OK, But Why?

As Mustang Bobby put it: McClellan Tells What Happened.

Essentially Scott McClellan has confirmed what everyone with more than two neurons firing had already figured out, even if a jury hadn’t found, beyond reasonable doubt, that the White House leaked Valerie Plame’s name to the media, and then lied about it.

So the question becomes why is he writing about it in a book? There has to be more money in working for some rightwing foundation than in a book, and he knows from personal experience in the White House what nasty people he is dealing with. So, Scott must have his own score to settle.

Let’s browse that old standby, Wikipedia, for Scott McClellan.

Born in Austin, Texas, McClellan is the youngest son of Carole Keeton Strayhorn, former Texas state comptroller and former 2006 independent Texas gubernatorial candidate, and attorney Barr McClellan. McClellan’s brother Mark McClellan headed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and formerly was Commissioner for the Food and Drug Administration. McClellan is the grandson of the late W. Page Keeton, longtime Dean of the University of Texas School of Law and renowned expert in tort law.

So the family is in politics fairly heavily.

After graduating from The University of Texas at Austin, where he was president of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Texas Alpha Chapter, McClellan was the three-time campaign manager for his mother, former Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn. In addition, he worked on political grassroots efforts and was the Chief of Staff to a Texas State Senator.

Karen Hughes, Governor Bush’s communications director, hired him to be Bush’s deputy press secretary. McClellan served as Governor Bush’s traveling press secretary during the 2000 Presidential election. McClellan became White House Deputy Press Secretary in 2003. McClellan replaced Ari Fleischer, who stepped down as White House Press Secretary on July 15, 2003. McClellan announced his resignation as Press Secretary on April 19, 2006; on April 26, it was announced that Fox News pundit Tony Snow would succeed him in the position.

What about his brother, Mark McClellan?

He earned his M.D. degree from the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology in 1989 and his Ph.D. in economics from MIT in 1993. He also earned an M.P.A. from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government in 1991. He completed his residency training in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and he is board-certified in Internal Medicine.

He seems to be a well-educated, talented guy, not your average crony appointment.

He was previously Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in the United States Department of Health and Human Services from 2004 to 2006. In this position, he was responsible for administering the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Following the resignation of Health & Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson in 2004, McClellan was mentioned as a possible replacement, but President Bush ultimately nominated former Utah governor Mike Leavitt. On September 5, 2006, McClellan announced his resignation from the post.

So their mother, Carole Keeton [McClellan Rylander] Strayhorn, supplies two intelligence sons and a political operation to the Hedgemony, and what did she get in return when she ran for governor? It would appear that she got exactly what Katherine Harris got – nada, zilch, nothing, zero, no help, no endorsement, no money.

Scotty had to take the heat from the press, even after it was obvious the White House was lying. Mark never received the prestige position, but was passed over for a politician. Mama received nothing from the Busheviki for her work. While Scott doesn’t seem to be the sort who would nurse a grudge, I’m willing to bet his mother is pretty good at it and can be pretty persistent is seeking some payback.