Current and former members of George W. Bush’s administration on Wednesday rushed to denounce Scott McClellan, the former press secretary, whose memoirs depict the president as a self-deceiving incompetent who lacks the courage to admit mistakes.

“For those of us who fully supported him, before, during and after he was press secretary, we are puzzled,” said Dana Perino, the current White House press secretary. “It is sad – this is not the Scott we knew.”