Who Wrote McClellan’s Book?

The general consensus is that Scott McClellan was a piss poor spokesman for the President and the comparison between his performance and that of Tony Snow makes that abundantly clear.

When one recalls how badly he stumbled before the press and could never stay on message; it’s hard to imagine McClelland even having the cognitive prowess to write such a book. Even in recent TV interviews it seems that the interviewers know more about the book than McClellan does.

To a man, Whitehouse insiders seem shocked that Scott would write such things about his benefactor. After all President Bush gave him a very high profile job that he had zero qualifications for. So, why would he do it?

Because, maybe he didn’t.

Today, the Washington Times almost tripped on the likely source of the vitriol in the book.

Bush defenders and impartial observers point in particular to Mr. McClellan’s mother, Carole Keeton Strayhorn, as having set a precedent for turning on former allies, while others say that his family tree had strong liberal leanings.

This is not about liberal leanings. Strayhorn is more conservative than President Bush.

McClellan’s mother, the former Texas state Comptroller, refers to herself as “One Tough Grandma” and she has been a lifelong “tough” politician in Texas. She’s been married three times and had just as many political affiliations. First she was a Democrat, then a Republican and now an Independent. But she has always been a fierce advocate of her own position over all others.

This came to a head in 2006 when Texas Governor Rick Perry was running for re-election. Strayhorn had been at odds with Perry (another Democrat turned squishy Republican for some time) and decided to run against him for governor. After all she could likely count on a very popular and influential endorsement from her son’s boss, right?

In the spring of the 2006 campaign, President Bush decided to support Governor Perry’s re-election. McClellan resigned in April 2006. In November his mother lost badly and Perry was re-elected.

President Bush may have chosen unwisely.

McClellan may have never struck anyone as being terribly bright but his mother is sharp and certainly capable of this type of vicious back stabbing.

IMHO it is very likely that Strayhorn wrote the book as political payback and in so doing threw her own son under the bus.

Politics in Texas can be a blood sport.

Category: Politics