Richard Clarke's Decorum Problem

Wonkette (blog) ^ | March 23, 2004 | Wonkette

[Brandon]

Richard Clarke's Decorum Problem

The White House has just released the letter Richard Clarke wrote to President Bush upon his resignation from the administration. (Read the whole thing after the jump.) It reads, in part:

I will always remember the courage, determination, calm and leadership you demonstrated on September 11th, first on the video link from STRATCOM and later that day in the PEOC and the Situation Room.

Sure, this clashes somewhat with the depiction of Bush in Clark's book, in which, as he told "60 Minutes, "The president dragged me into a room with a couple of other people, shut the door, and said, 'I want you to find whether Iraq did this.'" and later, Bush "came back at me and said, 'Iraq! Saddam! Find out if there's a connection.' And in a very intimidating way."

But they're not exactly contradictory. One is just the edited version. We can imagine, for instance, the first draft of Clarke's resignation letter:

I will always remember the courage, determination, leadership and out-of-control bloodlust you demonstrated on September 11th, first on the video link from STRATCOM and later that day in the PEOC and the Situation Room, when you accosted me and humiliated me. I sort of got off on that.

Clarke may be a hypocrite, but who doesn't kiss a little a** on the way out the door? We've written these sorts of first drafts ourselves. Of course, they also wind up being our final drafts. Which is how we wound up here. . .

The White House
Washington

January 30, 2003

Dear Mr. President,

With the coming of 2003, I am now in my eleventh year of continuous White House service and the 30th year since I began my Government service. While there is never a good time to end an assignment, I believe now may be an appropriate point to move on.

First, with the stand up of the Department of Homeland Security, some of the operational responsibility for cyber security can now shift there. Second, you have signed the National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace and it will be publicly released shortly.

Thus, with your permission, I plan to depart the White House and resign as Special Advisor. It has been an enormous privilege to serve you these last 24 months.

I will always remember the courage, determination, calm and leadership you demonstrated on September 11th, first on the video link from STRATCOM and later that day in the PEOC and the Situation Room. I will also have fond memories of our briefings for you on cyber security and the intuitive understanding of its importance that you showed. You had prescience in creating the position of Special Advisor to the President for Cyberspace Security and I urge you to maintain that role in the White House.

I thank you again for the opportunity to serve you have provided me and wish you good fortune as you lead our country through the continuing threats.

Sincerely,
Richard A. Clarke

[Brandon]

Warning -- if you go to the source url, you will soon discover that Wonkette (1) is very irreverent, (2) is prone to using strong language and (3) is not always pro-Bush. But I thought this item was too good to pass up.

[AmishDude]

I don't see it on Drudge. She said the White House released it. I'd like to see a link.

[alloysteel]

Obviously, Clarke was just being polite, in hopes of getting a good reference later on when he applied elsewhere. The letter is simply insincere.

It's called smooching butt.

[WL-law]

The references to "cyber-security" are consistent with the earlier criticisms that Clarke was only concerned with "computer terrorism", i.e., hackers, and appeared relatively clueless about the real terrorists. His own words here seem to butress that opinion.

[AmishDude]

But the thing is that it's a lie. If you're willing to lie in a resignation letter then why wouldn't you lie to sell a book or for political advantage? (And what did he hope to gain from that? He'd been demoted. It was obvious that he wasn't wanted. He didn't have to be effusive and he didn't have to be effusive about 9/11 policy in particular.)

[mystery-ak]

Did he put this letter in his book...I think not!

[Williams]

"the depiction of Bush in Clark's book, in which, as he told "60 Minutes, "The president dragged me into a room with a couple of other people, shut the door, and said, 'I want you to find whether Iraq did this.'" and later, Bush "came back at me and said, 'Iraq! Saddam! Find out if there's a connection.' And in a very intimidating way."

The only horse's ass in this story is Clarke. It was September 12 folks! Washington and NY were smouldering, our nation reeling. The President says investigate immediately, and Richard Clarke says no need to,I already know who did and didn't do this! Clarke must be insane. The only proper answer was "yes sir!" And he is complaining that the DAY AFTER we were attacked, the Commander In Chief dared to be abrupt with him??? Reality check time folks.

[Williams]

Bush "came back at" Clarke and repeated his instruction because while the WTC was still burning from an attack the day before, Clarke dared to resist following the President's direct instruction to answer a question without further delay.

[Fiddlstix]

Richard A. Clarke is a blowhard jerk.
'Nuff Said.

[UCANSEE2]

For inspirational purposes only: DNC operatives prep CLARKE, have him rewrite parts of book, and arrange for early release to attempt to oust President Bush. CLARKE is promised kushy job if they get KERRY in. Problem for CLARKE is KERRY won't get in at all. Plans are already in the works to embarrass KERRY and sub HILLARY.

All the little pieces are being put into place. Hillary just received another WOMEN's AWARD. The AWARD went to her for her traveling the world visiting child prostitutes. The fact she only wanted their company and did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING DURING THE CLINTON's TIME IN OFFICE to help these children (while BUSH has taken active measures,even this week to deal with this) didn't stop them from hinting around about HILLARY being the DEM PREZ CANDIDATE very, very soon.

[Terry Mross]

Since when does the President of the United States have to be "nice" when barking an order? I can imagine an FDR aid going to the press and complaining that FDR was "abrupt" with him on Dec. 8th, 1941.

Did the little man get his feelings hurt? What a cry baby!