GOPERS RIP 9/11 PANEL'S 'CIRCUS'

New York Post ^ | 4/17/04 | Post Wire Services

[kattracks]

April 17, 2004 -- WASHINGTON - Two leading congressional Republicans yesterday accused the commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks of descending into partisan finger-pointing instead of examining problems that allowed the deadly hijackings.

"Partisan mudslinging, circus-atmosphere pyrotechnics and gotcha-style questioning do not get us closer to the truth. They serve as dangerous distractions from the global war on terror," House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said in a letter to the commission.

[kattracks]

A report obtained by Washington Post noted that "publicity about the threat" posed by Moussaoui "might have disrupted the plot."

20/20 hindsight at work. Of course this news may have just prompted the terrorists to strike earlier. Not knowing the extent of the threat why would anyone chance tipping their hand?

[stocksthatgoup]

No mention of Jaimie G?

[federal]

It would be interesting to know which members feel that way and if those feelings were shared by all the commission, That's why this thing is fatally flawed.

Leaks, speculation, partisanship what a disgrace.

[William Martel]

That is exactly what is bothering me about this whole thing, especially the posturing by Democrats. Every bit of analysis they have to offer seems to assume that things were somehow the same in the pre-9/11 world as in the post-9/11 world, and that these threats were somehow viewed in the same light as they are now. The defining events behind the post-9/11 worldview simply did not exist.

I still do not see the point of this commission beyond pure politics. It is supposed to make recommendations as to how to prevent another 9/11 from happening, which is pointless seeing as we already have had the essential viewshift that was lacking in the pre-9/11 world. That is combined with the fact that we have already corrected the policies that had led to the intelligence failures.

What a waste of time and tax dollars.

[dyed_in_the_wool]

What a waste of time and tax dollars.

I keep making this point to my dad. He keeps talking about how eloquent Tom Kean is. I shake my head and walk away.

[JohnEBoy]

What a waste of time and tax dollars.

I agree. Timing is everything. I would find the purpose of this commission more credible if it were being done in Jan/Feb 2005. Then commission members would not feel the need to speechify while questioning ... hoping to help their candidate during the election. In January, the election would be behind us and any speeches would be too far in advance to affect the next election.

But the make-up and timing of the current commission is clearly just a tool to make headlines and score points with certain partisan groups.

[Petronski]

Circus?

I think I've found the dancing bear.

[txrangerette]

With due respect to your dad, talk
is cheap. Talk, talk, talk. So????

See what I mean?

Seriously, when/how did he come to
credit the relevance of windbags?

[tkathy]

"Everything had to go right for them," he said. "Had they felt that one of them had been discovered, there is evidence it would have been delayed."

If the 9/11 attacks had somehow been delayed but not destroyed, it is possible they could have attacked at a later date, far worse. These hind-sighters are a prime example of why the screwed up thinking of the left is destroying what's left of the democrat party.

[Diogenesis]

From TWA800 coverup,
to Oklahoma coverup,
to WTC1 coverup,
to the Ron Brown coverup,
to the DOE coverups,
to the Barbara Wise coverup,
and now in the 911 Coverup -
The one, the only,
Jamie "My Signature IS Law" Gorelick

---

Isn't just the assembly and conduct of this committee
enough insight as to how we became vulnerable to the al Qaeda attack?

[PGalt]

Backwards-thinking, blame-mongering, bumbling bureaucrats.

[samtheman]

Arrested him for what? And without the Patriot Act (that all these Circus Clowns oppose) held him for how long?

[SkyPilot]

I keep making this point to my dad. He keeps talking about how eloquent Tom Kean is. I shake my head and walk away.

My dad can be the same way sometimes. Let me guess:

- Is your father an long time "Union Man?"

[Timeout]

...might have disrupted the plot.

The Washington Post's article is actually worse. Here's the opening line:

The commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks has concluded that the hijackers would probably have postponed their strike if the U.S. government had announced the arrest of suspected terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui ...

A big diff between "might have" and "would probably have". Ah, the brilliance of hindsight.

[cricket]

Would bet that Delay did not get a return letter with Keane telling him to butt out - "it is OUR business".

If there was a mention of JG; it is not being mentioned.

Could be, Mr. Bill has already spoken to his Media. Which,he probably has; but stll could be, that Delay is being more strategic than tactical here. . .