The Tenet Fiasco - Discussion Thread

self

[Cathryn Crawford]

George Tenet's admission last night that it was his mistake that caused President Bush to use faulty intelligence in his State of The Union address is interesting at the same time as it is convienent. In the statement itself, which is lengthy and filled with reasons as to the intelligence failure, Tenet wholeheartedly takes responsility for his agency.

"Let me be clear about several things right up front. First, CIA approved the President's State of the Union address before it was delivered. Second, I am responsible for the approval process in my Agency. And third, the President had every reason to believe that the text presented to him was sound. These 16 words should never have been included in the text written for the President. "

On the face of it, this admission seems like the perfect solution to the growing problems for both the Bush and Blair administration. It's all CIA's fault, they can claim. But is that really viable?

On the face of it, perhaps. But Bush is the President. He has to take final responsibility, doesn't he?

If Bush can truly claim to know absolutely nothing, then don't we have a serious problem - wouldn't that imply that Bush is either incompetent or is simply not paying attention?

For discussion purposes - has Bush been conned by Tenet? And if he has, isn't that rather serious?

And if he wasn't conned by Tenet, what is the alternative?

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Ah, but who would you rather tie your wagon to, if you were Blair? Clinton or Bush? Being connected to Clinton for eternity is not necessarily a glowing description. Supporting Bush in the War on Terror, will help him go down in history. Kind of like Reagan and Thatcher.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

A round of applause for arasina! Very good! You should publish.

[Mo1]

Thanks for pointing me to that post and the thread

I had read about Staw's comment, which did raise an eyebrow .. but that thread and posts were interesting

[Mike4Freedom]

I read the linked article in the Guardian of London. It is really quite amazing what has happened. I am trying to decide if the two governments are just trying to muddy the waters so much that no one knows what actually happened and there is no one to blame or they really are a bunch of Keystone Kops with very big guns.

Either way, it bodes very ill for our future.

[Refinersfire]

"Ah, but who would you rather tie your wagon to, if you were Blair? Clinton or Bush?"

As a Constitutionalist..neither.. but if I was Blair, it would be a hard choice. For by sticking by Clinton.. He keeps "his" morals intact. By following Bush, He insults all he did in the past and looks like a lier.

And pleaseeeeeee! Don't ever place his name near, around, close or in the same world as the Beloved Lady Thatcher!

[Pan_Yans Wife]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/945153/posts

Pinging you to the new McKinley piece regarding Japan Today

[Spirited]

"In any case, only a complete ... would believe this "it's all Tenet's fault" ...........

I would rather see Bush shut his mouth about it than personally pass blame the way he did yesterday with his own words."

Part one is what anyone who lives within the region of the beltway understands quite deeply. It's the "fall on your sword for your master" bit and whether you approve Tenet or not it is dishonest.

It's a Clinton kind of thing.

Part two is about as far from "class" as you can get. Americans are not that stupid.

We may have voted him in and may vote that way again but this way of handling messes will cling and "shmuck" up the whole era for lots of potential voting coverts. What is there about this deal that convinces an Independent of the sterling virtues of W over what the other side fields? What is "upright", sincere or principled about how it is being worked through.

[FloridaBoy]

I thibk the White House poeple made Mr. Tennent a deal.Admit to this wrong doing of facts, stay quiet, and we will ptotect you and your job. Sure seems like it's going in that direction.

[PhiKapMom]

No, most of us are just "gals" without brains, or plagiarists. Or we're potential dupees, semantic idiots, rhetorical fools who don't know that the word media is plural.

Way to go! I would sure hate to be as dumb as some of the people on here think we are!

[Mo1]

The Democrats can't be calling for Tenet's head, can they? A Clinton appointee?

Yes they can and that is what they are doing .. heck they don't even care if Blair goes down in flames .. just as long as they get what they want and they want GOP blood

Terry the 18 million dollar yelling out the window of his SUV to Brian Wilson is proof of that

The are going to hit a brick wall, soon.

That I agree with

[VRWC For Truth]

Maybe you aren't reading the same Cathryn Crawford I am.

I'm reading and I don't like what I'm seeing.

"You can like Bush, but you should never have blind faith in one man. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. I don't want to see the Democratic Party eliminated. I don't want to see the U.S. going to a one-party system. We need partisanship to ensure that we don't become so complacent that we simply stop caring." - Cathryn Crawford

[arasina]

Chapter entitled "Tactics". The 13th rule. Pick the target, freeze it,personalize, and polarize it.

Hillary Clinton was a follower of Alinsky's in the early '70s, no?

arasina's post #560

[Dan from Michigan]

I don't want the dems eliminated either. If the dems are gone, they will reemerge as RINOS in one party areas.

It's why you got the old conservative southern dems for years until the 90's and also you had RINO's like Marge Roukema(GOP area, dem couldn't win).

The libs will never go away.

[Refinersfire]

"I'm reading and I don't like what I'm seeing.

"You can like Bush, but you should never have blind faith in one man. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. I don't want to see the Democratic Party eliminated. I don't want to see the U.S. going to a one-party system. We need partisanship to ensure that we don't become so complacent that we simply stop caring." - Cathryn Crawford"

Give us a break... you can't tell us that you miss her point with this statement.. here I'll place it in big letters for you..

"We need partisanship to ensure that we don't become so complacent that we simply stop caring."

[arasina]

Thank you! Now, why am I not on your PING list? :o)

[huck von finn]

I had exactly the same reaction.

[Mo1]

Hillary Clinton was a follower of Alinsky's in the early '70s, no?

Yes .. I believe one of Alinsky's rules were "the end justifies the means"

[VRWC For Truth]

Oh, I get the point exactly. Just exposing it for all to see.

[PhiKapMom]

Thanks for posting that link! CIA Director Tenet gave the best commencement speech I have ever heard and in it he thanked President Bush for the opportunity he gave to him to serve this great Country. He is the son of immigrants and his respect for both President Bush's was obvious.

As I said earlier, if President David Boren of OU, who I respect tremendously, was the mentor of George Tenet then the CIA is in good hands. David Boren has forgotten more about foreign affairs and intelligence then most people will ever know. He may be a Democrat, but he is not a Clinton DemocRAT. He supported Clarence Thomas and worked to get him on the SCOTUS. When he came to OU, he worked to get Anita Hill to leave the OU Law School and succeeded. He is the old style Democrat where you may disagree with some of his stands politically but he did call for Clinton to resign the first night of Monicagate on National TV and resigned the Senate to become OU President partly because Clinton became President.

Now President GHW Bush supports George Tenet, David Boren supports George Tenet, and now President Bush and Vice President Cheney along with Senator Warner support George Tenet, then I say he must be doing a good job!

[cyncooper]

I wish I could point you to what I have read, but the information overload has been astonishing. From what I remember, though, I read something about Cheney's desire to check into the uranium matter and asking the CIA to do so. Wilson was sent by the CIA to Niger and came back in fall of 2002 with a "negative" report. Negative on the uranium claim. The CIA claimed that his findings were forwarded to the appropriate offices.

I posted at #30 a link to an article/letter by Jack Straw, huck. Straw references the story. First, Wilson is a democratic operative--formerly of the offices of Al Gore and Tom Foley. Second, his report was negative but nowhere near an exhaustige and comprehensive investigation that would put an end to the matter. Third, Straw speaks of a 1999 incident involving Wilson that buttresses the British intelligence findings.