Free Republic

The White House is making an all out effort to counter criticism of President Bush's handling of the war on terrorism from a former top member of his national security team. Richard Clarke's criticism has clearly hit a raw nerve at the White House. And now, even the president is speaking out. Mr. Clarke, who served as White House counterterrorism coordinator until about a year ago, charges the president ignored the threat from al-Qaida prior to the September 11 terrorist attacks and instead was fixated on Iraq. The allegations first appeared in a new book that hit stores on Monday,...

As the American political system negotiated its way through Richard Clarke Week, there is one overarching political lesson: the national media monolith manufactures the "news" any way it desires, a crude daily sculpting of political Silly Putty. It can make someone a household name. It can leave someone utterly unknown in Idaho. Richard Clarke Week was the latest widget of propaganda from the liberal-media assembly line, designed with an extremely partisan purpose -- destroying whatever polling advantage George W. Bush enjoys on protecting the nation from terrorism. Ask this question: if this previously obscure Richard Clarke had come out with...