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Scott McClellan

Scott McClellan Quotes

Former White House Press Secretary

Scott McClellan, born February 14, 1968, served as White House Press Secretary from 2003 to 2006 under President George W. Bush. He was one of the youngest press secretaries in history, managing daily press briefings and serving as the primary administration spokesperson during Bush's second term. After leaving the White House, he authored the controversial memoir "What Happened: Inside the Bush White House" in 2008, which offered critical insights into the Bush administration's decision-making processes, particularly regarding the Iraq War. The book sparked significant debate and drew criticism from former colleagues.

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All People President War Ifs Iraq Administration Terrorist Thinking Believe Enemy

Famous Scott McClellan Quotes

“I fell far short of living up to the kind of public servant I wanted to be.”

Kind Wanted Servant Public Servants

Book:What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception

Source: What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception

“I'm glad to share my views.”

Views Share Glad

Author:Scott McClellan

“The Iraq war was not necessary.”

War Iraq Iraq War

Author:Scott McClellan

“Waging an unnecessary war is a grave mistake.”

War Mistake Graves Unnecessary Waging War Unnecessary War

Book:What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception

Source: What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception

“My criticisms are extremely mild in comparison to the tone of some of the questions fired in my direction.”

Criticism Tone Comparison

Author:Scott McClellan

“We continue to go from crisis to crisis, whether it is electricity or whether it is gas prices. We need comprehensive solutions, not patchwork crisis management. We wouldn't be in this situation today if Senate Democrats weren't holding up the national energy plan that the president proposed back in May of 2001.”

Ifs Needs May Today Energy President Situation Plans Solutions Management Crisis Democrat Gas Senate Electricity Comprehensive Gas Prices Crisis Management Patchwork

Author:Scott McClellan

“Saddam Hussein is being treated the exact opposite of the way his regime treated those he imprisoned and tortured simply for expressing their opinions. And so I reject that.”

Way Opinion Opposites Treated Rejects Regimes Saddam Hussein

Author:Scott McClellan

“There's a difference between loyal opposition that has a different view, and those who are advocating a defeatist approach that sends the wrong message to our troops and the enemy.”

Different Differences Views Enemy Approach Messages Opposition Loyal Troops Advocating Our Troops Different Views

Author:Scott McClellan

“Isn't it my right to talk and say what I want to?”

Author:Scott McClellan

“As I have heard Bush say, only a wartime president is likely to achieve greatness, in part because the epochal upheavals of war provide the opportunity for transformative change of the kind Bush hoped to achieve. In Iraq, Bush saw his opportunity to create a legacy of greatness.”

Kind War Opportunity President Saws Heard Achieve Greatness Iraq Legacy Upheaval Wartime Achieve Greatness

Book:What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception

Source: What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception

“As a Texas loyalist who followed Bush to Washington with great hope and personal affection and as a proud member of his administration, I was all too ready to give him and his highly experienced foreign policy advisers the benefit of the doubt on Iraq. Unfortunately, subsequent events have showed that our willingness to trust the judgment of Bush and his team was misplaced.”

“It's no coincidence that Superman's parents are Joseph and Martha Kent.”

Parent Coincidence Kent

Author:Scott McClellan

“Churches are like announcement factories that pump toxic levels of noise pollution into the atmosphere.”

Church Levels Noise Atmosphere Toxic Factories Pollution Pumps Announcements Noise Pollution

Author:Scott McClellan

“Roughly 1 in 6 Americans have Irish blood. I'd say it's probably safe to assume that the average Irish-American who only comes out on St. Patrick's Day has no idea of the sort of economic powerhouse Ireland has become.”

Ideas Blood Economic Safe Assuming Average No Idea Ireland St Patrick St Patrick's Day

Author:Scott McClellan

“Because what a temporary worker program would do is help relieve pressure on the border. It will allow our law enforcement officials and Border Patrol agents to focus on those who are coming here for the wrong reasons, the criminals and the drug dealers and the terrorists.”

Reason Helping Law Focus Drug Program Pressure Workers Criminals Terrorist Agents Borders Officials Temporary Law Enforcement Enforcement Dealer Wrong Reasons Drug Dealers Border Patrol

Author:Scott McClellan

“The Orange Revolution was a powerful example of democracy around the world. The people of Ukraine are continuing to shape their own future.”

People World Powerful Democracy Example Revolution Shapes Around The World Continuing Orange Ukraine

Author:Scott McClellan

“In survey after survey, the Iraqi people say, 'We want to choose our leaders.'”

People Want Leader Surveys

Author:Scott McClellan

“We are disappointed at the decision. The president remains fully committed to building a culture of life ... that is built on valuing life at all stages.”

Culture President Decision Stage Building Built Remains Committed Disappointed Euthanasia

Author:Scott McClellan

“I believe in working together to solve the problems we've got. And we need to get rid of the venom in the political atmosphere in D.C. It's a poisonous atmosphere.”

Needs Believe Problem Together Political I Believe Dark I Believe In Solve Atmosphere Working Together Dark Side Poisonous Venom

Author:Scott McClellan

“I think it reflects the reality on the ground, that this was an important milestone that's been achieved by the Iraqi people, and it's a significant development. It's a real hopeful moment for democracy in Iraq.”

People Thinking Important Real Moments Reality Democracy Development Iraq Significant Hopeful Milestone

Author:Scott McClellan

“We have to deal with reality. The reality is, we have a number a very high number of illegal immigrants in this country. They're meeting an important economic need. And we are a nation of laws, and we're a nation of immigrants. And if we're going to address the real threats, then we need to have a temporary worker program to allow our Border Patrol agents to focus on the criminals and the thugs and the terrorists and the traffickers and smugglers that are trying to come into this country illegally.”

“I think that there's a tendency in this town to try to selectively pick snapshots, when the broader reality is that we have a record of results and that we're getting things done for the American people.”

People Thinking Trying Done Reality Results Records Picks Towns Tendencies Things Done Snapshots Getting Things Done

Author:Scott McClellan

“Despite what some people have said, President Bush did not want black people to die in New Orleans. However, he did hope they would not relocate to any areas of Texas that he likes to frequent.”

People Want Said Dies Black President Areas Likes Despite Texas Black People New Orleans President Bush

Author:Scott McClellan

“I remember my mom saying to me that what your friends do is one thing, but what you do could be on the front page of the paper.”

Remember One Thing Fronts Mom Paper Pages My Mom

Author:Scott McClellan

“Well I think that you have to be open and honest in order to learn from your mistakes and be able to correct them in the future to understand what would happen to take things off course. And if we don't address these issues openly and honestly then we don't learn.”

Ifs Thinking Wells Happens Able Order Courses Mistake Issues Honest Honestly Addresses Learn From Your Mistakes

Author:Scott McClellan

“A free and prosperous Iraq will be a major blow to the terrorists and their desire to establish a safe haven in Iraq where they can plan and plot attacks”

Desire Plans Havens Safe Majors Iraq Blow Terrorist Plot Prosperous Safe Haven

Author:Scott McClellan

“As press secretary, I spent countless hours defending the administration from the podium in the White House briefing room.”

House Hours White Rooms Presses Administration White House Secretary Briefing

Book:What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception

Source: What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception

“My wife and I look for ways to always support the troops, including sending care packages regularly to them.”

Way Looks Care Support Wife Including My Wife Troops Packages Support The Troops

Author:Scott McClellan

“I had unknowingly passed along false information. And five of the highest-ranking officials in the administration were involved in my doing so: Rove, Libby, the vice president, the president's chief of staff and the president himself.”

President Five Information Involved Highest Vices Chiefs Administration Officials Staff Vice President Ranking Chief Of Staff

Book:What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception

Source: What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception

“It is regrettable that Senator Kennedy has chosen Veteran's Day to continue leveling baseless and false attacks that send the wrong signal to our troops and our enemy during a time of war. It is also regrettable that Senator Kennedy has found more time to say negative things about President Bush then he ever did about Saddam Hussein. If America were to follow Senator Kennedy's foreign policy, Saddam Hussein would not only still be in power, he would be oppressing and occupying Kuwait.”

“Critics have stepped up their attacks on the President for authorizing the National Security Agency to listen to international communications of known al Qaeda members or affiliated terrorists during a time of war. The American people expect their leaders to stay a step ahead of the enemy, and the National Security Agency authorization is a critical tool in the War on Terror that saves lives and protects civil liberties at the same time.”

“I was raised on the values of speaking up and making a positive difference in a very political family that believed in the importance of public service.”

Political Values Differences Importance Raised Public Service Speaking Up

Author:Scott McClellan

“I'm someone who believes in centrist governing philosophy.”

Believe Philosophy Governing

Author:Scott McClellan

“I'm done with my job. It was my job to be the advocate and spokesman for the President of the United States.”

States Done Jobs President United United States

Author:Scott McClellan

“I have had a career in public service.”

Careers Public Service

Author:Scott McClellan

“The permanent campaign is inherently deceptive.”

Campaigns Permanent Deceptive

Author:Scott McClellan

“Well, uh, all people - all, I think all human begins, uh, have good attributes, and they also have their flaws.”

People Thinking Humans Wells Flaws Attributes

Author:Scott McClellan

“I still like and admire George W. Bush. I consider him a fundamentally decent person, and I do not believe he or his White House deliberately or consciously sought to deceive the American people.”

People Believe Persons Stills House White Admire Decent White House Deceiving

Book:What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception

Source: What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception

“When I was knowingly misled but only learned that much later, that's really when I started to become disillusioned at the White House.”

House White White House Misled Disillusioned

Author:Scott McClellan

“The collapse of the administration's rationales for war, which became apparent months after our invasion, should never have come as such a surprise. In this case, the 'liberal media' didn't live up to its reputation. If it had, the country would have been better served.”

Ifs Should Has Beens War Country Cases Media Months Surprise Reputation Administration Collapse Invasion Rationale Liberal Media

Author:Scott McClellan

About the Author

Born: February 14, 1968
Known for: Former White House Press Secretary
Quotes: 40

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