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Arranging deckchairs on the anic/worst Exec branch EVER
April 19th, 2006 9:40 am
McClellan Leaves White House Press Office
By Nedra Pickler / Associated Press
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 le 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."
Bush said McClellan had "a challenging assignment."
"I thought he handled his assignment with class, integrity," the president said. "It's going to be hard to replace Scott, but nevertheless he made the decision and I accepted it. One of these days, he and I are going to be rocking in chairs in Texas and talking about the good old days."
McClellan was named press secretary in June 2003, not long after the United States invaded Iraq and had first been a deputy to Ari Fleischer in the job — a White House position with daily visibility rivaling virtually everyone there except the president.
Ater the announcement, Bush and McClellan walked across the lawn together and boarded Marine One, but a problem with the helicopter's radio kept it grounded. The president and his staff were forced to take a motorcade to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., where Bush was scheduled to depart for Alabama.
Arranging deckchairs on the anic/worst Exec branch EVER
Rummy is next
Now, you're dreaming.
Saw this coming.
Is he going to come back to Texas and help his mom run against Rick Perry?
I think one-though-grandma has suffered since people found out she was Scotty's mom. I wouldn't be surprised to see her running third behind Perry and Friedman.
I think she's suffered since she built her grandchildren a day care center next to her office at the Comptroller building. People have always known she's Scott's mom.
Looks like Scotty didn't want to go...
TIME MAGThe sudden announcement by Scott McClellan that he is resigning as White House Press Secretary reflected the conclusion by President Bush’s inner circle that visible, dramatic change—something this President has long resisted—is crucial to relaunching the second term and making productive use of his last two and a half years in office.
McClellan’s predecessor, Ari Fleischer, told TIME the departure was a selfless recognition by McClellan of the importance of change. “The American people are going to give the President a second look here in his sixth year because he’s engineering these changes,” Fleischer said. “That’s helpful. He needs the country to give him a second look.”
Other changes are likely to be announced soon, including a replacement for Treasury Secretary John Snow. Joshua B. Bolten, who took over last Friday afternoon as Bush’s second chief of staff, also plans to strengthen the Cabinet liaison and legislative affairs shops. Bush plans to promote Ruben Barrales, the Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.
McClellan, who began working for Bush in the Texas Governor’s office in 1999, was one of the few people left in the West Wing known as “family”—put in his job because he was beloved by the President and because longtime confident Karen Hughes wanted him there. Like Bolten’s predecessor, Andrew H. Card Jr., McClellan did not want to go. Although he had talked to colleagues sporadically about departing as long as a year ago, he had planned to stay until after the midterm election. Friends said he had gotten the internal signal and wanted to get it over with, to short-circuit the craziness of having to refuse to speculate about himself from the podium.
Perhaps Scotty is 'beloved' by the Pres. because he was present at the 2000 coup' (aka the 2000 Florida recount) of America...
LINKOther GOP press aides who went from the Florida recount to the White House include Nicolle Devenish, Tucker Eskew, Ken Lisaius and Scott McClellan.
The all seeing, all knowing Joe. Wished I had your after the deal happens
perception.
I knew it the other day when he was asked if he was leaving and his response and demeanor gave me the perception that he would be leaving but I didn't know it would be this soon.The all seeing, all knowing Joe. Wished I had your after the deal happens
perception.
It's a high pressure job anyway... I would not last 1 minute.. ( well that's because I am a nutjob and would cuss at liberal reporters)...
I'd just answer all questions with "We will not comment on that question at this time." or "I don't recall at this time".
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