VOA标准英语2008年-McClellan: Bush Lost Public's Confidence

By Scott Stearns
White House
20 June 2008

A former White House spokesman says Americans have lost trust in U.S. President George Bush, because he is refusing to reveal his administration's involvement in leaking the identity of a previously-covert¹ CIA operative. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, the Bush administration dismisses the allegations, saying the former spokesman is misinformed.
　

Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, 20 June 2008

Former White House Spokesman Scott McClellan says then Chief of Staff Andrew Card told him that President Bush and Vice² President Dick Cheney wanted him to tell reporters that the Vice President's chief of staff was not involved in leaking the name of a CIA operative.

That Chief of Staff, Lewis Libby, was later convicted of obstructing³ the investigation⁴ into the leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity. Her husband, a former U.S. ambassador, was a vocal⁵ critic of the president's justification⁶ for invading Iraq.

McClellan told the House Judiciary Committee Friday that White House officials leaked Plame's identity to get back at her husband.

"I do not know whether a crime was committed by any of the administration officials who revealed Valerie Plame's identity to reporters, nor do I know if there was an attempt by any person or persons to engage in a cover-up during the investigation," he said. "I do know that it was wrong to reveal her identity because it compromised the effectiveness of a covert official for political reasons. I regret that I played a role, however unintentionally, in relaying false information to the public about it."

Asked about McClellan's testimony⁷, the current White House Deputy Spokesman Tony Fratto said McClellan has probably already told everyone everything he doesn't know, so Fratto does not think anyone should expect him to say anything new.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Democrat⁸ John Conyers says McClellan's allegations are the most important matter Congress could examine in its oversight⁹ of the administration.

"When White House insiders leak classified information, manipulate media coverage¹⁰ and otherwise employ their immense power to punish dissenters¹¹, Congress does not have any other option," he said. "It has a Constitutional duty to check and balance an errant Executive Branch."

The ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Texas Congressman¹² Lamar Smith, questioned McClellan's motivation for writing a book that contradicts everything he said and did as White House Spokesman.

"Scott McClellan alone will have to wrestle¹³ with whether it was worth selling out the president and his friends for a few pieces of silver," he said.

McClellan says he wrote the book, in part, because he was prohibited from discussing the matter in 2005 due to the criminal investigation. He says he made a commitment to share with the public what he knew as soon as possible and believes President Bush could restore much of the trust McClellan says he has lost by doing the same.

"The continuing cloud of suspicion over the White House is not something I can remove because I know only one part of the story," he added. "Only those who know the underlying¹⁴ truth can bring this to an end. Sadly, they remain silent."

President Bush commuted¹⁵ Libby's two-and-a-half year prison sentence, sparing him from serving time. McClellan says that was special treatment that further undermined the president's commitment to justice.

Current White House Spokeswoman Dana Perino says it is sad that McClellan is so disgruntled about his experience. She says those who supported McClellan before, during, and after he was press secretary are puzzled because this is not the man they thought they knew.

1 covert   

adj.隐藏的；暗地里的

参考例句：

• We should learn to fight with enemy in an overt and covert way.我们应学会同敌人做公开和隐蔽的斗争。
• The army carried out covert surveillance of the building for several months.军队对这座建筑物进行了数月的秘密监视。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 obstructing   

阻塞( obstruct的现在分词 )； 堵塞； 阻碍； 阻止

参考例句：

• You can't park here, you're obstructing my driveway. 你不能在这里停车，你挡住了我家的车道。
• He was charged for obstructing the highway. 他因阻碍交通而受控告。

4 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

5 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

6 justification   

n.正当的理由；辩解的理由

参考例句：

• There's no justification for dividing the company into smaller units. 没有理由把公司划分成小单位。
• In the young there is a justification for this feeling. 在年轻人中有这种感觉是有理由的。

7 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

8 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

9 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

10 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

11 dissenters   

n.持异议者，持不同意见者( dissenter的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He attacked the indulgence shown to religious dissenters. 他抨击对宗教上持不同政见者表现出的宽容。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• (The dissenters would have allowed even more leeway to the Secretary.) （持异议者还会给行政长官留有更多的余地。） 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

12 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

13 wrestle   

vi.摔跤，角力；搏斗；全力对付

参考例句：

• He taught his little brother how to wrestle.他教他小弟弟如何摔跤。
• We have to wrestle with difficulties.我们必须同困难作斗争。

14 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

15 commuted   

通勤( commute的过去式和过去分词 )； 减（刑）； 代偿

参考例句：

• His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment. 他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
• The death sentence may be commuted to life imprisonment. 死刑可能減为无期徒刑。