Posted on 08/20/2009 4:23:46 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
Bush vets dismiss Ridge claims By: Andy Barr August 20, 2009 06:53 PM EST
Top officials from the George W. Bush White House are disputing claims in former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridges coming book that they pressured him to adjust the terror threat level for political gain.
We went over backwards repeatedly and with great discipline to make sure politics did not influence any national security and homeland security decisions, former White House chief of staff Andy Card told POLITICO. The clear instructions were to make sure politics never influenced anything.
Im a little mystified, former homeland security adviser Fran Townsend added in an interview. Never in my experience did I see any political influence exerted on the cabinet secretary.
According to promotional materials for Ridges coming book, The Test of Our Times: America Under Siege And How We Can Be Safe Again, the ex-homeland security secretary and governor of Pennsylvania accuses the Bush White House of pushing him to raise the national security alert just before the 2004 Election.
A description for the book on the publishers website also says Ridge was pressured to connect homeland security to the international war on terror and that he pushed for a plan (defeated because of turf wars) to integrate DHS and FEMA disaster management in New Orleans and other areas before Hurricane Katrina.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
Good. Ridge is pimping a book?
Tom STFU.
Im a little mystified,
Why, Ridge is an idiot.
Never trust a RINO. Remember Paul O’neil?
If your story is true...then the fact that you did not report it or make a statement about it then, when it was happening, says more about you than what you are trying to say about Bush.
That you say it only now, to try and push book sales, is indicative of who it is that is really pushing the influence and coloring the truth.
I am not surprised.
“Were you lying then or are you lying now Tom?”
Good call ;’}
Wow. And just a few weeks ago I was asking for opinions about Ridge running for higher office. NO WAY! Backbiting Loser.
That doesn't leave many to trust.
Tom (RINO) Ridge
LLS
Yep
There is no “typical” first print run. First printings can range from as few as 5000 copies to 500000 and beyond. Ridge won’t sell 5,000 unless he has a whole lot of relatives.
Wasn’t he the FBI agent that tried to warn people about a coming terror attack from Al Quada before 9/11?
October 30, 2004
Ridge says no plan to raise terror threat level
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- US Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Saturday there was no plan to raise the national terror threat level in response to the broadcast of a videotape of Osama bin Laden.
Ridge said there had been no specific information indicating possible terrorist attacks, and state and local officials have already stepped up security measures as planned to safeguard the election.
"We don't have to go to orange to take action in response either to these tapes or just general action to improve security around the country," he said.
Ridge said the Homeland Security Department and the FBI issued a bulletin to local and state officials late Friday, but had no plan at the moment to raise the threat level at the federal level.
But Ridge stressed that his department reserve the right to raise the alert level. American intelligence agencies were still analyzing the videotape, which was broadcast on Al Jazeera on Friday, to determine whether bin Laden's speech contained hidden messages or clues about a possible future attack against the United States. Enditem
Paul O’Neil was the idiot in charge of Treasury.
In naming no one, he names everyone. What a gutless putz.
I’m so glad W did not name him VP in 2000.
What’s the proper term for this kind of tale-telling person, “rat fink”?
To believe this accusation, you’d have to believe John Ashcroft and Robert Mueller, George Bush and Cheney, were dishonorable men. I know the lefties believe that but I do not.
From this article in 2004- the adminstration was aware of the political nature of raising the terror alert level, and bent over backwards to avoid it.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-10-19-terror-threat_x.htm
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