The 9/11 Record1600 vs. Richard Clarke.(White House official response)

National Review Online ^ | 3/22/04 | White House staff

[OXENinFLA]

Flip on C-span1 the 9-11 Commission is taking questions(and spreading LIES)

[marron]

I agree Clarke's a nut, and you are right, they are trying to forget about the 12 year campaign against Iraq that was fast unraveling.

Clinton had ignored the fact that his Iraq policy was doomed; Iraq had bought several votes on the Security Council by means of oil contracts that were only valid if sanctions ended with Saddam still in place. The writing on the wall was clear to anyone paying attention. The only thing slowing up the process of doing away with sanctions was, ironically, the fact that so many people were making so much money thanks to the UN sanctions program, they would have to be weaned off and bought out. Otherwise, the sanctions were obviously a dead letter.

Thats the way it was when Bush entered office, and he faced the situation that Saddam was going to emerge from his box with French, German, Russian, and Chinese backing, stronger than ever. Our only choice was to watch it happen, or act quickly to remove him. Bush started working from day one on the latter. The French, Germans, Russians, and Chinese fought him all the way, for very obvious reasons.

It is astonishing that a security expert like Clarke would have missed all of this. But fortunately Rice is a little quicker on the uptake.

We should also call Clarke and his clones on their continued flat assertions that there is no connection between Saddam and Al Qaeda... I was going back through some of the material that has come out over the past couple of years and it is really startling to realize how much is out there in open sources. It is hard to imagine how folks like Clarke and the alphabets can continue to repeat the same claims with a straight face.

[Peach]

I take it back. We have it...

Guy recommending people buy book American Dynasty (about the Bushes).

What a hit piece this is.

I cannot watch any longer...sorry.

[OXENinFLA]

I can't watch any more either, I think the Senate will be easier to stomach.

[Fiddlstix]

[rwfromkansas]

I love how the WH calls him "Dick Clarke" instead of Richard Clarke. They are the only people I hear calling him that, and it makes him sound like a little kid instead of somebody important. Dick really is not a name anybody of an official status would want....they would obviously prefer Richard because it actually sounds like an adult's name.

[Shermy]

One can get into a tit for tat, and that's valuable...

But to discredit him, as I think he deserves, I think the Condi "facial expression" comment should be emphasized...since he really seemed to believe it!

It's absurd to think Condi hadn't heard of AQ, and maybe it should be pointed out that Clarke might have a problem with Black women...

I wonder what her "expression" really telegraphed...polite shock at the idiocy of this fool?

[marron]

But to discredit him, as I think he deserves, I think the Condi "facial expression" comment should be emphasized...since he really seemed to believe it! It's absurd to think Condi hadn't heard of AQ, and maybe it should be pointed out that Clarke might have a problem with Black women...

Anyone who underestimates a woman from Stanford who sits on the board of a major oil company is beyond mockery. This guy deserves to be shown for the fool that he obviously is. He and Joe Wilson and Kerry deserve each other, for certain. But we don't deserve these guys, they should never be any closer to the levers of power than the public tour, or the chain link fence outside the grounds.

[itsahoot]

Just because someone states they are 'Republican' really doesn't mean they are.

A truth often displayed on this forum.

[Pagey]

During the Clinton Administration, Dick Clarke regularly briefed President Clinton because President Clinton did not meet regularly with his DCI.

Bill Clintoon did nothing regularly except try and make a Legacy for himself. This also depends upon what the definition of regularly is also. Does it mean once a week or once a month? Knowing what we know now about our former peasant of the U.S.A,(and a mere peasant he will forever remain) it was most likely once a year.Regularly,------- that is entirely laughable.

[RedWing9]

I'm new here.

Lame excuse...

Isn't Clarke a Republican who worked mostly for Republican administrations, including Reagan and both Bushes?

Well, he spent 8 years in the Clinton admin... Kinda makes you think, eh?

[an amused spectator]

I'm new here. I'm a little puzzled. Isn't Clarke a Republican who worked mostly for Republican administrations, including Reagan and both Bushes?

Richard Clarke got a book deal for his "revelations". "Book deals" are also a form of payoff commonly used by the liberal establishment for favors from their friends. Clarke's book is being promoted by CBS (via the 60 Minutes vehicle) and is published by Simon & Schuster. CBS and Simon & Schuster are both owned by Viacom, so what you're witnessing is one big commercial for a Viacom property, and an undeclared political donation to the Kerry campaign.

If Clarke is a liar, how does that make liberals liars? Isn't Clarke alone responsible for his statements?

Well, if Clarke is getting paid cash to spread lies for the benefit of the liberal establishment's candidate, I guess that DOES make liberals liars.

BTW, it's common courtesy to reply to those who respond to your queries around here (Zulu excepted).

[FreedominAmerica]

Doesn't Mr. Cheney refer to himself as "Dick Cheney."

I've noticed that some of the response here are polite, but others are rude.

I'm probably in the wrong place, and I'm also strongly considering voting against George W. Bush this fall. I'm not impressed by his response to Richard Clarke's concerns, and I'm not impressed by many of the responses to my questions here.