bye-bye, Scotty

[Irvine511]

[q]McClellan Leaves White House Press Office
By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove is giving up his policy portfolio and press secretary Scott McClellan is resigning, continuing a shakeup in President Bush's administration that has already yielded a new chief of staff.

A senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the president had not yet made the announcement, said Wednesday that Rove is giving up oversight of policy development to focus more on politics with the approach of the fall midterm elections.

Just over a year ago, Rove was promoted to deputy chief of staff in charge of most White House policy coordination. That new portfolio came on top of his title as senior adviser and role of chief policy aide to Bush.

But now, the job of deputy chief of staff for policy is being given to Joel Kaplan, now the White House's deputy budget director, said the official.

The move signals a possibly broad effort to rearrange and reinvigorate Bush's staff by new chief of staff Joshua Bolten. Bolten moved into his position last week; Kaplan was his No. 2 person at the Office of Management and Budget.

At least for the time being, the promotion of Kaplan would leave Bush with three deputy chiefs of staff: Rove, Kaplan and Joe Hagin, who oversees administrative matters, intelligence and other national security issues.

Appearing with Bush on the South Lawn, McClellan, who has parried especially fiercely with reporters on Iraq and on intelligence issues, told Bush: "I have given it my all sir and I have given you my all sir, and I will continue to do so as we transition to a new press secretary."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060419...Col2QGs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

[/q]

 

[U2democrat]

 

[Utoo]

Even though he was lame..... It's even lamer that all the wrong people are getting canned. All the people who are actually causing the problems are sticking around---perhaps because they're the ones making all the decisions anyway....

 

[verte76]

I don't know how a new staff can really help this Administration. I don't see myself turning into a Bush supporter anytime soon.

 

[Irvine511]

Even though he was lame..... It's even lamer that all the wrong people are getting canned. All the people who are actually causing the problems are sticking around---perhaps because they're the ones making all the decisions anyway....

yup.

*cough*rumsfeld*cough*

 

[deep]

He had a lousy job.

He had to stand there and obfuscate, mislead and generally engage our fears to further the Administration’s agenda

basically just tell big fat whoppers.



Will Scott be taking a long deserved rest in an isolated log cabin somewhere?

 

[U2democrat]

I must say I could never be press secretary


Particularly not to this president. It's all vague answers and giving soundbites being the president's outer line of defense.

 

[nbcrusader]

Press secretary to any president is a stressful job. Frankly, I'm surprised that McClellan survived this long.

The real news is Rove's stepping out of his position to a more behind-the-scenes role again.

 

[trevster2k]

I wonder if Baghdad Bob is available, he was great at distorting information and dodging questions too.

 

[U2DMfan]

It's all window dressing.
I thought the idea was to get Bush some dissention in his cabinet so that things will be more carefully thought through.

We all know he'll replace a yes-man with a yes-man.
So it's worthless, that's why it won't do any good to get Rummy to resign, he'll be replaced by a policy clone .

 

[verte76]

Good point about Rumsfeld and resignation. Trust me, Rumsfeld is not going to resign, however, so we're stuck with the same idiot at Defense.

 

[Lila64]

Press secretary to any president is a stressful job. Frankly, I'm surprised that McClellan survived this long.

The real news is Rove's stepping out of his position to a more behind-the-scenes role again.

Press secretary to any president, especially the current one, has to be one of the worst jobs EVER!

 

[Bluer White]

I'm sure that a consulting gig in the high six figures will be a nice consolation prize for McClellan, if he so chooses.

 

[trevster2k]

Good point about Rumsfeld and resignation. Trust me, Rumsfeld is not going to resign, however, so we're stuck with the same idiot at Defense.

Well, he's already tried to resign, and he can't even do that right,

 

[deep]

Supposedly, he handed in his resignation twice?

Why? What were the circumstances?


Perhaps he should try it a third time.

 

[verte76]

He tried to resign? That surprises me, too.

 

[nbcrusader]

An offer of resignation is a way to build power. If turned down, you realize that you are more valuable than before.

 

[Lila64]

Supposedly, he handed in his resignation twice?

Why? What were the circumstances?


Perhaps he should try it a third time.

the old saying...third time's a charm

 

[yolland]

Los Angeles Times, April 19, 2006

Officially, Wednesday's announcement reduces the influence of the man many historians believe to be of the most powerful White House aides in history and who, until this week, had only seen his influence expand since arriving in Washington with Bush, whom he had nurtured and tutored in politics.

Just after receiving accolades for his role in plotting the president's reelection in 2004, Rove was promoted to deputy chief of staff for policy. That assignment came on top of his titles of senior adviser and chief political consultant to the president. The new policy title gave Rove responsibility for coordinating White House work related to national security, domestic and economic policy, and homeland security.

Rove's policy portfolio will now be turned over to Joel Kaplan, the White House's deputy budget director, who worked closely with Bolten in the 2000 campaign and in the White House budget office. The two have a relationship that some compare to the "mind meld" that unite Bush and Rove.

Democrats expressed some pleasure that Rove's role was being cut back, suggesting it was because of his inappropriate mixing of politics and policy and the ongoing scrutiny he faces from the special prosecutor investigating the leak of the identity of former CIA operative Valerie Plame. Some of the policy areas for which Rove had responsibility—notably Bush's effort to overhaul the Social Security program—were considered political flops.

But a Republican strategist familiar with White House thinking said the shift in Rove's job does not represent a diminution of the strategist's standing. The strategist said the "principal goal" of Wednesday's personnel change was to free Rove from the responsibility of the routine details of the policy development process, allowing him to concentrate on long and short-term strategy. "This allows our best and smartest thinker in the party to focus on strategic planning and the things he does best," the strategist said. "He plays an integral role in everything here This frees him from the minutiae of the policy job—dealing with the briefing papers, making sure they are in on time. That's a very good thing."

People familiar with White House operations said Rove would still be the key voice in determining the president's travel schedule and message, and they predicted that Rove would personally help raise funds for congressional candidates.

Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), vice chairman of the House Republican Conference, welcomed the change, saying it would allow Rove to focus on helping the GOP hold onto control of Congress. "2006 is going to be a tough year for our party. This could free him up to do what he's best at, and that's politics," he said.

A congressional Republican leadership aide, speaking on condition that he not be named, said, "I don't know how much time he was devoting to domestic policy, but it wasn't working. His forte is politics, and that's what he should be focused on" heading into the midterm elections.

Although Rove is now officially out of the policy arena, most observers said it would do little to change his influence over a White House that melded policy and politics seamlessly. "If Karl needs to talk to the president and get a decision made, he'll do that, regardless of the title he has," said Republican anti-tax activist Grover Norquist, a longtime friend of Rove.

 

[blueyedpoet]

I love how Bush said something to the effect, "I look forward to some time in the future when Scotty and I will sit on a porch on my ranch in Texas talking about the good ol' days."
What good old days?
Hurricane Katrina...good times.
NSA wiretapping...oh man, golden memories.
Torture...those were the days.

 

[deep]

An offer of resignation is a way to build power. If turned down, you realize that you are more valuable than before.

So W is Rummy's bitch?

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

He'll probably take a job doing PR for Barry Bonds, far less stressful

 

[Irvine511]

He'll probably take a job doing PR for Barry Bonds, far less stressful

and spending more time with Jeff Gannon ...

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

I think Scott must have better taste than that

 

[redsox04]

You guys are unbelievable. The White House press secratary, like any PR job, is thankless. You're never in the limelight touting the positive things, and only visible during the most trying times. By definition, you're job is to defend your boss's position, regardless of your personal views.

To assume Scott M got canned or is part of some re-organization is misguided. The press secretary typically stays on-board for a portion of a president's term, and then leaves for a more lucrative position in the private sector. Recall that Clinton had FOUR press secretaries.

 

[Irvine511]

You guys are unbelievable. The White House press secratary, like any PR job, is thankless. You're never in the limelight touting the positive things, and only visible during the most trying times. By definition, you're job is to defend your boss's position, regardless of your personal views.

To assume Scott M got canned or is part of some re-organization is misguided. The press secretary typically stays on-board for a portion of a president's term, and then leaves for a more lucrative position in the private sector. Recall that Clinton had FOUR press secretaries.

um, people are poking fun, yes, but most people understand that he's resigning not because he's exhausted (though he probably is) but because the Bush White House is in a state of crisis, and Republicans are calling for major changes and staff overhauls in order to get some sort of momentum going into the 2006 elections.

it's important to view this resignation in light of all this political pressure, as well as the resignation of Andrew Card, Rove's demotion, and the appointment of Bolton as his new Chief of Staff.

 

[Utoo]

it's important to view this resignation in light of all this political pressure,

Yup. While it's true that most press secretaries do not stay with the job for more than a few years, the timing of Scotty M's 'resignation' is clearly meant to imply that it's part of this whole "shake-up" facade.


What's really stupid is the fuss being made about Rove's "change" in responsibilities. Folks, he's going from policy making to planning strategy for the 2006 elections. Planning for elections is what he's done for years, and it is almost certainly what he would be doing this year anyway. By making such a big deal about Rove's "change" in roles, the WH is trying to demonstrate a commitment to change, when all they're really doing is describing the facts of a situation that was going to happen anyway.

 

[Rono]

Press secretary to any president is a stressful job. Frankly, I'm surprised that McClellan survived this long.

The real news is Rove's stepping out of his position to a more behind-the-scenes role again.

I agree, is there a election coming up ? i guess he is gearing up for a mud fight somewhere.

 

[Utoo]

I agree, is there a election coming up ? i guess he is gearing up for a mud fight somewhere.

Yes--the 2006 mid-term congressional elections. They're pretty much seen as a reflection of how the President is doing. This year, there are loud rumblings that the Republicans will lose a good number of seats because Bush is doing a shitty-ass job (as if that's news). Rove's "demotion" to work on election strategy is designed to help the Republicans in two ways: 1). to plan for the elections, and 2). to give the impression that the Bush Administration is turning a corner. Honestly, the move has nothing but PR & republican interest at heart---it's not like it's really being done as a service to the country.

 

[Teta040]

You mean he's retreating behind the scens so that his making sure the electronic voting machines behaving properly (ie, going for Bush) in November goes as smoothly as they did in '04. This is why I don't gloat over Bush's probs. we could have recession in this country, a depression, and Busdh would stillwin. The voting process is permanently screwed...and NO public scrutiny of this....

I hope that makes sense....