All opinions posted. None too pathetic or contrived. Everyone gets their say.

"...even the wicked get worse than they deserve." - Willa Cather, One of Ours

Friday, March 26, 2004

Richard Clarke KOs the Bushies

Slate (Liberal)
The ex-terrorism official dazzles at the 9/11 commission hearings.
Richard Clarke made his much-anticipated appearance before the 9/11 commission this afternoon and, right out of the box, delivered a stunning blow to the Bush administration -- the political equivalent of a first-round knockout.

The blow was so stunning, it took a while to realize that it was a blow. Clarke thanked the members for holding the hearings, saying they finally provided him "a forum where I can apologize" to the victims of 9/11 and their loved ones. He continued, addressing those relatives, many of whom were sitting in the hearing room:

Your government failed you and I failed you. We tried hard, but that doesn't matter because we failed. And for that failure, I would ask for your understanding and for your forgiveness.

End of statement. Applause. KO...
Maybe, but I doubt it. When the 9/11 commission's final report is released in July, I think many people will be surprised when they discover that most of Clarke's most serious accusations will not be mentioned. These issues will be just too hot to touch.

In this case, the commission has no choice. The only chance the commission has to get the proposals in the report enacted is if they ignore Clarke's accusations completely. The final report can either be an assignment of blame to the political leadership, or a proposal for specific changes to the fix the system, but not both. Instead, all the blame will fall on the bureaucracies in the CIA and FBI (that is perfectly acceptable to the politicians).

If the commissioner’s final report supports Clarke's charges, then the report will become a political football that will generate a great deal of political attention for a time afterwards, but the substance of the report will be ignored and die a quick death.

The commissioner’s can either do something important to help the country, or they can be just another failed government commission. After all the serious work the commissioner’s have put into this report, they don't want to see the report denounced as a partisan hack job and ignored. If Clarke's charges are reaffirmed in the final report, for the sake of political survival, the Republicans will have no choice but to do just that.

You can argue the substance or you can argue the politics. In this case, politics and substance are mutually exclusive.

http://slate.msn.com/id/2097750/
Posted by: Zayphar / 3/26/2004 07:55:00 PM
Comments: Post a Comment

<< Home