The public relations profession should be outraged by former White House press secretary Scott McClellan and his newly awakened sense of righteousness.

As spokesman for the President, McClellan served effectively as First Spokesman, the most visible  and most influential public relations practitioner in the world.  That he would stand daily at the pressroom briefing podium and espouse a position that he, himself, came to disbelieve and then wait to act upon it until he had the time to write and publish a book is inexcusable.

Too many people already think that the public relations profession is a polite form of prostitution – that is, we’ll say just about anything for money.  Now McClellan comes along and confirms our critics’ worst suspicions.

For the record, McClellan is NOT worthy of the designation of spokesman or public relations professional.  There is nothing professional about his abuse of his former position of trust to enrich his own career and bank account by betraying those who trusted him and were led by him to believe that he shared their values.

When President Gerald R. Ford pardoned Richard Nixon, Ford’s press secretary, Jerald F. terHorst resigned in protest.  Which reflected well on the PR profession.  Ms. terHorst told Associated Press this week that she believes “it’s unethical to carry our a job and then turn around and kiss and tell.”

I couldn’t agree more.

As a media relations consultant, I’ve encountered more than my fair share of corporate scoundrels.  When I see that my clients lack the kind of ethics and standards that behoove good corporate citizens, I quietly resign.

Sure, I could then turn around and issue a news release highlighting what scum I had worked for.  But I believe as a profession – just like lawyers, accountants, and physicians – PR executives are entrusted with client confidences that they must never betray – short of being compelled to do so by court order.

Really, what McClellan should have done if he had any loyalty, professionalism or ethics whatsoever was to strongly and privately argue his position to members of the Bush administration.  He was more likely to change the Administration’s viewpoint from the inside – if his aspirations were noble -- than two years later hawking his book on the Today Show as a disgruntled and morally ambiguous former spokesman.

Writing on the subject, AP’s Deb Riechmann noted “presidential spokesmen traditionally have worn cloaks of loyalty to their graves.”  Which is how it should be.

In this case, McClellan wore it only to his professional grave.  For while I know that some will defend his actions and others will hire him for his experience and insights, in my mind he is stone cold dead as a communications professional.

In my mind, anything he does from this point forward is just intellectual prostitution, gussied up to look legitimate.