Clarke Refused to Testify in 1999, Citing Same Reasons as Condi [FR mentioned as first to unearth]

NewsMax ^ | March 29, 2004 | With Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[Jim Robinson]

Monday, March 29, 2004 5:26 p.m. EST

Clarke Refused to Testify in 1999, Citing Same Reasons as Condi

Former Clinton terrorism czar Richard Clarke refused to testify before the Senate Y2K Committee in 1999, citing the same rule invoked by National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice in recent days, with the Bush White House saying the regulation prevents her from testifying publicly before the 9/11 Commission.

In a transcript of a July 29, 1999, Senate hearing first unearthed by FreeRepublic.com, Committee Chairman Robert Bennett, R-Utah, explained that Clarke had canceled his appearance because, as a member of the National Security Council, he hadn't been confirmed by the Senate and as such was prohibited from testifying before Congress.

The Congressional Record confirms Clarke's decision not to appear by invoking the same rule cited by Dr. Rice.

According to a transcript of that day's proceeding, Sen. Bennett opened the hearing by telling his committee:

"I have some information to share with you which I'm sure will cause some consternation and disappointment.

"We were scheduled – at the beginning of this gathering we agreed not to call that portion of it a hearing – to have a briefing from Mr. Richard Clarke. And many of you have been notified that he would be here and as recently as yesterday afternoon when I was with him, we were looking forward to his appearance and he was sharing with me some of the areas that he planned to discuss while he was here.

"Mr. Clarke, as many of you know, is the national coordinator for security and infrastructure protection and counterterrorism on the National Security Council."

TheY2K Committee chairman continued:

"Last night, into the evening, we were notified that the legal staff of the National Security Council had determined that it would be inappropriate for Mr. Clarke to appear. I have just spoken to him on the telephone. The rule apparently is that any member of the White House staff who has not been confirmed is not to be allowed to testify before the Congress. They can perform briefings, but they are not to give testimony. And that in response to that rule, Mr. Clarke will not be coming."

Sen. Bennett explained that Clarke had "apologized to me for their failure to tell us that in a way that would have prevented our putting out the press notice in advance.

"I do not, in any sense, attribute any improper motives to Mr. Clarke. We had understood that the briefing could be held as long as there was no record made of it so that it would not be part of the formal hearing. And we were prepared to receive his briefing with the court recorder being instructed not to make any record of it and that that would comply with the rule.

"As I say, last evening I received a call at home after the Senate had adjourned telling me that that arrangement would not be acceptable to the legal staff at the National Security Council and that Mr. Clarke, therefore, would not be here."

In Sen. Bennett's concluding remarks on the subject, he said that Clarke had offered to "come before the committee and give us whatever information we wanted in a closed briefing."

Dr. Rice has made the exact same offer to the 9/11 Commission, though it has done little to quell the media's outrage over her decision not to appear in public.

[Jank]

God, I hope this has legs!!!!

[IncPen]

ping

[Howlin]

I'm sure Drudge will be putting up an article any minute giving us credit.......LOL. NOT.

[glock rocks]

Once again, FReeper boots on the ground!

[Right_in_Virginia]

In a transcript of a July 29, 1999, Senate hearing first unearthed by FreeRepublic.com,

Great job!! The best..I tell ya...the best!

[mplsconservative]

Hannity's broadcast is tape delayed here. I just heard him mention this about 10 minutes ago.

Great job rightcoast and thanks Jim Robinson for Free Republic!

[Peach]

Freeper txrangerette reminded me -

Kerry has made a big deal about how Condi had time to interview on 60 Minutes but not time to testify publicly to the 911 Commission. (Of course, it isn't a question of time but appropriateness and precedent but that's Kerry - changing the barometer).

Anyway, txrangerette reminded me that Clarke had time to give interviews, etc., in 1999 and yet he didn't testify publicly in '99 either because of the same precedents that Condi has cited.

The Republicans need to ram this back down Kerry's throat.

[Maria S]

The following on Drudge...must be pretty recent; within the last few minutes:


After resisting for months, White House officials worked Monday to negotiate a compromise that would allow public release of national security adviser Condoleezza Rice's testimony before the independent commission looking into the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, according to administration aides.

[Peach]

Did you hear that Woodward has another book on Bush coming out?

Rush talked about it at lunchtime. Said it was supposed to make Clarke's book look like a walk in the park.

I thought Woodward's book, which I own and need to re-read, Bush At War, was very fair and came away thinking he liked the president. I'm naive.

[cricket]

An appreicative bump - great stuff.

Have been looking for these kind of headlilnes on Drudge. But noooooo; Drudge seems to have a more benign agenda when it comes to the Dems right now.

Thanks, Jim and FR for leading the pact. . .

[Flora McDonald]

Just heard Michael Savage mentioned it on his show, giving credit to Free Republic for breaking the news!!!!

[mystery-ak]

...but what Kerry and all the rats fail to mention is that Condi was interviewed for over 4 hours....the public and under oath request is only to try and trip Condi up and publicly humilate her on national tv.....

[Peach]

Yup. And I guess she mentioned how long she talked to the committee privately and that's the part they cut (one of several) from the 60 Minutes interview.

And, still no mention of their financial stake in Clarke's book.

[txrangerette]

Kerry piled-on. He's the opponent
we need to hold accountable. What
is Clarke to us??? Zero. And JK
KNEW why Condi avoided publicly
testifying.

[cricket]

Just noticed that this was posted from WND; thanks to WND as well; and of course Jim and FR for getting it 'special attention'.

Did send headline to Drudge as well; asking as well; 'where are you?'

Well, this surely should complement the release of Condi's testimony in lieu of public spectacle.

[mystery-ak]

The funny thing about this whole Clarke debacle is that Kerry conveniently(ahem) went on vacation knowing what was about to happen with Clarke's book and his testimony....thinking this will surely destroy Bush and his numbers......lo and behold polls released today showed it had no effect...imagine their surprise!...back to the drawing board for the rats.

[Grig]

FR - Fox News - Drudge - Rush

The ultimate Right Wing attack machine!

[Brimack34]

When are you guy's going to get the big bucks??
The press does not deserve it, they are just puppets for the Clintoon's.

[dighton]

Outstanding. Tip o' the hat.

[Solson]

I see Drudge ripped us off with this story...