Rice averts initial lynching

Gainesville Daily Register ^ | 04/09/2004 | JERRY PRICKETT

[syriacus]

Not a bad column.

I especially liked this comment:

I haven't seen any reports linking the coup by Ted, Byrd and Tom Daschle in the Senate during that time, delaying Bush appointments already slowed by the continued 2000 election battle. Such power plays couldn't have helped but distract.

[JennysCool]

Yup. That was a good one.

[joyce11111]

great article.

[Ole Okie]

What's next -- ol' Kennedy and Byrd crossing the bridge over the Tigris and Euphrates to perhaps pose with Iraqi rebels and their rocket-propelled grenades

Edward Muckhead Teddy Kennedy would put his current squeeze in the back seat and drive right off the bridge. And then run away to try to formulate an alibi.

'Sheets' Byrd would try to move the bridge to West Virginia at taxpayer expense.

Neither of them is worth a plugged nickle.

[HarryCaul]

Pretty good political column writing.

I particularly enjoyed this bit-

"Democrats launched the "Ted Offensive," letting Sen. Kennedy out of the beach house to cross yet another bridge back towards the 20th Century faux paus."


Which may now hold the record for most political comedy slams in one sentence.

Not bad writing at all.

[kanawa]

But when there is an opportunity to get information ... commentators praise the 9-11 commission for wanting to get Rice's input but ignore talk radio reports that only 5 of 10 commissioners found Rice's private session important enough to attend.

I'm trying to dispute a foolish friend of mines assertion that the reason there were so few commission members present was because of a request by the White House.

Does anyone have a link handy that would help me out? Who were the no-shows?

[syriacus]

"Ted -- Offensive"

Good name for a move-- kind of like "Hercules -- Unchained".

[kanawa]

Meanwhile, Democrats in Congress appealed to the FCC to investigate the live coverage of Dr. Rice's testimony, charging that it may violate election laws.

"It was a free commercial emphasizing the competence and leadership of the Bush administration," said one unnamed Democrat House member. "We demand equal time."

ScrappleFace

[lainde]

bump for later

[Smartass]

[syriacus]

LOL.

[wardaddy]

I like this guy!

[syriacus]

I'm trying to dispute a foolish friend of mines assertion that the reason there were so few commission members present was because of a request by the White House. Does anyone have a link handy that would help me out? Who were the no-shows?

Here is one explanation, from the Washington Post

I don't know how it compares with other explanations.

Just five or six of the 10 commission members attended Rice's first session; commissioners said that was because she insisted on holding the session on a Saturday, in the White House complex.

I guess that questioning Rice wasn't important enough to some of them to give up their Saturday.

[Fiddlstix]

ROFLMAO
Great cartoon!
(That's a "keeper")

[syriacus]

More information on Condi's private testimony.

It has been reported that the Commission failed to record National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice's private testimony on February 7, 2004. The failure of the 9/11 Commission to record Dr. Rice's testimony further calls into question this Commission's methods in conducting its investigation.

http://www.911independentcommission.org/

[syriacus]

It looks like Ben Veniste and Roemer were there.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-3721582,00.html

Condoleezza Rice met with the commission privately for four hours Saturday at the White House to discuss what the administration could have done to prevent the attacks.

``It was a very useful interview and I personally found Doctor Rice to be candid and forthcoming,'' said Richard Ben-Veniste, a Democratic commissioner and former Watergate prosecutor. ``I think it would be useful for the public to hear from Doctor Rice.''

``I thought the tone and level of cooperation of the exchange was productive,'' said Timothy Roemer, a former Democratic congressman from Indiana.

[syriacus]

Does anyone have a link handy that would help me out? Who were the no-shows?

Here is more info on the February 7th testimony.

It looks like the Administration requested, last November, that only three commissioners would meet privately with Rice.

However the commission did not agree to limiting the number of commissioners who could be present.

All of the commissionerscould have attended the February 7th Q & A, but, because it was a Saturday, some of them chose not to attend.

White House criticism disputed, By Mimi Hall, USA TODAY

Felzenberg said the commission never agreed to the terms in the November letter, which said that for a meeting with an assistant to the president, either the chairman or vice chairman of the commission must show up with no more than two other commissioners.

But the commission did agree to meet with Rice at her convenience, and the date and time she chose — a Saturday afternoon — limited the number of commissioners who could attend because several live far from Washington.

[syriacus]

Gorelick did not attend.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-04-06-white-house-criticism_x.htm

[kanawa]

Thanks, I've got a better handle on it by just reading your posts. I'll check out the links for further info.

I would think that given the importance of her job in what is a daily developing situation she would be justified in choosing the time of her testimony.

I agree with your observation that the commissioners absenteeism during testimony that they deemed critical is very telling.

The quote in post#16 from Ben-Veniste compared to his behavior toward Dr. Rice during the open-door session indicates to me that he is a weasel.

If I find any additional information I'll give you a ping. Thanks again.

[syriacus]

Thanks, kanawa.