Rice Defends Refusal To Testify -- Compromise Sought With 9/11 Commission

[radfringe]

Rice Defends Refusal To Testify -- Compromise Sought With 9/11 Commission
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31904-2004Mar28.html
By Dana Milbank and Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, March 29, 2004; Page A01

---snip---

Republican commissioner John F. Lehman, who has written extensively on separation-of-power issues, said that "the White House is making a huge mistake" by blocking Rice's testimony and decried it as "a legalistic approach."

"The White House is being run by a kind of strict construction of interpretation of the powers of the president," he said on ABC's "This Week." "There are plenty of precedents that the White House could use if they wanted to do this."

Two Republican officials, who declined to be identified because they are not supposed to talk to reporters, said White House aides are discussing ways they could compromise with the commission, formally known as the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, perhaps by agreeing to the declassification of Rice's private testimony. "That would show people that she is cooperating, and make it clear that her testimony is consistent with her public pronouncements," one official said. "That would help our credibility."

------snip------

Clarke insisted that there is no inconsistency between the testimony he gave the commission last week and his still-classified 2002 testimony. He said his critical book should be believed over his previous statements flattering Bush's counterterrorism efforts "because I have no obligation anymore to spin." Clarke said he was just being polite by praising Bush in a resignation letter that the White House released; he displayed a handwritten note from Bush saying, "You served our nation with distinction and honor."

[Kagemusha]

1. Honestly, what's the point.

The only issue here is the bold lie that she is constitutionally barred from appearing. It's not like she's going to tell a different story: that even had she put in more effort, even if she'd been more vigilant, even if she'd, you know, done her job, 9/11 would have happened, so lay off. That they couldn't have prevented 9/11 unless they'd known the exact day and hour.

If they're that helpless, then Rice's contention we're safer begs the question: Based on what? If nothing would have halted 9/11 short of knowing the exact flights involved, why are we safer now?

The only one barring Rice is President Bush, who is abusing his powers in support of Candidate Bush.

[smartass]

2. Didn't Sandy Berger and Breczynski already break precedence

by giving public testimony in a public congressional findings board. So Rice would hardly be breaking precedence by testifying. She's just covering hers, W's and Heart boys' asses.

[molly]

3. I watched Tenet's appearance again yesterday

on C-Span. He very distinctly said "RECORDINGS". There are recordings of EVERTHING.

[mediaman007]

4. The commission is not a part of Congress!

Someone made the point that this is not a Congressional committee! This makes the White House look stupid! They wrap themselves in the Constitution, then propose laws that remove Constitutional rights for the rest of us.

[smartass]

5. That's right!

[dbt]

6. Separation of Powers went out the window when Clinton was deposed!

I don't need to hear the Pug Dogs barking about it anymore. A sitting president may be deposed over a blowjob. The very Supremist Court that installed bu$h has already ruled that a sitting president may have a civil suit brought against him without it affecting his ability to do his job. Moreover, two national security advisers have already testified under oath.

The Regime needs to quit its feckin' WHINING about Separation of Powers. Considering the way bu$h landed in the White Haus, it's disingenuous at best.

Shut the fuck UP, boys and put Condo Lizard on the stand!

:argh:
dbt

[peacetalksforall]

23. Yes, they should compromise by going to her...and filming it in the Map

Room just as was done for Clinton when Starr embarassed himself and the country. And the cable shows and networks should rerun it for weeks into months.

She should just resign and speak. She must have a some cool millions coming her way from her role in the Iraq oil and her loyalty pledge.

[wryter2000]

7. I hope she keeps it up

If she does testify, she'll only spew a bunch of lies and confuse things. As long as she refuses, she looks guilty.

[The Magistrate]

8. The Longer This Goes On, Ms. Radfringe, The Better

The people read the refusal to testify publicly under oath as meaning all said by a person in other venues is a bare-faced lie....

"Desperate men do desperate things, and stupid men do stupid things. We are in for a desperately stupid summer."

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"

[iam]

9. If rice testifies under oath

she will have to either perjur herself and risk a lot of jail time or plead the 5th. The moment she hides behind the 5th amendment all hell will break loose. bush and the whole evil cabal will go to jail.

[Reciprocity]

11. "If rice testifies under oath"

Kinda-sleezy-Rice want testify because she is too smart to lie under oath.

[newyawker99]

18. Hi Reciprocity!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Bride of Cthulhu]

22. wishful thinking

>The moment she hides behind the 5th amendment all hell will break loose. bush and the whole evil cabal will go to jail.



Don't hold your breath.

[Qutzupalotl]

10. Hey Condi, here's a compromise for ya:

Why don't you swear to tell a half-truth?

[LiberalFighter]

20. Then just tell us which half is the truth and which is a lie

That way you won't be lying.

[spotbird]

12. Her idea of a compromise is the Commission giving her everything

she wants and she doesn't budge. Sort of like her bosses idea of a compromise.

Who cares what she said in her private testimony? It is likely the same tale that she has told many times already. Without the oath releasing the earlier testimony is worthless.

[markus]

13. CNN Online Headline Better: 'I have nothign to hide"

I am not a crook!

Man, I haven't had enjoyed politics this much since, well, I can't remember when, but I think it was before Reagan was President.

[yellowcanine]

14. Condi is running interference for Bush

Notice how the attention about testifying is suddenly on Rice - not Bush. As long as we are talking about Condi, the attention shifts away from Bush - who should be testifying as well. They will drag this out and Condi will agree to testify at the last minute when there is no more time to have Bush testify.

[Reciprocity]

24. running interference

If this is all such top secret material why is she all over the TV? I can't see what they would lose, she is undercutting her own credibility. All this shows is the administration really does have something to hide.

[revcarol]

15. You should have heard Kennedy on the floor of the Senate today!!

The administration got it with both barrels: politely and respectfully he crucified them on this, and called for Bush to give his testimony in public and under oath, citing President Ford's giving testimony under oath about his pardon of Nixon, because IT WAS A MATTER OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE!!

[LiberalFighter]

21. I believe it was Paul Begala also mentioned Ford on Crossfire too

[Rex]

16. She has the power to destroy the BFEE.

Will she use it? Will she get 'Baxterized' for even thinking about it? Stay tuned sports fans!

[daleo]

17. After Martha Stewart was convicted,

The media maintained that she hurt her case by not testifying. The same reasoning is true of Rice, many times over.

[nolabels]

19. Don't you have to be able to read to be a school teacher?

I keep on asking myself, what part of the conversation did I miss?

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/8305904.htm
First lady defends husband's actions prior to Sept. 11

Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. - Any suggestion that President Bush didn't take the threat of terrorism seriously before the Sept. 11 attacks is misguided, his wife, Laura Bush said Monday.

"If the implication was that my husband in some way does not take his role seriously, that's just absolutely wrong," Bush told reporters after addressing a National School Boards Association conference in Orlando.
(snip)
(snip)
Laura Bush said the commission and its investigation shouldn't be politicized.

"It's for us to find out what we can do to make sure it doesn't happen again and to make sure the people of the United States are safe and secure," Bush said. "That's the goal of my husband and his administration."

http://www.indystar.com/articles/3/132563-7693-010.html
Bush's jokes about Iraq's 'weapons' blasted
The Washington Post
March 26, 2004
(snip)
A crowd of about 1,500 politicians, journalists and celebrities generally laughed along with the president's presentation.

But noting that Bush had used the weapons issue to justify a war in Iraq in which nearly 600 Americans have died and more than 3,000 have been wounded, Democrats said the president went too far.

"It's a tragic attempt at comedy, because the price that has been paid for this endeavor has been an enormous one," Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., said.

Kerry's campaign charged Bush with "a stunningly cavalier attitude" toward a serious subject.

CNN, which ran a tape of Bush's bit, reported that it generated critical e-mails from viewers.
(snip)

“We don’t do body counts”
General Tommy Franks, US Central Command
http://www.iraqbodycount.org

http://legitgov.org/