# Bye bye, McClellan! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 19, 2006, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-mcclellan/353289 "2006-04-19T14:07:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-mcclellan/353289/61 "2006-04-19T20:41:16Z")
I don’t get the outrage about Tony Snow. He’s been a conservative commentator since forever. He used to guest host for Rush Limbaugh. He’s never pretended to be “objective”. Whatever job he does for Fox News, it certainly isn’t because he tries to pretend to be non-partisan and objective. He’s a dyed in the wool conservative. Always has been, always will. Now, if you object to the very idea of an ideologically slanted news network, then fine. But the idea that objective (that is, nonpartisan) reporting is the ideal is fairly new. Newspapers that have a bias, or an ideological axe to grind are a tradition going back to the very first newspapers. So Fox news is a conservative news network, so what? That they like to claim “Fair and Balanced!” Look, they only do that for fun, because it drives liberals crazy. It’s a joke, son. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-mcclellan/353289/62 "2006-04-19T20:58:39Z")
> [@Mr. Moto](#): > > The subject comes up again with regard to Snow, and the double standard some are willing to apply to him. They will assume that, since he is being considered for a job in the administration, that his inpartiality and that of his network is suspect. I don’t watch the news on television, ever, so I don’t know anything about Tony Snow. From what I’ve read _about_ the Fox News organization, I don’t get the idea that anyone suspects them of being impartial. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-mcclellan/353289/63 "2006-04-19T21:53:47Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I don’t watch the news on television, ever, so I don’t know anything about Tony Snow. [Tony Snow on the Connection Between Rumsfeld and Gas Prices](http://images1.americanprogress.org/il80web20037/ThinkProgress/2006/tonysnow.320.240.mov) ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-mcclellan/353289/64 "2006-04-19T22:10:58Z")
I see shuffling Rove as a smart move, actually. That’s his talent, campaigning and strategizing for votes. The Republicans as a unit need his skills to maintain the healthy majorities they require in the House and Senate to continue the level of influence they currently enjoy. As they’re at legitimately troubling risk of losing too many seats, this is _the_ best way Rove can serve the President. The Republican legislators are unruly enough as it is these days. You get enough Democrats in power, and suddenly some committee heads might actually start investigating the White House’s shenanigans. ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-mcclellan/353289/65 "2006-04-19T22:38:49Z")
> [@SmackFu](#): > > That’s all press secretaries. Not just the Bush ones. > > Even the one on the West Wing! Yeah, but C.J. Cregg wasn’t nearly as bad as Scotty. And if we had more Danny Concannon types in the WH Press Corps, this resignation would have come a lot sooner. ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-mcclellan/353289/66 "2006-04-20T00:09:40Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > I’m not in the habit of defending **Elvis** , but c’mon. Bill Moyers is highly respected, even if you don’t like him personally. That’s kinda like suggesting that Henry Kissinger isn’t respected. Dude. Look at the first two pictures on [this page](http://www.rotten.com/library/bio/usa/henry-kissinger/) and _then_ repeat that bit about Henry Kissinger being respected. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-mcclellan/353289/67 "2006-04-20T00:22:25Z")
He stayed throughout a lot of crap - it just makes you wonder what is coming down the sewer pipe that he can’t stomach!! ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-mcclellan/353289/68 "2006-04-20T00:44:37Z")
Well, it was a natural shakeup. Enough has already come down the sewer pipe that something had to give. Did Scotty quit or fall on his sword? It’s not unsurprising the shakeup hasn’t happened sooner, really, and I’m wondering why it hasn’t been more extensive (though there may be more to come). Second terms seem to be cursed, and personnel changes are practically a given. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-mcclellan/353289/69 "2006-04-20T01:23:56Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > He stayed throughout a lot of crap - it just makes you wonder what is coming down the sewer pipe that he can’t stomach!! Scotty was a hack. He was Bush’s press sec. when Bush was Gov. When they moved to Washington, Scotty was the _assistant_ press sec. That speaks lots. He wasn’t good enough to be the first string. When Ari resigned, you bring in Scotty. He’s being bailed, rather than bailing. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-mcclellan/353289/70 "2006-04-20T01:33:08Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Scotty was a hack. He was Bush’s press sec. when Bush was Gov. When they moved to Washington, Scotty was the _assistant_ press sec. That speaks lots. He wasn’t good enough to be the first string. When Ari resigned, you bring in Scotty. **He’s being bailed, rather than bailing.** > > [bolding mine - Eng.] Dana Milbank of the Washington Post seems to agree with you. From [this](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/19/AR2006041901777.html) article: > [@Dana Milbank](#): > > McClellan had lost much of his credibility with the press when he vigorously asserted that neither Rove nor vice presidential aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby was involved in the CIA leak scandal – and then refused to talk about it when his assertions were disproved. It put selfless loyalty to Bush above McClellan’s own reputation. His reward: becoming the victim of a staff shakeup. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-mcclellan/353289/71 "2006-04-20T04:35:33Z")
> [@Gladstone](#): > > I never understood why Bush picked Ari Fleisher or McClellan as his press secretaries. Shouldn’t you want someone with the slightest bit of charisma or likeability? Ah, but you don’t _need_ a likeable press secretary if you don’t give a shit what people think about you in the first place. And that’s the impression the Bush administration has always tried to give the press: we don’t give a shit what you think. Fleischer was great at that, it was the source of his charm. (And by charm, I mean loathesomeness.) McClellan wasn’t nearly as good; he usually looked flustered, scared and hung out to dry. That was why I didn’t like him either. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-mcclellan/353289/72 "2006-04-20T21:40:32Z")
I forgot my retirement wish for Scottie: I hope he never has to polish another turd for as long as he lives. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-mcclellan/353289.md?page=3)