[Miss Marple]

You know, I can barely accept Lee Hamilton's excuse, since he was introducing the Canadian PM.

But I absolutely refuse to believe that if Bob Kerrey had called Pete Domenici he couldn't have re-scheduled that meeting.

[Coop]

Honestly, I can't even get worked up over this one. The Chairman excused them (Kerrey for certain, anyway), so any criticism should be leveled at Kean, not Kerrey or Hamilton. But it sounds as if it was handled appropriately.

[Carolinamom]

First smile of the morning for me is learning that the commissioners were frisked before entering the Oval Office and their notebooks were taken as they left.....to be returned later after reviewing for classified information.

What about the notebooks of Hamilton and Kerrey?

[Brandon]

You know, I can barely accept Lee Hamilton's excuse, since he was introducing the Canadian PM.

I can't. Meeting with the president and vice president of the U.S. on such a profoundly important subject is far more important introducing a foreign government official to a group of people who already knows who he is.

The excuses given that Kerrey and Hamilton didn't know the meeting would run so long are idiotic on the face of it. They should have anticipated the possibility that it would run long, and not scheduled other meetings for the same day. Their Commission duties are paramount, or the Commission is a joke. Guess we've just found out which of those statements are true for Commissioners Kerrey and Hamilton.

[Elsie]

Hamilton bolted so that he could introduce the Canadian prime minister at a ceremonial event at the Woodrow Wilson Center, which employs Hamilton as its director.

"I was surprised," fellow commission member James Thompson told The Post.

 

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You know, I can barely accept Lee Hamilton's excuse, since he was introducing the Canadian PM.

But I absolutely refuse to believe that if Bob Kerrey had called Pete Domenici he couldn't have re-scheduled that meeting.

---

Like this??

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"Good morning everyone; I hope you've enjoyed lunch.  How about a hand for the caterers, would you please: they've done a fine job, as usual."

"As you know, our director, Lee Hamilton, is grilling the President and Cheney at this moment.  He was due to introduce our esteemed guest, but we know that what he is doing now is of the UTMOST importance to our Country.

"So, as a fellow commision member, it is my priviledge and honor to present to you the Canadian Prime Minister..........."

 

(Applause....)