[TomGuy]

Here, under

9/11 commission
finishes Bush, Cheney session

Bush chastises Ashcroft
in private statements
at the White House

NBC, MSNBC and news services

Updated: 7:27 p.m. ET April 29, 2004

"Ashcroft, Justice rebuked"

In opening remarks before commissioners began their inquiry, Bush told commission members he was disappointed with the Justice Department and its treatment of Jamie Gorelick, a commission member and a former Justice Department official.

NBC's David Gregory reported that Bush specifically criticized Attorney General John Ashcroft in connection with Gorelick's treatment. The president told commissioners he did not approve of the “fingerpointing.”

On Wednesday the Justice Department released internal documents on its official Web site; critics of Gorelick have said the documents raise questions about her serving on the commission. Despite the White House's admonishment of Justice, NBC's Pete Williams reported Thursday that the memos remain on the Justice Department's Web site.

Some Republican senators have argued that the commission's work won't be done until they interview Gorelick, whom they accuse of authorizing the “wall” between intelligence and law enforcement agencies some have said may have contributed to a climate that made the Sept. 11 attacks possible.

====

And see Bryon York article of May 7, 2004

Ashcroft Helps Bush, Bush Hits Ashcroft
The 9/11 Commission makes for strange politics inside the administration.

[petitfour]

Thanks. I had forgotten this.

[Stellar Dendrite]

Wow, thanks for that story. Bush has a lot of criticism for the wrong people, huh? The minutemen are "vigilantes" and we were told to stop criticizing Gonzales when we thought he might be the next SCOTUS nominee....

[Dat Mon]

Good post and some pointed questions.

IMHO, the point that Ashcroft testified is the point that the commission officially turned into a political dog and pony, bread and circus show for the masses...and BOTH party bases.

We all know why Gorelick was put on the commission by the dems...what I cant understand is why nobody on the pub side..including apparently Bush himself...ever made an issue out of it. Your article here presents to us yet one more instance of Bush the enigma.

Ashcroft was an honorable man and a patriot, who served Bush well as AG.

The feds treatment of Sandy Berger sent up warning flares that something else big was going down behind the scenes. I think that people like Weldon and Duncan Hunter are not going to let this go away. Lets see how much backing they get from Bush and the other Republican leadership.

People should also realize that this is yet another instance where the pubs, and Bush specifically, have been given ammunition to crush the Clinton legacy and deny Hillary her anointed shot at the WH. Lets see if they make good use of it.

[popdonnelly]

Okay, here's what I think, and it doesn't reflect too kindly on Bush. The White House would only agree to a 9/11 Commission if it was assured there would be no partisan attacks. So there was a prior agreement,i.e., the Democrats wouldn't trash the Bush Administration, and the Republicans wouldn't trash the Clinton Administration. When Ashcroft mentioned Gorelick's policy, that broke the underlying agreement. Hence, Ashcroft gets taken to the woodshed by Bush.

But that also means that potentially embarrassing facts won't find their way into the 9/11 Commission Report.