Bookstores’ dilemma: Sell the McClellan tell-all early?

Wed, May 28, 2008 - 3:50 PM

5 p.m. May 28.

If you've watched any of the chatterers on cable news today, Scott McClellan's confessional about his stint as White House press secretary, titled "What Happened," is Topic A, B, C and D in Washington. At last, something to talk about besides Hillary and Barack.

Nothing could be more delicious than McClellan's harsh criticism of the president he once idolized -- and his critique of the Washington press corps for being pussycats. Reporters have been explaining all day that everybody was wrong -- not just them -- in the runup to the war in Iraq. Typically, though, White Houses try to ignore giving credence to such unflattering books. The "sad" reaction from the White House endowed the book with that much more buzzworthiness..

Current White House press secretary Dana Perino read this statement to the pool of reporters traveling with the president this morning as he was en route to the Air Force Academy to give the commencement address.

"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. The book, as reported by the press, has been described to the president. I do not expect a comment from him on it - he has more pressing matters than to spend time commenting on books by former staffers."

Yummy. Most of the chatter was by people who hadn't even seen the book, just excerpts. That's because the book wasn't on sale yet. It was supposed to go on sale next Tuesday.

But this is America and the capitalist spirit is a wonderful thing. Mid-afternoon, Barnes & Noble broke down and decided to sell copies today. I figured that would happen and had started calling bookstores this morning. Just before 4, I got the word the book could be mine, and a few minutes later, I slid my credit card across at the Barnes & Noble on 12th Street NW. The clerk told me I had gotten the first copy sold in the store. Woo woo. Just means I paid full price, no discount. The publisher moved the release date to today too.

I haven't read much yet, but here's something I didn't expect. McClellan begins by setting his decision to write and tell in a religious context. Quoting from the Gospel of John carved into the UT Tower on the campus of the University of Texas, where McClellan did his undergraduate degree, are the words: "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." He writes that God's greatest gift may be the ability to learn from our mistakes...

"Through contrition we find the truth and the freedom that comes with it, even as we improve ourselves and grow closer to the image that God our Creator has in mind for us to become."

Oh my. This could take a while.

-- Marsha Mercer