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Sept. 11 Panel: Bush, Clinton Not to Blame - No Evidence to Blame Clinton or Bush Administrations
ABCNEWS.COM ^

Posted on 12/18/2003 4:39:17 PM PST by Sub-Driver

Sept. 11 Panel: Bush, Clinton Not to Blame Sept. 11 Commission Chairman Says There's No Evidence to Blame Clinton or Bush Administrations

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON Dec. 18 — The chairman of a federal commission looking into the Sept. 11 attacks said Thursday that mistakes over many years left the United States vulnerable to such an attack, but he resisted pinning blame on either of the last two presidential teams. "We have no evidence that anybody high in the Clinton administration or the Bush administration did anything wrong," chairman Thomas Kean said in an interview with ABC's "Nightline" taped for airing Thursday night.

Kean said the 10-member National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States has not decided whether to ask former President Clinton or President Bush to testify. He also said that any conclusions about the performance of high-level officials "will be reached when we are finished with our job, not now."

Kean sought to clarify remarks attributed to him in a CBS News report that aired Wednesday.

In the CBS interview, Kean said the commission's report, due May 27, will detail "what wasn't done and what should have be done" to prevent the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

He added, "There are people that, if I was doing the job, would certainly not be in the position they were in at that time because they failed."

CBS reported that Kean's comments constituted "pointing fingers inside the (Bush) administration and laying blame."

On Thursday, Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark labeled Kean's statements "disturbing" and said they showed the Bush administration could have done more to protect America from a terrorist attack.

Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., said Kean's comments meant "that Bush administration officials had valuable information that could have prevented the terrorist attacks."

But Kean said in Thursday's interview that he did not mean to suggest that certain federal officials should have been fired after Sept. 11. He said he was commenting on obvious mistakes that were made, such as letting terrorists into the country and letting dangerous items onto planes.

"There are a number of steps along the way, that if they had occurred differently, this event wouldn't have occurred," he said.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan said he reviewed the CBS report and did not believe Kean leveled accusations against the Bush administration.

"There is nothing that we have seen that leads us to believe that Sept. 11 could have been prevented," McClellan said.

Kean, a former Republican governor of New Jersey, was appointed by Bush to lead the bipartisan commission.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Government; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 911commission; blame
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To: Wait4Truth
Wesley Clark said today that President Bush failed in his oath of office. Gary Hart just spoke the word "impeachment". I guess they are really going to try this, aren't they?

The effort will be made.

Sickening.

I do not think it will go anywhere since even Olberman and Hart conceded the Clinton administration might have the finger of blame pointed to it. They hastened to add that then it would be a matter of "it's everybody's fault". So, if it's Bush, it's his alone, Clinton never should be held responsible for anything.

41 posted on 12/18/2003 5:13:19 PM PST by cyncooper ("The evil is in plain sight")
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To: mitchbert
It was awful!! He was taunting her and making fun of her and puttng her down saying she couldn't come up with an answer. He was laughing AT her with Lawrence O'Donnell....and she is supposed to be is FRIEND!

I DETEST Chrissy Matthews...he is a BULLY with NO CLASS!

42 posted on 12/18/2003 5:14:25 PM PST by Ann Archy
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To: ironman
Gary Hart just said he gave info to Bush right after he took office and for nine months Bush did nothing. We know that's not true since we have found out that there was a report to be presented to Bush right around 9-11 to go after bin Laden and destroy his network but the lie will continue. Clark blamed everything today on the President, saying he did not keep his oath of office. Hart mentioned the word impeachment. The bottom line is they are going to try to impeach the President.
43 posted on 12/18/2003 5:14:54 PM PST by Wait4Truth
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To: Sub-Driver
"We have no evidence that anybody high in the Clinton administration or the Bush administration did anything wrong," chairman Thomas Kean said

I was under the impression the panel did not take testimony from anyone or examine events involved prior to the GW Bush Administration.

Does anybody know if this is correct?

44 posted on 12/18/2003 5:16:23 PM PST by Gritty ("Liberals believe in world government more than they believe in the United States"-Ann Coulter)
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To: mitchbert
Details please!

Did Matthews let her get a word in?

Peggy is an intellectual giant next to him. I can't believe she could have had a chance to adequately respond and not crush him like a bug. More info please. Thanks.

He shouted over her quite a bit and came back after the commercial and demanded that she answer him "yes or no". What was at issue was a poll about Saddam and his involvement in 9/11. Peggy correctly had a more complex answer that was perfectly comprehensible, but Matthews wanted her to say that Saddam had no involvement in 9/11 and therefore we had no right to go into Iraq. He demanded she name what act of war Saddam had ever perpetrated against the U.S. It went on and on and I'm leaving out lots of detail, but as was said, it was quite heated. Laurence O'Donnell was the other guest and he stated flatly there is ZERO evidence that Saddam was involved in 9/11, so they wanted Peggy to agree with that.

45 posted on 12/18/2003 5:17:41 PM PST by cyncooper ("The evil is in plain sight")
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To: cyncooper
Kean is a "friend of Bill". He was even quoted as calling him that when he began work at Drew University. I never really thought this commission was going to go anywhere until today. With Clark saying today that President Bush broke his oath of office and is totally to blame and Hart saying Bush did nothing to stop 9-11 and then mentioning impeachment, it is all now crystal clear. They are going to try to remove him from office.
46 posted on 12/18/2003 5:19:22 PM PST by Wait4Truth
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To: Ann Archy
Matthews pounded Peggy because she wasn't giving him the answer he wanted. It was pretty vicious and he finally cut her off.
47 posted on 12/18/2003 5:20:58 PM PST by Wait4Truth
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To: Toskrin
Everyone on both sides needs to stop blameshifting.

There's only one person to blame - OSAMA BIN LADEN.

Here's the deal: We were attacked and the Bush administration formed a Bush Doctrine and commenced a War on Terror.

The dems decided to form a political attack in the form of blaming Bush for the attack. So I reject your call on both sides to stop blameshifting. Since the subject has been presented, the discussion is on. And baseless attacks WILL be answered.

Also, it is imperative to reorganize our intelligence and security measures, which obviously entails analyzing what changes need to be made and what errors were made in the past. This is not necessarily blameshifting unless one finds that by malicious intent or incompetence these errors were made. If false charges are to be leveled at Bush you can bet that the facts of mistakes Clinton made will be then brought to light.

48 posted on 12/18/2003 5:23:47 PM PST by cyncooper ("The evil is in plain sight")
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To: MattAMiller
Goes to show how effective media bias can be

thank GOD for the internet!!!

49 posted on 12/18/2003 5:23:56 PM PST by GeronL (Saddam is out of the hole and into the quagmire!)
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To: Sub-Driver
"We have no evidence that anybody high in the Clinton administration or the Bush administration did anything wrong," chairman Thomas Kean said in an interview with ABC's "Nightline" taped for airing Thursday night.

Turning down Osama bin Laden was the correct thing to do? But of course since Janet Reno said there was not a legal basis for nailing his sorry ass.

50 posted on 12/18/2003 5:24:53 PM PST by jwalsh07
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To: finnman69
it looks more like CBS sifted comments for anti-Bush material out of context and ran with it.

Thats what we call Media Bias.

51 posted on 12/18/2003 5:25:24 PM PST by GeronL (Saddam is out of the hole and into the quagmire!)
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To: Wait4Truth
He was vicious and he humiliated her by laughing AT her and making fun of her, just like bullies do.
52 posted on 12/18/2003 5:25:24 PM PST by Ann Archy
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To: Wait4Truth
They are going to try to remove him from office.

I don't think so. Not only do they not have the votes in Congress, (nor will they under any circumstance), but there has been nothing remotely resembling an impeachable act.

This is nothing but Democrats trying ANYTHING to get some publicity in the face of a remarkably successful President. If the Democrats introduce anything resembling a formal impeachment proceeding, they're going to dig their grave even deeper.

53 posted on 12/18/2003 5:27:41 PM PST by Dog Gone
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To: squidly
B.S. It has been documented that Bill Clinton was getting fellated while discussing troop deployments. He couldn't give a hoot about the military or the security of the nation. For Gods sakes, the man sold access to Chinese Commies...and he did squat about Al Qaeda for 8 years, through at least 4 attacks...maybe more!

No, there is plenty of blame, and much of it rests with TheBentOne, Impeached42.

He is one reason I am now, happily, a
Recovering_Democrat.

54 posted on 12/18/2003 5:28:21 PM PST by Recovering_Democrat (I'm so glad to no longer be associated with the Party of Dependence on Government!)
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To: Sub-Driver
WHne he says something serious about our borders then I might listen. Until then he is just another run down Monday morning quaterback never been.
55 posted on 12/18/2003 5:30:18 PM PST by jwalsh07
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To: Wait4Truth
ce and is totally to blame and Hart saying Bush did nothing to stop 9-11 and then mentioning impeachment, it is all now crystal clear. They are going to try to remove him from office

Let them! It will mean a Civil War!!!! Buy Your guns now!!

56 posted on 12/18/2003 5:34:51 PM PST by GeronL (Saddam is out of the hole and into the quagmire!)
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To: Dog Gone
As usual you are correct...and I might add...that the rats really do not want to open this can of worms....their idol(the rapist) was neck deep in avoiding OBL, he had other things to do.
57 posted on 12/18/2003 5:36:25 PM PST by mystery-ak (Mike...Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas...)
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To: mitchbert
the BOMARK {s?} nuclear missle,

BOMARC

CANUKARC ;-)

58 posted on 12/18/2003 5:37:35 PM PST by StriperSniper (Sending the Ba'thist to the showers! ;-)
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To: Sub-Driver
YOO-HOO! GOV. KEAN: The 2-Headed Grotesquerie in the Roombump

 
hillary talks:ON TERROR
(reinstalling the clintons in the White House has one advantage over suicide)


(viewing movie requires Flash Player 6, available HERE)

missus clinton's REAL virtual office update
http://hillarytalks.blogspot.com
http://virtualclintonlibrary.blogspot.com
http://demmemogate.blogspot.com
http://www.hillarytalks.us
http://www.hillarytalks.org
fiendsofhillary.blogspot.com
fiendsofhillary.us
fiendsofhillary.org
fraudsofhillary.com

59 posted on 12/18/2003 5:38:52 PM PST by Mia T (Stop Clintons' Undermining Machinations (The acronym is the message.))
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To: mystery-ak
their idol(the rapist) was neck deep in avoiding OBL

Exactly. Impeachment backfired on the Republicans to a small extent (except that in a weird twist of fate, there's little doubt that we'd have President Gore today if we'd have won that battle), and there's just no chance that the Democrats would actually open the impeachment can again this time.

They can get more mileage out of threatening to do it, than to actually commit to it. It's total BS. Even Terry McStupid won't back that plan.

60 posted on 12/18/2003 5:44:22 PM PST by Dog Gone
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