Cohen: Bush, Clarke, and a Shred of Doubt

[kskiska]

Pity poor George Bush. For some reason, he has been beset by delusional aides who, once they leave the White House, write books containing lies and exaggerations and -- this is the lowest blow of all -- do not take into account the president's genius and all-around wisdom. The latest White House aide to betray the president is Richard Clarke, who was in charge of counterterrorism before and after the attacks of Sept. 11. He says Bush "failed to act prior to September 11 on the threat from al Qaeda."

As with former Treasury secretary Paul O'Neill, another fool who had somehow risen to become chairman of Alcoa, Clarke's account of his more than two years in the Bush White House was immediately denounced by a host of administration aides, some of whom -- and this is just the sheerest of coincidences -- had once assured us that Iraq was armed to the teeth with nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. Among them, of course, was Condoleezza Rice, who on Monday insisted in a Post op-ed column that Bush not only did everything just right, but so, really, did Bill Clinton. Both administrations "worked hard," she wrote.

(snip)

Rice's real gift is situational rhetoric. Now, with Bush under criticism from a respected terrorism expert -- and a Republican, to boot -- she makes common cause with the Clinton administration.

Rice's real gift is situational rhetoric. Now, with Bush under criticism from a respected terrorism expert -- and a Republican, to boot -- she makes common cause with the Clinton administration. But that was not always the case. Last October, she faulted previous administrations for doing little about the terrorist threat. In a New York speech, she said of the terrorists: "They became emboldened, and the result was more terror and more victims."

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16407-2004Mar22.html

[Disturbed]

1. Condisleeza

Another vapid, incompetent liar. She said that she will not sign on for another 4 years and wishes to go back to being a Professor. I wonder if here students would believe anything she says.

[seventhson]

2. Only if she says "I am an incompetent liar"

who got my job by ass-kissing and for the purpose of "colorizing" Bush's retinue.

[salin]

3. "Situational Rhetoriic"

Great phrase. The best counter to "Moral Equivalency", which, by the way, we don't hear used anymore, do we.

[Bonhomme Richard]

4. I think she has a bizarre ethics code. In her mind..............

it is perfectly OK to lie unless you are under oath. I think that is where she draws the line and the administration knows it. Not that she has an ethical problem with lying under oath but the fact that if caught she could go to prison. She will not risk that. Ergo the reason they are playing games about her testifying before the commission.