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Analysis: Plot Feeds Political Frenzy
AP ^ | 8/10/6 | TERENCE HUNT

Posted on 08/10/2006 3:27:55 PM PDT by SmithL

After two wars, thousands of deaths and many billions of dollars, the United States is still vulnerable to terrorists. That painful reality has ignited a political frenzy over who's to blame and who's best qualified to protect Americans.

The one thing that Republicans and Democrats agree on is this: Five years after the Sept. 11 disaster, terrorists want to strike again and the country is not safe. To hear both sides talk, the wonder is that America hasn't been hit yet.

"We've taken a lot of measures to protect the American people," President Bush said Thursday. "But obviously we're still not completely safe."

There are plenty of reasons for that. U.S. borders don't stop people who shouldn't get in. Buses and subways are vulnerable to bombings. Few cargo containers are inspected. Detection is inadequate for nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. Intelligence and law enforcement agencies are still troubled by rivalries and poor communication.

Republican Thomas Kean, who was chairman of the 9/11 commission, said the United States is gradually moving in the right direction to fix the problems but he still worries.

"At top levels, it wasn't taken seriously enough. It wasn't on top of the priority list. ... And that's what I see happening again," Kean said. "It shouldn't be a political issue. It should be something that everybody supports."

But with Americans souring on the war in Iraq, the fight on terrorism is a divisive issue for the November elections that will determine which party controls Congress. Unhappiness over the war was a major factor in the primary defeat of Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn.

Many Democrats accuse Bush and the GOP-led Congress of mishandling Iraq and the broader war on terrorism.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 911commission; asspress; fifthanniversary; terrorattack

1 posted on 08/10/2006 3:27:56 PM PDT by SmithL
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In Bush's view, Iraq and the war on terror are one and the same.

They are one and the same.

2 posted on 08/10/2006 3:28:32 PM PDT by SmithL (The fact that they can't find Hoffa is proof that he never existed.)
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To: SmithL
How dare the left turn this into politics as well! I passed through a few minutes ago and Chrissy had Edwards on asking him how he would have handled things differently than Cheney. It made me furious! I hate our media so much!
3 posted on 08/10/2006 3:29:26 PM PDT by ladyinred (Thank God the Brits don't have a New York Times!)
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To: SmithL

The real choice is the following:

Vote Democrat and try to negotiate with terrorist
Vote Republican and keep trying to kill them


4 posted on 08/10/2006 3:30:06 PM PDT by for-q-clinton (If at first you don't succeed keep on sucking until you do succeed)
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To: SmithL

Is this a news story?

Looks like a campaign ad to me.


5 posted on 08/10/2006 3:31:24 PM PDT by JustDoItAlways
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To: SmithL
Buses and subways are vulnerable to bombings

How many children have to die before Bush provides us with invulnerable buses?!!

6 posted on 08/10/2006 3:31:46 PM PDT by laotzu
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To: JustDoItAlways

Given that it is from AP, the only difference is whether they got paid to publish it or they published it pro malo.


7 posted on 08/10/2006 3:34:42 PM PDT by magslinger (Without Freedom, Utopia isn't paradise after all. It's just hell in a fancy prom dress. Steven James)
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To: laotzu
How many children have to die before Bush provides us with invulnerable buses?!!

Up armored buses? Like the humvees? Or maybe we should make a whole new class of buses and subway trains with individual blast proof compartments for each passenger?/sar. (I hope you were kidding but in case your weren't a little sarcasm!)

8 posted on 08/10/2006 3:35:45 PM PDT by calex59 (The '86 amnesty put us in the toilet, now the senate wants to flush it!)
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To: SmithL

In Bush's view, Iraq and the war on terror are one and the same.

Sure...radical islam exists in Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan but, NOT Iraq!! This is logical, I guess, since its right in the middle of all these places and Daddam's kids were just waiting for the old man to die so they could spread peace throughout the region.

Why half the world feels so guilty taking out Saddam is beyond human comprehension. Look, it hasn't been perfect. Some day its been awful shitty over there but, it just had to be done. Period!!! And you know what, we might have to go into Iran or Syria, too. It all sucks and is painful. It's called war!!!


9 posted on 08/10/2006 3:54:46 PM PDT by Firefox1
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To: calex59
..with individual blast proof compartments for each passenger

Reminds me of a Don Martin cartoon from my youth.

A recently arrested peasant is dangling by his wrists from shackles on the wall of a dungeon. He angrily complains to the Roman gaurd that he was promised a private cell.

The next frame shows brick-layers walling him up where he hangs.(and yes....I was kidding)

10 posted on 08/10/2006 4:06:35 PM PDT by laotzu
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To: for-q-clinton
Vote Democrat and try to negotiate with terrorist
Vote Republican and keep trying to kill them

I would change that to:

Vote Democrat and become one with the terrorists
Vote Republican and prevent terrorism

after personally dealing with Democrats face-to-face at protest marches and demonstrations.

11 posted on 08/10/2006 4:28:12 PM PDT by roadcat
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To: for-q-clinton
Yes, those are the ONLY choices we have and staying home/voting for a fringe candidate, is the same as voting for a damned Dem!
12 posted on 08/10/2006 4:37:10 PM PDT by nopardons
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To: laotzu
(and yes....I was kidding)

I was about 99 percent sure but, with some of the trolls we get on FR you never know what they are going to say1:)

13 posted on 08/10/2006 4:45:59 PM PDT by calex59 (The '86 amnesty put us in the toilet, now the senate wants to flush it!)
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To: SmithL

Are my fellow Americans really so stupid that they think ANY President or government can make them COMPLETELY safe? There is nothing to stop some Muslim from picking up a gun and killing a dozen people on any street corner. We will never be COMPLETELY safe unless we live in concrete bunkers for the rest of our lives. What we can do is lessen the danger by making them kill themselves away from us.


14 posted on 08/10/2006 9:49:42 PM PDT by Democratshavenobrains
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To: Firefox1
Sure...radical islam exists in Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan but, NOT Iraq!!

While the existence of Islam in Damascus is a problem, the existence of Islam in Dearborn is a bigger problem. Why half the world feels so guilty taking out Saddam is beyond human comprehension.

I feel no "guilt" for taking out Saddam. In hindsight, I'm wondering if we did attack the right country, though.
15 posted on 08/10/2006 9:54:04 PM PDT by Old_Mil (http://www.constitutionparty.org - Forging a Rebirth of Freedom.)
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To: SmithL

This says that well organized, well financed terror networks still exist. The AP spin meister is amazing, in trying to contort this all the way over to Bush's fault.

What's clear to me is that organized terror would have been well on their way to choking off our civilization if we had not acted to drain their swamp of funding.

However, the world needs to redouble its efforts to destroy these new facists. The UK is now obvious as the weak point in Western nations intelligence net.


16 posted on 08/10/2006 10:04:49 PM PDT by Wiseghy ("You want to break this army? Then break your word to it.")
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