You have a lot of good people that come there for the right reasons, to make a difference, but they get caught up in this permanent campaign culture, where it's all about manipulating the narrative to their advantage.
McClellan reflects on the culture in Washington that prioritizes narrative manipulation over honest communication.
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I think he believes that. He's convinced himself to believe that, but I don't think it's true.
If the president is committed to embracing a high level of openness and honesty, then we can move Washington beyond this partisan warfare that has been so destructive.
I have a higher loyalty than my loyalty necessarily to my past work. That's a loyalty to the truth.
He and his advisers confused the propaganda campaign with the high level of candor and honesty so fundamentally needed to build and then sustain public support during a time of war.