CLARKE'S COLLAPSE

New York Post ^ | 3/25/04 | RICH LOWRY

[kattracks]

March 25, 2004 -- DEAN Acheson famously titled his memoir of his years as secretary of state after World War II "Present at the Creation." Anyone close to Richard Clarke these last few days could write a memoir called "Present at the Self-Immolation." Rarely has a former public servant with such a sterling reputation shot it all away so quickly.

[kcvl]

Thanks! These people are EVIL!

[Yardstick]

Lioness!

[ThirstyMan]

This book looks to be something of a "C.Y.A." attempt in light of the fact Mr. Clarke was the counterterrorism expert in the Clinton White House. During the eight years he spent in that position we saw the first World Trade Center bombings, the bombing of US embassies around the world, the bombing of the USS Cole, the proliferation of al Qaida throughout the Muslim world and the repeated failure to capture Osama bin Laden even though foreign countries were offering him up on a sliver platter.
If I were Richard Clarke and I had presided over such incredible failures in counterterrorism I would be looking for a scapegoat as well.

Wow! This is a very strong indictment of Richard Clarke's "counterterrorism" career!

If I were Richard Clarke and I had presided over such incredible failures in counterterrorism I would be looking for a scapegoat as well.

The obvious conclusion!

[GailA]

hanoi john has kept quiet waiting to see if this grows legs then he'll jump on the ban waggon..dickie is fast loosing credibility as we FReepers dig up more counterdictions.

[tapatio]

ABC will be spinning this story because they hired Clarke as a consultant!

[Right_in_Virginia]

BTTT

[arasina]

Frank Salvato is a FReeper whose screen name is TheRant. Thought I'd ping him to the posting of his terrific article even though he hasn't been around FR much in the past couple of months. :o)

[Eroteme]

I agree. Clarke's testimony was certainly crafted to give the impression that he's a registered Republican. However, that's not what he said.

What he said was that when he went to vote in the Virginia primary, he asked for a Republican ballot. As I heard that, it struck me as an odd wording, unnecessarily precise if all he wanted to do was say he was a Republican. At that moment, I could hear the sound of tap shoes on the head of a pin.

Virginia does not require voters to declare party membership.

[guitfiddlist]

Has anyone checked voter registration records to see if Clarke is actually a registered Republican, as he claims to be?

I wouldn't doubt his claim. There are plenty of ambitious, blackmailed or bitter Republicans out there willing to sell their soul to the 'Rats. John McCain, Orrin Hatch, Arlen Spectre (misspelling intended) and Trent Lott quickly come to mind.

[guitfiddlist]

Not to mention the other "Republican" Wesley Clark.

[arasina]

I have a feeling that someone has bought off or intimidated Clarke.

Wonder if Simon & Schuster will reveal their full company name to be SOROS, Simon & Schuster.

[eeriegeno]

Assume that GW Bush attacked al-quada on Jan 20, 2001 and killed binLaden. Would that have stopped the 9/11 attacks? I think not. The scenario for catastrophe was set up for 8 years prior to that and could not have been stopped. IMHO, Clinton's INS, FBI, CIA, and security groups failed to do what they were charged to do. To place blame at the feet of GW Bush, and his administration, for the 9/11 catastrophe is the heigth of hypocrisy. But then again, the democrats are good at that, now aren't they??????

[Eroteme]

Good find. The Minnesota democrat he donated to, Steven Andreasen, was a Clinton NSA flack. Andreason is reported, in a Bill Gertz article, to have accused Clinton State Dept. lawyers of being disloyal to the president in rendering a legal opinion about negotiating anti-missile treaties with Russia.

[7thson]

Jeff Greenfield is one of the "journalists" that met with Kerry in Franken's apartment. According to O'Reilly - who may at times come off as pompous but I believe really knows his stuff - says that this meeting was a coaching event. That not only did they ask Kerry questions, but then coached him on how to answer these questions.

[Puddleglum]

I have a feeling that someone has bought off or intimidated Clarke. It is Scott Ritter all over again.

I have a feeling we are seeing bribe money oozing from every crack and pore of this farce of a commission. Some day it will all come out.

[dirtboy]

I have a feeling that someone has bought off or intimidated Clarke.

IMO no one bought off Clarke. He let his anger and ego take over, and then sold himself to the lowest bidder.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Here's the gist of Clarke's testimony:

1) Bush was bad for not acting pre-emptively based on sketchy information of possible terrosists attacks before 9/11.

2) Bush was bad for acting pre-emptively based on solid intelligence from the United Nations and Great Britain of the possible threat of terrorist attacks posed by Saddam Hussein.

Is it me or...?

[ought-six]

Richard Clarke and Scott Ridder have been bought. But, by whom? The only people I know of who have huge, obscene amounts of money to throw around are liberal Democrats, or liberal Democrats who are married to spouses who have huge, obscene amounts of money to throw around. Ergo, they have been bought by one or more liberal Democrats. Whores come in all denominations.

[nathanbedford]

Regretably, this fight is probably already lost and the stakes can be the election itself.

Republicans must win this issue of Bush's performance leading up to 9/11 or lose his main claim to re-election.

The Democrats need only a tie. That is, if Bush was no better than Clinton than Kerry would be no worse than Bush. If you watch the Dem talking heads, this seems to be right out of their talking points: Plenty of blame to go around and isn't a shame that Condi Rice is afraid to come clean with the American people.

The whole of the media is acting as if the Dems have already won by assuring at least a tie.

I believe they are right and Kerry didn't even have to come down off the hill.

[Mamzelle]

re: Rarely has a former public servant with such a sterling reputation)))

??? Who knew or cared about this bench-wamer?