[prairiebreeze]

Commissioner John Lehman, a Republican, said Rice "has nothing to hide, and yet this is creating the impression for honest Americans all over the country and people all over the world that the White House has something to hide, that Condi Rice has something to hide.

"And if they do, we sure haven't found it. There are no smoking guns. That's what makes this so absurd. It's a political blunder of the first order," Lehman told ABC's "This Week"

Has Lehman been bribed by the alphabets?? Stick to your guns Condi.

Prairie

[DallasMike]

The Dems are falling into the Bush trap. The media will play up Rice's feigned refusal to testify and then when she does agree to go publicly before the committee, all media eyes will be upon her. Heaven help the Dems who try to brutalize her. This is the classic Brer Rabbit story being played out in front of our eyes.

[VRWC For Truth]

No, the 'Rats only wanted to acuse Bush without indicting themselves. Frist calls for a 'Rat indictment and the committee says ... oh never mind. Point GOP.

[mewzilla]

Well, while we're on the subject of talking to people, why hasn't the commission seen fit to call Laurie Mylroie, Richard Miniter, Mansoor Ijaz, Gerald Posner?

Gee, the list of people the commission can't be bothered to talk to is certainly interesting....

[Milligan]

I should apologize as a American. I really regret ignoring our national security for the last twelve years. I wrote to my government officals to tell them to stop spending tax dollars on national security since the Soviet Union collasped. I became complacent and didn't want to get involved with the outside world. I didn't really believe anyone would harm us. I'm sorry if I let my fellow citizens down. I didn't mean to have so many people killed on 911. And because of my indifference, we now have a divided country.

[MNJohnnie]

Don't forget the obvious Clinton cover up the "9-11 Commission" is doing. Sean Hannity has Clinton is ON TAPE talking about the Sudan's offer of Bin Laden yet the "independent 9-11 Commission" claims their is NO CREDIBLE EVIDENCE to support the Sudan story? Now that the story is turning on the Demos watch this 9-11 Commission hype fade away just like the AWOL slander and the "Bush Knew" slander.

[sirchtruth]

"He thinks I served with distinction and honor," Clarke said, while "the rest of his staff is out there to destroy me."

Borrowing a line from Robin Williams:

Clarke is an ASSHALF he's not even good enough to be an ASSWHOLE!

[Destro]

If I was Bush I would have fired Condi on 9/12.

National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice stated in May 2002, "All this reporting about hijacking was about traditional hijacking." [Washington Post 9/18/02] "Never did anybody's thought process about how to protect America did we ever think that the evil-doers would fly not one, but four commercial aircraft into precious US targets - never." [NATO, 9/16/01]

Well I would like to find an NSA advisor who could have imagined.

I don't know why we Republicans are defending Rice? Bush's greatest error upon entering office was not to fire Clinton holdovers like Clarke and then not to fire all responsible parties after 9/11.

I voted for a Yale graduate CEO. What responsible CEO refuses to fire people who had responsiblity over a screw up?

Sorry for such negativism as we try to circle the wagons. B

[cardinal4]

"Let's declassify everything," Clarke said.

He said knowing full well it will not happen. He also fully knows that if they do declassify his 2002 testimony, he will probably be charged with perjury..

[marron]

The Dems should be careful what they wish for. While there is principle to be defended in not allowing Rice to be questioned publicly, it would not help their case if she decides to do it.

Her remarks give the lie to Clarke's assertions about her. The more she talks, the sillier he looks.

I saw parts of Powell's remarks before the commission. He spoke well of Clarke and then proceeded to take him apart limb from limb. It was impressive, I thought. Powell is in a different position, he has to represent institutional continuity, but even within those limits he skewered Clarke.

There is no getting around the fact that the Clinton-Clarke team spent 8 years kicking the rock down the road, and the Bush-Rice team in a few short weeks overthrew Osama and the Taliban and drove them into hiding.

Clarke can blab on all he wants about Bush's refusal to focus on Osama, but he can't around the fact that on his watch, Osama had his very own country, and on Rice's watch he is either atoms or hidden at the bottom of a deep hole.

Getting Rice to come forward publicly will finish him.

[jackbill]

The independent commission

Independent???? Why in the hell is Jaime Gore-lick on the commission? She was the General Counsel (top lawyer) for the DOD under Clinton and the number two under Janet Reno for the DOJ under Clinton.

Can you imagine the ourcry, among the RATs and the Partisan Media if the Republicans had named John Ashcroft's number two man to the commission?

Give it a break. The RATs have made this commission a kangaroo court. The President should ignore it.

[Ciexyz]

Stick to your guns, Condi. Don't give in.