[Lancey Howard]

Every time I read another article like this one, my view of the so-called "9/11 Commission" grows more and more suspect. What are those fools doing? Why aren't these important questions asked; these important points raised?

In my opinion, Bush had a choice to make over the past week: He could either offer up Condi Rice, thereby elevating the credibility of the Commission and it's alleged investigation, or, he could finally rail against the Commission and dismiss it for what it now clearly is - -a political farce designed to pander to some victims' families and pretend that somebody will get to the bottom of the government's failure to prevent 9/11.

The Commission is now engaged in a blame game and a political witch-hunt, and after Clarke's lying testimony, the defensive (and idiotic) comments by Bob Kerrey, and the leaks by that scumbag Benvenista, Bush had all the ammo he needed to dismiss the Commission as a waste of time and taxpayer money. He could then have announced that the Commission had lost its way and that he, Bush, would no longer allow anyone in his Administration to testify, in public or otherwise.

Bush could have followed this up by announcing the formation of a new (anonymous) panel of military and intelligence experts who would conduct a full and thorough investigation, completely outside of the public eye, and report its findings and recommendations back to him in April.

[neverdem]

Don't be so glum chum. Although this was a book review, it was on the OpEd page of the WSJ. I'm confident Condi will be well prepared. She should be able to knock it out of the park.

They're flapping their gums about the speech she was supposed to give on Sep 11, 2004 which stressed the importance of ballistic missile defense. Wasn't that not too long after the North Koreans launched a two stage missile that went over Japan?

[neverdem]

I meant Sep 11, 2001, not 2004.

[neverdem]

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/korea-03a.html

This mentions that the North Koreans launched that missile that flew over northeast Japan in 1998. It's the 11th paragraph.