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.

[StarCMC]

When words fail you, Homer's always there! LOL!!

[canis major]

Haha, I wonder what the DUfus response to this will be.

[NYC Republican]

MSNBC had it as a breaking news story - "Kerry is returning to campaigning and finishing his vaca tomorrow". BIG DEAL.

[glock rocks]

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

this from tiny tom...
our nation's resident expert on abuse

[Pukin Dog]

Been there. They think feel that Clarke was just being 'professional'.

[Toespi]

Right on! Unfortunately, for Bush, as long as the mainstream media uses these same tactics, Bush will be on the defense throughout this campaign.

[homemom]

You're kidding--BREAKING news???

I thought he was "vacationing" till Friday! Maybe he's getting a little worried??? HA!

[FranklinsTower]

Clarke may not show up tomorrow. I got toasted big time today. If he goes through 2.5 hours of testimony, then he really increases the risk of not only looking like a certifiable fool but of committing perjury.

If he does testify, I bet he'll be sweating when Kerrey gets to him.

[GOPrincess]

I just saw the clip of Daschle calling the release of the Clarke letter "an unprecedented abuse of power"... I just love this Alice in Wonderland world where when using the truth to counteract abuses of power (by CBS, et al.), the truth-teller is the evil one who is supposed to keep quiet.

[Right_in_Virginia]

"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."

As FNC just reported...in his book Clarke said the President "intimidated him" on 9/11 to find a link between the attacks and Iraq.

The liar Clarke just got caught in his own web.

[Pukin Dog]

You gotta know Daschle did NOT want to come out today. Look for him to drop in the polls in his election race. The best way to know that the Republicans are kicking ass, is when you see Daschle whining in the media.

[StriperSniper]

LOL!

[GOPrincess]

"The best way to know that the Republicans are kicking ass, is when you see Daschle whining in the media."

:) :) :) :)

[KC_for_Freedom]

Wolfowitz was terrific in citing just two examples of where Clarke completely and utterly got it wrong in his book--and it hasn't even hit the shelves. He was going by quotes the reporters who did get a copy told him about. Once the honest folk get their hands on it, the whole thing will probably be a lie.

I wonder if democrats went to Clarke and are paying him for this attack book. He struggled for a long time to get Clinton's ear, and failed, he had as much a reason to be anti Clinton as anti Bush. But he went for Bush. I wonder what turned his head.

[Pukin Dog]

To get caught in such a blatant lie, you have to figure that the Democrats may have something on Clarke.

Maybe in addition to not liking Bush, the Democrats found out that he doesn't like 'bush' either?

[AmishDude]

Dear Democrats:

When you find someone with the "real dirt" on Bush. Wait a week to have him get vetted by the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy^TM. Otherwise, you'll look like idiots.

Love,

VRWC

[cyncooper]

And as usual, Chris Matthews doesn't get the obvious.

He just quoted Clarke's description of 9/11 where evidently Clarke claims after the first plane hits Cheney is just sitting there and Condi's in his office and in walks Clarke and they say "I guess you're in charge".

It sounds preposterous on its face. His guests, Kerrey and Gorton, chuckled and Kerrey said "we should have been better prepared". Not exactly disagreeing with Clarke and it occurred to me they didn't want to call their witness tomorrow a liar or question his credibility ahead of time.

But Matthews appears the fatuous fool again. Wise up, Chris!

FINALLY. Gorton points out Condi Rice has come before them in private and answered every question. Matthews was yammering about what she might say and Slade said "We KNOW what she would say. She's TOLD us". Others on the live thread were frustrated our team (who were terrific) didn't highlight this in response to the arched eyebrows and hoisting around of Clarke's fiction book and sighs that Rice wasn't there in public.

[Right_in_Virginia]

To get caught in such a blatant lie, you have to figure that the Democrats may have something on Clarke.

Or...the DemonRats didn't know about Clarke's resignation letter. The rabid dogs simply thought they had fresh meat.

[Reagan Man]

"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."

Heard this earlier today. It would appear that this little historical document makes this book out to be a fabrication and Clarke himself, a liar.

[Victoria Delsoul]

"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."

LOL, hey Clarke, get your story right.