9/11 scrutiny hits Bush aura on terror

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0326/p01s03-uspo.html

All week, the Bush team was on the defensive over charges that it made fighting terror a low priority.

By Linda Feldmann and Liz Marlantes | Staff writers of The Christian Science Monitor

WASHINGTON – Until now, it has been an article of faith that President Bush's stewardship of the nation right after 9/11 would help him win reelection. It would give this self-described "war president" an automatic measure of goodwill among many voters, shielding him from bad news about the economy and Iraq.

Now, after two days of testimony before the independent commission investigating 9/11, punctuated by harsh criticism from a former National Security Council counterterrorism chief, the Bush administration is on the defensive - and facing questions over whether 9/11 will present quite the political boon it had expected in November. snip

In one embarrassing exception, Cheney claimed Monday that Clarke had been "out of the loop" in the fight against terror, raising the obvious question of why a White House would not involve its counterrorism chief in major decisions.

On Wednesday, Ms. Rice stepped forward to correct the vice president, asserting that, indeed, Clarke "was in every meeting that was held on terrorism."

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[librechik]

1. Yes, there were 2. That's right, out of 100 meetings, terror was the topic

exactly twice.

[leftchick]

2. That quote form condi is bizarro...

I know I heard her on a Sunday show, with timmy or someone say the same "out of the loop" shit. Anyone else see it?

[asjr]

4. I heard Condi say Clarke didn't

attend meetings. They really need to get their stories straight.

[frylock]

3. gotta love this..

"Basically, the way it's lining up is Condi Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, Colin Powell, Dick Cheney, and the president's word against his," says GOP strategist Charlie Black. With some of the charges Clarke is making, he adds, "you can demonstrate whether he's right or they're right. By Monday or so, I don't think he'll have much credibility left."

that is so laughable.

[Moderator]

5. locking

similar story here -

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=442849