A former aide to President Bush claims the White House deliberately mounted a dishonest propaganda campaign to sell the Iraq invasion to the US public, in the most damning insider account of the presidency so far.
Scott McClellan, who worked for Bush for seven years, including three as White House spokesman, brands the war a "serious strategic blunder" and "not necessary".
The scathing comments stunned Washington today because the Bush team, until now, has had a reputation for intense loyalty to their boss.
Republican strategists and former White House colleagues turned on McClellan, accusing him of writing the book for the money and asking why, if he had felt as he had, he had not resigned at the time. The White House expressed sadness and puzzlement.
McClellan's comments are from What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception, to be published on Monday but excerpts of which appeared on the Washington-based Politico website.
On Iraq, McClellan says Bush and his advisers "confused the propaganda campaign with the high level of candour and honesty so fundamentally needed to build and then sustain public support during a time of war".
He accuses Bush and his advisers of being more interested in permanent campaigning for re-election in 2004 than what was best for the country.
McClellan admits that he had misled the White House press corps, but had done so unknowingly, and regrets that he "fell far short of living up to the kind of public servant I wanted to be".
But he also blames the US media for being too compliant and unsceptical in the run-up to the war.
The White House does not normally comment on such books, but was forced to do so today because McClellan had been such an integral part of the administration.
Dana Perino, the present White House spokeswoman, said: "Scott, we now know, is disgruntled about his experience at the White House. For those of us who fully supported him, before, during and after he was press secretary, we are puzzled. It is sad -- this is not the Scott we knew."
She said Bush had been briefed on the book but she did not expect him to respond. "He has more pressing matters than to spend time commenting on books by former staffers."
But the book dogged Bush throughout today on a trip to the West fundraising for the Republican candidate in the November general election, John McCain, and to make a speech on Iraq.
The account of how the White House manipulated public opinion is politically awkward for McCain, who faces a dilemma over whether to distance himself further from Bush.
McClellan says in the 341-page book that the way Bush managed the Iraq issue from the summer of 2002 "almost guaranteed that the use of force would become the only feasible option". The US invaded in 2003.
The propaganda was part of the Bush administration's general approach to being in office. Bush wanted to achieve what his father failed to do, win a second term.
McLellan says: "In the permanent campaign era, it was all about manipulating sources of public opinion to the president's advantage."
Bush has been run over by one of the quieter members of his team. Although he had a prominent role as the White House's public front, he tended at staff meetings to maintain a low profile. He gave no indication as press secretary that he was disgruntled.
Part of the reason McClellan may have turned on his former boss is over the Lewis 'Scooter' Libby affair, which began with misleading information about Iraq and uranium and ended with Libby being sentenced to jail, though he was released after an effective Bush pardon.
McClellan is sore that he was given incorrect information by White House staff, including the president, and misled the press.
Karl Rove, who had been Bush's chief of staff and is now a commentator on Fox News, said today that McClellan had been out of the loop on many issues and had never expressed his concerns while working for the administration.
Another former colleague, Frances Townsend, told CNN: "For him to do this now strikes me as self-serving, disingenuous and unprofessional,"
Todd Boulanger, a Republican strategist, said: "If he was that outraged, why did he not resign?"
Oh Dear, I can't believe we were mislead!
Scott McClellan, who worked for Bush for seven years, including three as White House spokesman, brands the war a "serious strategic blunder" and "not necessary".
The scathing comments stunned Washington today because the Bush team, until now, has had a reputation for intense loyalty to their boss.
Republican strategists and former White House colleagues turned on McClellan, accusing him of writing the book for the money and asking why, if he had felt as he had, he had not resigned at the time. The White House expressed sadness and puzzlement.
McClellan's comments are from What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception, to be published on Monday but excerpts of which appeared on the Washington-based Politico website.
On Iraq, McClellan says Bush and his advisers "confused the propaganda campaign with the high level of candour and honesty so fundamentally needed to build and then sustain public support during a time of war".
He accuses Bush and his advisers of being more interested in permanent campaigning for re-election in 2004 than what was best for the country.
McClellan admits that he had misled the White House press corps, but had done so unknowingly, and regrets that he "fell far short of living up to the kind of public servant I wanted to be".
But he also blames the US media for being too compliant and unsceptical in the run-up to the war.
The White House does not normally comment on such books, but was forced to do so today because McClellan had been such an integral part of the administration.
Dana Perino, the present White House spokeswoman, said: "Scott, we now know, is disgruntled about his experience at the White House. For those of us who fully supported him, before, during and after he was press secretary, we are puzzled. It is sad -- this is not the Scott we knew."
She said Bush had been briefed on the book but she did not expect him to respond. "He has more pressing matters than to spend time commenting on books by former staffers."
But the book dogged Bush throughout today on a trip to the West fundraising for the Republican candidate in the November general election, John McCain, and to make a speech on Iraq.
The account of how the White House manipulated public opinion is politically awkward for McCain, who faces a dilemma over whether to distance himself further from Bush.
McClellan says in the 341-page book that the way Bush managed the Iraq issue from the summer of 2002 "almost guaranteed that the use of force would become the only feasible option". The US invaded in 2003.
The propaganda was part of the Bush administration's general approach to being in office. Bush wanted to achieve what his father failed to do, win a second term.
McLellan says: "In the permanent campaign era, it was all about manipulating sources of public opinion to the president's advantage."
Bush has been run over by one of the quieter members of his team. Although he had a prominent role as the White House's public front, he tended at staff meetings to maintain a low profile. He gave no indication as press secretary that he was disgruntled.
Part of the reason McClellan may have turned on his former boss is over the Lewis 'Scooter' Libby affair, which began with misleading information about Iraq and uranium and ended with Libby being sentenced to jail, though he was released after an effective Bush pardon.
McClellan is sore that he was given incorrect information by White House staff, including the president, and misled the press.
Karl Rove, who had been Bush's chief of staff and is now a commentator on Fox News, said today that McClellan had been out of the loop on many issues and had never expressed his concerns while working for the administration.
Another former colleague, Frances Townsend, told CNN: "For him to do this now strikes me as self-serving, disingenuous and unprofessional,"
Todd Boulanger, a Republican strategist, said: "If he was that outraged, why did he not resign?"
Oh Dear, I can't believe we were mislead!
Comment