What were Scott McClellan's choices as Press Secretary for President Bush

News out on Scott McClellan's new book, "What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception." has him exposing another picture of the "goings on" in the White House leading up to the war in Iraq. It is not a pretty picture. Click here for the complete news story.

Scott decided now to do a "come clean" book on the President and his Administration. He had another choice as well, which, in my view, would have served him better: to resign from office as did Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill. He chose to stay on and, in doing so, put his own feelings aside and chose to represent the President and the Administration's position, as accurately and professionally as he could. He certainly did that very well. However, when I look at the moral dilemma he faced, I come up with a line from the movie, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade that fits this situation perfectly: "He chose poorly!" You see Scott chose to be loyal to an individual, the President, instead of being loyal to the Country and the principles for which we stand, the truth and keeping his integrity. Paul O'Neill chose to take the high ground.

Now I am happy Scott had the courage now to spill all and I certainly will buy and read his book. But think of where we would be today if they all had the courage to listen and act on that internal compass we all have that says what's right and what's wrong. I do not judge Scott here but merely look to see the options he had before him. One never knows how one will respond in any given situation. But I would hope that I would have chosen to quit as well, and have when situations present themselves where one's integrity is certainly at stake. I hope you would too, as we all are tested from time to time.