Time To Promote Scott McLellan?

Bush isn't the only one feeling the pressure from the press (is that a pun?)

Here's Scott McLellan responding to questions about the Bush finger:

"I was there with him, and I'm just not going to -- I'm not going to dignify that with a response. I mean, I haven't seen the video that you're talking about, but I know the way the president acts. And if someone is misportraying it, that's unfortunate."

And the next day:

Clearly, if you look at it and if you were there, you would recognize that the President was giving a thumbs-up. Someone in the media had asked something to the effect of, how does it look on the Central American Free Trade Agreement, and the President gave the thumbs-up.

I don't know how someone is trying to divine my inner thoughts, but despite some of the back and forth that we engage in today and other times, even with people like David -- (laughter) -- I have great respect for the job that you all do. And you all -- you all know the way I deal with you all and I know the way the President acts. And that's -- it's just preposterous to make that kind of suggestion.

McLellan's position as White House Press Secretary is becoming increasingly untenable, as his press gaggles become more and more absurd. He's now been pressured into lying to protect John Bolton. From Think Progress:

At today’s White House press briefing, Scott McClellan was asked about the inaccurate information Bolton provided to the Senate:

QUESTION:…Is the president concerned about the apparent error on Mr. Bolton’s questionnaire to the Senate in which he said that he had not been questioned in a federal investigation in the preceding five years when now it has been revealed that, in fact, he was at least interviewed in the context of the inspector general’s CIA investigation of the uranium potential sale from Niger to Iraq?

MCCLELLAN: I think the State Department addressed that last night, and it was John Bolton who pointed that out.

Actually, that’s completely wrong. It was Sen. Joe Biden who pointed out that Bolton provided inaccurate information to the Senate in a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday afternoon. It wasn’t until several hours later that John Bolton fessed up through a State Department spokesperson.

In spite of all that, it still looks like Bush wants Bolton at the UN before he heads off to Crawford again for his August break (damn, he's been working SO hard...). Here's McLellan again:

"It's important that we get our permanent representative in place. This is a critical time and it's important to continue moving forward on comprehensive reform."

So no talk of a recess appointment till someone better can be found, this is a "permanent" position designed to enable "comprehensive reform" of the UN. Funny, you woulda thought the White House was the place that needed comprehensive reform, wouldn't you?

And just why is it a "critical" time right now? Because all the neo-con mess of lies is unravelling fast, Bush's approval ratings are plummeting down the S-bend, and this could be the last chance for the neo-cons to enact their long-held fantasies (or at least grab enough power to ensure they will have another go later).

But McLellan's position as the public portal between the reality and the fantasy is becoming unsustainable. As one commenter at ThinkProgress said:

If the press had any cajones they would boycott these press briefing on the grounds that Scotty has no credibility left and they would refuse to cover the White Briefings until he was gone and another more credible press secrtary was in place.

Given a new Press Secretary, would the press back off again? I think so - there is a tradition in Washington that you give a new guy a break in this position. Replacing McLellan would give Rove and Cheney some breathing space.

But who would take up the poisoned chalice? It would have to be someone without any sense of shame, capable of disseminating the bizarro Bush world with not just a straight face, but all the earnest zeal of a true believer...

Unfortunately, there are all too many already working in the White House who meet the description.