I agree! Glad that the Admin is hitting back. I don't want to see full-scale squabbling break out, but the Dems just get emboldened by polite silence. And it's good to see that the person doing it was Powell, since the Dems are always trying to imply that he's not really with Bush in his actions.
This was a huge bitch slap at the Dems.
They can afford to jump all over Bush, but Powell commands more respect in Democratic circles. That Powell cited the Sudan story means that he has looked at the classified papers relating to Ijaz's testimony and the Bin Laden Affair of 1996. His description of Gore's speech as "nonsense", and his citation of the failures of Clinton-Gore are a warning:
If the Rats want to play ball, Colin is willing to play ball, as is the Administration. They want this to be bipartisan.
If the Rats want this to be a wedge issue for partisanship, Powell is quite prepared to hit the Democrats himself. They did not expect this, and are rather surprised at Powell's remarks, as they expected silence on his part.
Finally, this is a warning from Bush to Clinton: don't start with the bullshit. I'm busy running a war, and if you start running me down in the middle of a war, Powell will come out and ruin you, as only he can.
Despite the general run of opinion on this board, Powell enjoys wide respect and admiration across the country. The Toon would be a fool to take him on.
Be Seeing You,
Chris