Why Clinton Blew His Top: FNC's Wallace Only Interviewer to Ask About Pre-9/11 Failures

NewsBusters ^ | September 24, 2006 | Rich Noyes

[george76]

By now, nearly everybody who cares has probably seen former President Bill Clinton's -- let's say 'animated' -- response to 'Fox News Sunday' host Chris Wallace's questions about his administration's failed efforts to demolish al-Qaeda before the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

But Wallace himself hit on the key media bias question ...

Trying to explain Clinton's hot reaction, Wallace said he read the transcripts of the ex-President's other media appearances in the last few days -- on NBC's 'Meet the Press,' CNN's 'Larry King Live,' FNC's 'On the Record with Greta van Susteren,' among other programs.

Wallace said he was "astonished" that none of the others even bothered to raise the terrorism question with Clinton, particularly with his team's attacks on ABC's "Path to 9/11" docu-drama.

Clinton sounded like a left-wing press critics with his repeated jibes at Fox as a "conservative" or "right-wing" outfit.

But what, besides liberal bias, explains the other journalists' total lack of interest in even asking a single question about Clinton's inadequate terror response?

[Frwy]

One foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. He looks as sick in body as he is in mind.

[GretchenM]

The bottom line for clinton was he loathed the military and didn't know how to use it. He did know how to use our legal system. This equaled a complete misread of how to deal with terrorism that was very active during his administration. These two things resulted in him either being unable or unwilling to go after binny boy when he had the opportunities.

Enter W. He gets why we have a military, he's not afraid to use it, he has the fear of God in him not to use it ill-advisedly, and he understands letting the generals do the generaling while he sets the direction.

[Frwy]

Worlds sickest bookends.

[beezdotcom]

I have been reading FR today, not posting, and have been amazed at the posters here (not many, but some) saying that Clinton planned this.

You don't think that there's just a smidgen of a chance that Billy Boy thought that someone on Fox just MIGHT ask this question - and so, decided in advance to deal with it by a display of "impassioned indignation"?

I mean, all of the other networks were willing to give him a pass - but you really think Clinton thought he would skate free on Fox?

[Laverne]

He sat through this interview and blamed the FBI, the CIA and the military for the failure. That General Shelton, who used to head Special Operations Command before he became Clinton's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs has remained completely silent on all of this. One more ex-military for whom I have no respect. TYpical Clinton, blame everyone else....I trahd, really I trahd hard, but no one would let me follow-through. He was a pig then, he is still a pig.

[Al Simmons]

Wallace has stated in the past that he has essentially moved to the right since coming to Fox, AND that he now sees the left-wing bias in the MSM.

Given who his father is, that he has not only grown in this way and admitted it, but that he had the cojones to go toe-to-toe with Slick, my hat's off to him.

Bet that's the LAST time Slick shows his mug around Fox!!

[misterrob]

I like the idea of a journalist who asks tough questions of anyone who comes on their show. If you can't bring your A game to handle the inquiry then stay home. That goes for people in both parties.

[A CA Guy]

He wants to be remembered fondly and facts are there is a lot of blood on that man's hands and he doesn't want anyone to ever focus on the issues of what he did, and especially DID NOT do IMO.

[bray]

Methinks ol BJ lurks around here and is getting a bit upset with the Truth getting out. His Legacy is hard to hide.

Pray for W and Our Troops

[MOgirl]

Hello,

Not at all, I am sure he expected questions that would open up his term in regards to terrorism, and his efforts on that front. However, I do not believe that he intended to come across as deranged. You see, there is a vast difference between standing up for yourself, with passion, and arguing forcefully your accomplishments (or lack thereof, as the case may be), and shoving your finger at a reporter, jabbing same finger into the reporter's lap, having the veins on your head bulge, having your eyes show the capacity to hit said reporter.

See the difference? Regardless of how this will be spun, this was a PR failure on so many levels. And the fact that DU thinks he did great is totally irrelevant to anyone who has some grasp of reality.

MOgirl

[donaldo]

Clinton will be remembered for one thing, and one thing only: "Copulo, ergo sum." A really pathetic performace. The Emperor has no clothes. "I think he doth protest too much." It's obvious his brain is suffering from the tremendous pressure of that build up of sperm. Monica needs to make a housecall.

[Wil H]

"Al qaeda grew while Monica blew"

[Wil H]

So the woman who created the Wall which blocked the flow of information, was again put in charge of blocking information to the Commission which was charged with finding out why information got blocked.

But the even bigger problem is that no one EVER asks WHY the wall was created in the first place..

The answer, of course, is that it was created to protect clinton from investigation of his Chinese money laundering.

clinton is FAR more responsible for our failure to detect 9/11 than is reported....

[MadelineZapeezda]

Chris should have asked the stained one why he bothered bombing a country(Serbia....there was no genocide)that had NOT harmed NOR threatened ONE American while all this other sh#t was going on with binLaden. What a waste of manpower and arms in a 78 day war. WTF????????

Serbia was doing then what we are trying to do now. Fighting radical mooseslimes.

[beezdotcom]

However, I do not believe that he intended to come across as deranged.

Oh, I wholly agree. However, I *do* think he premeditated an agressive response to the question. I just think he grossly miscalculated his body language and how he would be perceived (or just tried to "wing it".) After all, he can't afford the top-notch handlers he USED to have, who certainly would have prevented THIS sort of debacle.

[noah]

methinks the ex-president doth protest TOO MUCH.

[NCC-1701]

Has anyone ever notice something in clinochio's statement about "not having sexual relatioins with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky"? It's as though he had to specify which woman he had sex with. What a POS.

[A CA Guy]

Here's what I think of the bum.

[PhilipFreneau]

>>>Bush could have put Sandy Burger in jail. He let him go. The inside the beltway protection from Vince Foster to 9/11 must stop. This will cause us to fall like the Roman Empire.<<<

Bush has wimped-out on far worse crimes committed by the Clinton crowd. Many have committed treason during war time, and should be facing the firing squad; and yet they are walking free with no threat of prosecution by the Bush administration. It appears the only people the Bush administration investigates are his staff and supporters.

[verum ago]

Has anyone ever notice something in clinochio's statement about "not having sexual relatioins with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky"? It's as though he had to specify which woman he had sex with. What a POS.

Oh, I'm sure that there was enough Slick Willy to go around