CLARKE PRAISES BUSH IN RESIGNATION LETTER! (Dems blow it again)

Associated Press ^ | JENNIFER LOVEN

[Pukin Dog]

WASHINGTON - The White House, seeking to cool criticism from a former top anti-terror adviser, said Tuesday that Richard Clarke's resignation letter praised President Bush's "courage, determination, calm and leadership" on Sept. 11, 2001.

"It has been an enormous privilege to serve you these last 24 months," said the Jan. 20, 2003, letter from Clarke to Bush. "I will always remember the courage, determination, calm, and leadership you demonstrated on September 11th."

The letter was stamped "the president has seen" the next day.

Clarke, who left the Bush administration in March 2003 after 30 years in government service and 11 years at the White House, has written a book in which he criticizes the president and his administration for ignoring repeated warnings about al-Qaida before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and acting ineffectively afterward, primarily because of a preoccupation with Iraq (news - web sites).

On Monday, the day Clarke's "Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror" hit stores and the day after he promoted it in an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes," the White House went to great lengths to dismiss Clarke's accusations. Administration officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) and national security adviser Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites), appeared on television and radio to argue that Clarke was inaccurate, politically motivated, disgruntled over bureaucratic changes that reduced his influence, merely trying to sell books — or all four at once.

That White House campaign continued Tuesday with the release of Clarke's letter announcing his intention to step down.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan suggested Clarke's praise belies his later criticism of Bush's handling of the crisis.

"At this time period, when he was leaving, there was no mention of the grave concerns he claims to have had about the direction of the war on terrorism, or what we were doing to confront the threat posed by Iraq, by the former regime," McClellan said.

But the letter contains no praise of Bush's anti-terror actions before or after the attacks — only on the day of. Clarke does commend Bush for his "intuitive understanding" of the importance of cybersecurity.

Clarke's job as the White House's counterterrorism chief was split in two early in the Bush White House, with Clarke put in charge of cybersecurity and others brought in for the anti-terror role.

"You had prescience in creating the position of Special Adviser to the President for Cyberspace Security and I urge you to maintain that role in the White House," Clarke wrote.

Also, even though the White House argued that Clarke's memoir was released to do the maximum political damage to Bush in a presidential election year, McClellan would not say when the required national security review of the book was completed, allowing its publication to proceed. Publications by administration officials are routinely vetted to make sure that nothing is released that compromises classified information or national security.

[Indy Pendance]

I checked the White House site, didn't find it there either.

[NYC Republican]

Clarke will probably say it was an obligatory thank you to the President... You know he'll try to cover his tracks throughout.

[So Cal Rocket]

UPDATE: '60 MINUTES' executive producer Don Hewitt said not identifying VIACOMCBS's ownership of Richard Clarke's book was an oversight... Developing...

And in related news, Bill Clinton said that not remembering that he had sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinski, was an oversight... Developing...

[savedbygrace]

I just saw Daschle on Fox calling it abuse to go after Clarke.

The truth is never abusive, except to those who are not acquainted with it.

[Political Junkie Too]

I just saw Daschle on Fox calling it abuse to go after Clarke.

They're trying to negate the power of the bully pulpit.

The Democrats' whole campaign is centered around trying to cordon off topics of discussion. If you talk about Kerry's anit-war record, your criticizing his patriotism. If you talk about his Senate voting record, you're going negative. If you talk about leadership after 9/11 you're dishonoring the people who died that day. If you talk about the war on terror, then the whole thing was based on a lie.

Since they don't have anything to run on, they don't want Bush to run on anything either. That's the abuse -- that Bush actually has a positive record to run on.

-PJ

[homemom]

LOL!

[Alberta's Child]

"Check this out" ping.

[NYC Republican]

They're trying to negate the power of the bully pulpit. The Democrats' whole campaign is centered around trying to cordon off topics of discussion. If you talk about Kerry's anit-war record, your criticizing his patriotism. If you talk about his Senate voting record, you're going negative. If you talk about leadership after 9/11 you're dishonoring the people who died that day. If you talk about the war on terror, then the whole thing was based on a lie.

Excellent points, squarely hit the mark!

[Mo1]

Saying it was an honor working for your Administration is an an obligatory thank you

"It has been an enormous privilege to serve you these last 24 months," said the Jan. 20, 2003, letter from Clarke to Bush. "I will always remember the courage, determination, calm, and leadership you demonstrated on September 11th."

That is praising the President for his actions against the terrorists

[bannie]

Talk Radio this morning (between 6:30 and 7:00 -- AM 1410 -- Bakersfield, CA) played a bite of Condolizza Rice quoting a piece in which this Clark fellow was being denied a for which he had applied with Bush's White House.

Those ARE sour apples.

[republicanwizard]

Couldn't have said it better.

[homemom]

***The truth is never abusive, except to those who are not acquainted with it.***

Good comment.

[zook]

Y'all won't believe me, but I predicted this would happen. Damn, I shoulda posted it last Sunday!

[Alberta's Child]

At the rate we're going, I fully expect John Kerry to endorse George W. Bush for President by the middle of June.

"He's obviously the better candidate," he'll say, "and I'm such an f#%&ing lame-@ss candidate that I have a bunch of f#%&ing morons like Richard Clarke working for my campaign."

[ShandaLear]

You know the thing makes them the most crazy is he doesn't seem to be playing by their rules. It's Bush v. Gore all over again for them.

[Mo1]

I just saw Daschle on Fox calling it abuse to go after Clarke.
Dems can dish it out, but when the fire comes at them, they run home to momma

I just heard that .. saying the administration is going after whitleblowers and firing them unjustly

Gee .. I don't remember Dashole and the other Dems being this upset over the whistle blower with Memogate

[canis major]

LOL

[NYC Republican]

Oh, I agree wholeheartedly... I just think he'll be looking to cover his hide, by spinning.

[homemom]

Are the dems TRYING to look stupid or is it just coming out that way????

Wonder what Flip-Flop-Botox-Face-Public-Jock-Buying-Guy did today? Bet it was something stupid, ignorant, and/or mean!

[Pukin Dog]

The Democrats' whole campaign is centered around trying to cordon off topics of discussion. If you talk about Kerry's anit-war record, your criticizing his patriotism. If you talk about his Senate voting record, you're going negative. If you talk about leadership after 9/11 you're dishonoring the people who died that day. If you talk about the war on terror, then the whole thing was based on a lie.

Excellent post.