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

If you're looking for a scathing critique of the Bush administration from an embittered turncoat, this ain't it. Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan comes off as merely disillusioned about Washington -- maybe a little peeved at Karl Rove, distrustful of Dick Cheney, and certainly disappointed in his one-time idol, George W. Bush -- but that's about all. He picks over the minutiae of the cooked pre-war intelligence on Iraq and the Valerie Plame scandal--his main bugbear as he was forced to lie conspicuously about it--without really denouncing them. His writing is as cautious as it is bland.

McClellan says he wrote this book to try to set the record straight, to recapture some of the personal integrity he feels the job cost him. Yet he seems unwilling to blame or condemn much beyond repeating how the "perpetual campaign mentality" and Washinton's deepening partisan schism makes for less effective government. He adds little to the public discourse on derisive partisan politics, nor does he make it interesting with pointed insider detail. McClellan seems reluctant to make enemies, so he spends 300 pages exorcizing his own small demons instead of fighting the big dragons.

The moments in this book I found most enlightening are the small personal observations he makes about Bush. His mean-spirited sense of humor. The way he belittles dissenters. His refusal to re-think any decision. His capacity for self-delusion. These bits of insight McClellan makes almost inadvertently -- remember, he claims to like and admire Bush for the most part -- speak volumes. Otherwise, this book -- like the career of McClellan itself -- is just a footnote to the great Machiavellian machinery of the Bush administration. History will forgive and forget mild-mannered Scott McClellan. The Bush-Cheney-Rove trinity will not likely get off so easy when at last the full account of "what happened" is written.

- mattmchugh.com

I really dislike tell all books, and tell all books concerning politics in particular. After reading this one, my opinion of this genre has not changed all that much. I will state from the start though, that I am probably one of the most apolitical humans on the face of the earth. My only interest in our current political process, as opposed to our history in this area, is that I hold both the extreme right and the extreme left in extreme contempt. My opinions of George Bush, his administration, et al, are of little consequence here, and I certainly am not going to bore you with my pontifications in that area. That being said....

I did find this book interesting in that it gives a good view on one man's view, and I emphasize, "one man" of the political process in our nations capital at this time. I found the workings of the Bush administration, congress, the press and all those associated with the entire process fascinating. There was interesting bits and pieces scattered throughout the book. I am certainly not going to summarize the happenings of this entire affair. If you don't know what happened, and where it led, and is possibly leading, then you have probably been living under a rock. If you believe ever word McClellan has written, well then, you have a problem. On the other hand, I do get the feeling that the author tried his best to come across in a truthful manner, addressing the situation as he saw it. I feel he is sincere in his personal assessment of the situation.

The book is rather poorly crafted and is so repetitive throughout that it makes you want to scream at times. Scott McClellan portrays himself as misled Boy Scout, and perhaps he was. I find it difficult to fully believe that a man that can reach his high position was as blind and naïve as he claims. Perhaps this is true though. There again, on the other hand, he does not cast full blame on anyone but himself in this area. In some eyes he is certainly a little turn coat weasel, but I feel an honest weasel, never the less.

I actually enjoyed this read despite the poor writing, which does become rather boring at a certain point. Overall this is a pretty light weight read and I personally doubt if it is going to be used as a source document my many historians in the future when picking this particular era apart.

For a quick read of one man's perceptions, for some political tidbits and some insight this is a good read. I of course feel in has to be countered with other works that are sure to come out in the near future, but fear that we will have to wait at least fifty years or so to be able to truly evaluate just "what happened. I am giving this one four stars because it did have some value as to information but knocking off at least one star due to poor quality of the writing. Where were this man's editors?

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

A bunch of bunk! Doesn't deserve the one star - (wouldn't accept the review without it). Just a "ain't George great" or "he's not such a bad guy" apology for 'The Shrub'. A waste of my money.

As someone who has not read any political books before, I found this to be a good insight to the machinations of American politics and the Bush Whitehouse in particular.

I found this book to be well written and engaging. I finished it with a heightened respect for McClellan and a lurking question of who he will vote for in 2008.

McClellan came to Washington with a great deal of respect for Bush and trust in his ability to transform Washington. However, his disillusion with the administration finally reached its zenith beginning with the Plame/Wilson controversy. He was misled by Rove and Libby regarding their involvement in the Plame affair and, as a result, his reputation became tarnished for his role in defending them as press secretary. He recounts that he finally resigned after being "burned internally one too many times" (p. 298).

In the introduction he writes a passage that sums up his views nicely. "I thought the mentality of political manipulation had largely been a product of our predecessor in the Clinton White House and that the leader I placed great hope in, George W. Bush, was dead set on changing it. He chose not to do so. Instead, his own White House because embroiled in political maneuvering that was equally unsavory, if not worse, much of it related directly to his most controversial decision as president - the decision to invade Iraq. (p. 4).

The Bush administration is know for its secrecy and yet this book is written in a very self-reflective and candid tone. His criticisms of Bush are tough but not cruel, critical but not acerbic. What Happened is a compelling book that helps to shed light on the inner machinations of the administration.