[mwl1]

This Administration understands hardball and the leftist agenda of its enemies just fine. And, more often than not, we win. We now control both chambers of Congress, defying history in 2002. Look at the legislative accomplishments of this President -- the RATS are scared to death regarding their prospects in November, from the top of the ticket to the bottom.

The Administration will strike back hard on Clarke, mindful that if they strike too hard it will just give him another day in the news.

We are dealing with brilliant people on our side. I grant you that it's often difficult to maintain that mindset, because it's not like we have cheerleaders in the media on our side.

[faithincowboys]

It would have been great to have surrogates do it. The Kerry campaign is using surrogates--Clarke, Roemer, Ben-Veniste and Gorelick and the mainstream media. This resigned, passive, and defensive approach is useless.

Clarke needs to be challenged on the Sudan--that is his Waterloo. Mansoor Ijaz should hav been encouraged to go to that hearing and blow the roof off of it--that is what must be done. Also, Clarke was the guy who would have been in the position to know that the Islamists wanted to hijack planes and use them as missiles (not Condi or W) and yet when he warned the FAA he just gave a generic hijack warning. He should have been instrumental in working with the Gore Commission in 96 (the possibility of it was known by then) to force the airlines to fortify the cockpit doors and adopt mandatory security measures. That needed to happen. Mr. Clarke allowed Gore to take campaign dough in exchange for not forcing the airlines to do anything re: security. Clarke should have been questioned about letting that happen without speaking out publicly.

This is totally sick how the RINOS let this hearing absolve Clinton-Gore-Clarke and implicate Bush.