Condi Rice Invited Bill Clinton to Head East Timor Delegation

ABC News Morning Political Insider Tip Sheet 'The Note' ^ | May 9, 2002 | Elizabeth Winter and Mark Halperin

[codebreaker]

And here we were thinking that the Bush Administration's reaching out to President Clinton and offering him a role in the big East Timor delegation could be a long awaited reapproachment between the Clintons and the Bushes.

Ever since USA Today ace reporter Bill Nichols broke the story of the appointment earlier this week, things have kind of slid downhill.

The Clintonistas haven't liked all framing the backgound quotes that have described the reasons for the assignment, and one former Clinton aide has now gone so far as to tell 'The Note' in a huff exactly what they haven't liked.

'The (Administration's) use of the word accommodate. They are not accommodating us. Clinton did not want to go to East Timor. He was invited by Condi Rice. Once he was able to move his schedule around, he accepted her invitation to HEAD the delegation. And all this happened in March.'

'They should really stop their lies and stop being cute about this and just stand up for once and do the right thing.' (ed.-!)

Their unhappiness, they say, is on the staff level.

And Clinton, they say, had already been invited by Kofi Annan to be part of the UN delegation.

[codebreaker]

I've always thought this was kind of a slap in the face sending The 'Toon as far away as possible..

[Semper Paratus]

Bush is standing tall after being rebuffed by the likes of Oprah and x42.

[codebreaker]

LOL! Someone had the perfect suggestion for the title of 'Toons talk show... GROPERAH!

[tcostell]

'They should really stop their lies and stop being cute about this ...and leave the lying and being cute to us!

[linn37]

ahh he does'nt want to go now he's just being nice.I looked up Timor its a tiny lil place,to bad I was hoping bubba would get lost there.

[Lee'sGhost]

"Clinton did not want to go to East Timor. . . .And Clinton, they say, had already been invited by Kofi Annan to be part of the UN delegation.

Sounds to me like Annan -- not to mention East Timor -- was slighted.

[codebreaker]

I think you have to get there by small commuter aircraft.

[codebreaker]

Yes indeed, the world in need of the Toon will not get him..

I can hear the weeping now!

[Dog]

I never thought of it that way......

He just slapped Timor.....

[codebreaker]

I expect the denial from the White House to come soon..

[linn37]

they could open a cargo door and boot him out of a military jet and then take bets on how close he gets to the landing site.

[joesnuffy]

LOL

[spokeshave]

Bill as keynote at the local canibal festival...be still my heart...

[cookcounty]

East Timor: A tiny island nation in the Lesser Sunda Islands, whose shores teem with man-eating salt-water crocodiles and Great White sharks.

Just the place.

[ppaul]

It's because he is our only black former President.

[codebreaker]

Looks like Condi knows her geography..

[linn37]

deny what?

[codebreaker]

That the Toon had to rearrange his schedule, please the guy is clubbing with Oxford co-eds and running up $15,000 bar tabs.

The guy is bored out of his mind.

[TigerTale]

I laughed my head off when I heard about this assignment. With all the speculation about X42 getting involved with North Korea, or the Middle East, or in some other way affecting great events, the Bush administration finally agrees to use him--in EAST TIMOR. What a hoot. How can this not seem like a slap to the Toon?

All the same, I wish the administration had left him out in the cold. I don't appreciate Bubba getting the press.