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Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan continued to press his case Thursday that the Bush administration manipulated intelligence to justify the war in Iraq, and responded to a growing chorus of criticism from other former administration officials.

Appearing on NBC’s Today show, Mr. McClellan said that the administration ignored evidence that contradicted its position on Iraq, and he sharply criticized some of Mr. Bush’s closest advisers.

He said Vice President Dick Cheney “was given a lot of deference by the president,” and said “in a number of ways, he has not served the president well.” He said Mr. Cheney was known as “the magic man” in the White House for his ability to get things done.

Mr. McClellan said that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice did not challenge the president or other top officials when she should have. “Too often she was too accommodating” to the president’s views, he said. She was also too deferential to Mr. Cheney and former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.

He described Mr. Bush as “a gut player,” and said that the president was strongly inclined toward war with Iraq after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Responding to criticism that he did not voice his objections when he was in the White House, Mr. McClellan said that he was swayed at the time by his affection for the president and respect for the president’s policy team. “I gave them the benefit of the doubt, like a lot of Americans,” he said. Mr. McClellan said he later concluded that “things went terribly off course” in Iraq after he left what he termed “the White House bubble,” where outside views often were not considered.

Appearing on NBC’s Today show, Mr. McClellan said that the administration ignored evidence that contradicted its position on Iraq, and he sharply criticized some of Mr. Bush’s closest advisers.

He said Vice President Dick Cheney “was given a lot of deference by the president,” and said “in a number of ways, he has not served the president well.” He said Mr. Cheney was known as “the magic man” in the White House for his ability to get things done.

Mr. McClellan said that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice did not challenge the president or other top officials when she should have. “Too often she was too accommodating” to the president’s views, he said. She was also too deferential to Mr. Cheney and former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.

He described Mr. Bush as “a gut player,” and said that the president was strongly inclined toward war with Iraq after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Responding to criticism that he did not voice his objections when he was in the White House, Mr. McClellan said that he was swayed at the time by his affection for the president and respect for the president’s policy team. “I gave them the benefit of the doubt, like a lot of Americans,” he said. Mr. McClellan said he later concluded that “things went terribly off course” in Iraq after he left what he termed “the White House bubble,” where outside views often were not considered.

·         See McClellan Responds to White House Criticism
New York Times 

·         See Former spokesman bashes Bush in new book