TresSugar

McClellan Finds Jon Stewart Tougher Than Helen Thomas

CitizenSugar — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:45:28 -0700

Scott McClellan's big new tell-all What Happened drops today - he popped into The Daily Show last night to dish with Stewart who immediately warned McClellan, "you're talking about Fight Club."

For all of the hype surrounding the charges McClellan levels at the Bush administration, he maintains, "there's a larger message . . . end the partisan warfare in Washington, DC."

He walks Stewart through the behind-the-scenes of creating the anti-Scott talking point, "he just doesn't sound like Scott." Then talk gets serious, (that special brand of funny-serious) and Stewart likens the deception over the war as the difference between "homicide" and "involuntary manslaughter." Wow.

Is the book really about partisan Washington? Is McClellan trying to change how Washington works? To see the second part of McClellan's Daily Show appearance, read more.

Are you going out to buy the book? It's out of stock on Amazon.com until June 29. Dick Cheney, for one, is not buying it - but I'm dying to read it.

New Orleans Locals Still Homeless After Katrina

LibertySugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 11:00:00 -0700

A unique homelessness situation confronts post-Katrina New Orleans. A recent survey conducted by advocacy groups shows that a majority of the homeless were residents of New Orleans before the hurricane, and lost their jobs and homes as a result.

Figures cited in today's New York Times include:

86 percent of homeless are from the New Orleans area.
60 percent cite Hurricane Katrina as the cause of their homelessness, while 30 percent said they received assistance from FEMA at one time.
80 percent have at least one physical disability, 58 percent have had some kind of addiction, 40 percent are mentally ill, and 19 percent deal with all three issues.
The number of homeless has doubled since Katrina, according to rough estimates.

For an more in depth look at the problem, read more.

One HIV-positive New Orleans native told the paper that he wasn't homeless until Hurricane Katrina. He receives $637 per month in disability income, not enough to pay rent. Despite a rise in need, there has been a decline in resources. Before Katrina, the city had 2,800 shelter beds, now it has 2,000. In addition, FEMA federal trailer parks that house many Hurricane Katrina victims are scheduled to close May 31.

In his new book, President Bush's former press secretary called Katrina "one of the worst disasters in our nation's history" and "one of the biggest disasters in Bush's presidency." Now more than three years later, the local community still faces the difficulty brought by lack of resources.

Do you consider New Orleans' homeless predicament a national or local problem? How can we get those more vulnerable in a crisis - such as the mentally ill, disabled, and drug addicted - back on their feet? Should Congress adopt legislation that would provide $76 million in rent subsidies and services to disabled homeless people in the city, as passed by the Senate last week?

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From Spokesman to Critic - McClellan's Book Bashes Bush

CitizenSugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 08:00:25 -0700

Before there was Dana Perino, before Tony Snow, was the sublime Ari Fleischer's replacement, Scott McClellan. As a sort of press secretary groupie, I have to say he never really did it for me. He was the young-looking, usually grumpy, never quite comfortable press secretary for George W. Bush from July 2003 to April 2006. But he's got a new book out, detailing perhaps what exactly was making him so crabby and shifty - and it might not be such a good news cycle for Bush.

It's called, What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception and it's the first critical account from a member of the tight circle of Texans that have surround Bush from the beginning. As the voice for the administration during the turn of public perception on the Iraq war, as well as Hurricane Katrina, McClellan's criticism is pegged pointedly to the truth and honesty factor. To see what he has to say, read more.

McClellan calls the decision to invade Iraq a “serious strategic blunder,” but not the biggest mistake the Bush White House made. He awards that to “a decision to turn away from candor and honesty when those qualities were most needed.” He says Bush “convinces himself to believe what suits his needs at the moment,” and has engaged in “self-deception.”

As for the time surrounding the Valerie Plame leak, McClellan says of Bush:

He too had been deceived, and therefore became unwittingly involved in deceiving me. But the top White House officials who knew the truth - including Rove, Libby, and possibly Vice President Cheney - allowed me, even encouraged me, to repeat a lie.

For his role, McClellan criticizes himself too saying, "I fell far short of living up to the kind of public servant I wanted to be." The book is out next Tuesday. As McClellan's departure from the White House seemed not wholly his idea, could the book be revenge - or just the dose of reality we need? Do you want to read the book?

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Briefing Book! Knowing Is Half the Battle . . .

LibertySugar — Fri, 30 May 2008 13:30:25 -0700

Republicans: Officially an outcast? Bob Dole sends angry email to Scott McClellan telling him to donate all his book money to a worthy cause like "Biting the Hand That Fed Me." - Politico

Royals: Who's on top? Forbes compiles list of top 20 "hot" royals. -newsblog
Obama: More popular than Batman and Indiana Jones? Obama's Mii digital avatar for Wii is one of the most popular. - BigHeadDC
Missouri and SF: Regional Rivalry? Rep. Sam Graves, a Republican from Missouri, keeps linking Democratic opponent to San Francisco. - Talking Points Memo

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