campaign mentality" than by sound policy decisions. Although McClellan stops short of accusing Bush of deliberately lying about the rationale for invading Iraq—clarifying that the administration did not engage in "outright deception" in 2002—he contends that an intense "political propaganda campaign" was employed to rationalize the Iraq War. The book also censures the media for largely accepting the administration’s version without sufficient skepticism and characterizes Condoleezza Rice as excessively compliant, prioritizing her public image over candor.
Reaction
McClellan’s transition from serving as White House Press Secretary to becoming a vocal critic took many political analysts by surprise and caused considerable disruption in Washington circles.
White House reaction
Responding through Press Secretary Dana Perino, the Bush administration dismissed McClellan’s memoir as the grievances of a "disaffected" former staffer, asserting, "This is not the Scott we knew." They refuted his allegations that the administration deceived the public prior to the Iraq conflict, emphasizing that no "new evidence" had emerged to substantiate such claims.
Congressional reaction
In light of McClellan’s accusations, Representatives Robert Wexler (D-FL) and Jerry Nadler (D-NY), who chaired the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at that time, formally requested McClellan to provide sworn testimony. He complied by appearing before the House Judiciary Committee in July 2008.
McClellan response
McClellan explained that during his tenure as Deputy White House Press Secretary amid the Iraq war buildup, he was not involved in formulating policy decisions. He admitted initially granting the Administration the "benefit of the doubt," but only gained a more accurate understanding after distancing himself from the "White House bubble" and reflecting on subsequent events.
Sales
Although initially offered a modest advance of $75,000, What Happened swiftly rose to number one on Amazon.com sales rankings. Due to high demand, publisher PublicAffairs expanded its print run to exceed 300,000 copies.
External links
- McClellan: Plame leak case was turning point Today, NBC program, May 29, 2008