Clarke --- in the loop or out of it?

[radfringe]

couple of puzzlers here...

1. the WH attack dogs have stated that Clarke was out of the loop

given Clarke's experience and knowledge of terrorism -- why was he out of the loop? seems to me that if you are really taking terrorism seriously that you would have wanted Clarke actively in the loop...

2. in typical spin fashion -- WH attack dogs have also stated that they acted on Clarke's suggestions

ummmm...if Clarke was OUT OF THE LOOP then how would you know what those suggestions were?

more flip-flops, spins or loop-de-loops?

[sampsonblk]

1. If he was out, it proves his point

Why was the top terrorism guy out of the damn loop, Condi?

Ken Lay was in the loop. Other oil execs got briefings on Iraq years in advance. Why was Clarke out of the loop and not them? Some shit needs to hit the fan here. We gotta keep pressing these points.

[notadmblnd]

12. little Scottie Mc Cellen said Monday that....

Clarke refused to attend their meetings. I read it right here
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/03/20040322-4.html

Q Scott, you, earlier, said that Clarke had refused orders to attend a certain number of meetings. You said that in the gaggle this morning. Can you tell me, what do you mean by that? Were there meetings he was supposed to attend that he didn't attend? Did he have to be ordered --

MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, Dr. Rice --

Q -- and the timetable for --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, Dr. Rice, early on in the administration, started holding daily briefings with the senior directors of the National Security Council, of which he was one. But he refused to attend those meetings, and he was later asked to attend those meetings and he continued to refuse to attend those meetings. You would have to ask --

Q Why?

MR. McCLELLAN: You'd have to ask him why. But those, obviously, are important meetings, and meetings that are held on a daily basis by the National Security Advisor.

[REP]

2. Clarke, Not Clark

You mean Dick Clarke, who could be called the Dick Clark of public service (Jon Stewart).

Without the 'e' someone might think you're after the General!

[radfringe]

3. I was out of the loop

during that particular class on spelling....

:D

meanwhile -- my bad :spank:, and it's been fixed

[REP]

4. And No, I Don't Think He Was Out of The Loop

or loupe. :)

[DODI]

5. Fred Kaplan's Slate Article -"Clarke was the loop"

http://slate.msn.com/id/2097685

[RhodaGrits]

6. In the Loop? You mean the man the Bush Admin had...

running the Situation Room the morning of 9/11 wasn't in the Loop?

[Jacobin]

7. I noticed something about this on Tweety last night

When they played Dickless Cheney's statement saying Clarke was "out of the loop", they said it came on a "radio show" interview, but conveniently didn't mention it was on OxyRush's show.

Methinks they are embarrassed by the FatDrugBoy and only allow him to speak to the vast unwashed. Never is OxyRush mentioned on "polite" television.

Kinda telling.

[snippy]

8. Clarke had access to Bush and Rice which proves he was out of the loop.

This is according to Cheney and Rice.

[susu369]

9. Interesting use of old phrase

Hey, Cheney, got something from the past sticking in your craw?

Remember Bush I lied to the public when he claimed he was "out of the loop" on Iran-Contra?

Of course, Clarke was NOT out of the loop.

[i_c_a_White_Ghost]

10. born liars all of them

amazing how the press never hits them with the tough questions but allows them to squirm away like the traitors they are. I notice they all have the same lines as if they get briefed in the 'damage control how to lie' room. They should be confronted head on with questions like, hey scott are you saying he's a flat out liar? Was he in the loop, or as cheney said "out of the loop", then if he was out of the loop, what did they say about our ability to fight terrorism?

Also that resignation letter was just that, a polite way to part ways. As Howard Fineman of Newsweek pointed out it stated that he praised the presidents leadership on 9/11 but NOT a blanket statement of approval.

[Avis]

11. Outrageous

that Cheney would say that a antiterrorism expert was out of the loop - that makes it even worse? If they leave out the experts, they really are at fault for not doing enough?

[mmonk]

13. Expect Clarke to be villified by repubs and Kerrey today

especially in order to shift blame for everything on the Clinton administration and concluding inaction on terrorism while he was in the Clinton administration was part of the problem. Remember, this is about continuing present US foreign policy and those that like it will definitely do what they can at avoiding any truths that may hinder them.

[rocktivity]

14. You just hung yourself, Cheney

I didn't want to address this until I had all the facts, to wit, that Vice President Dick Cheney personally said for all the world to hear that Clarke was out of the loop. Well, congratulations Dick--you've plunked yourself right in the middle of a no-win situation, and you may have corroborated Clarke's testimony without really trying!

If you're lying in hopes of making Clarke look like a liar, you're scum. But if you're telling the truth, well, WHY was Clarke left out of the loop, and why didn't you care? If he was derelict in his job duties, why wasn't replaced? OR...was Clarke PUT out of the loop so that you and Georgie could push your OWN political and military agenda? Either way, Cheney, you've got some explaining to do!

:headbang:
rocknation

[kentuck]

15. He was the loop....

He had more experience than all of them combined...

[Tracer]

16. "Out Of The Loop" ...

... is corporate-speak for attempting to insult and humilate employees.

Take it from me, I know.

[Festivito]

17. Clarke was out of the loopy loop, but in the real loop.

The loopy loop of Bush, Condi, et. al., who wanted a GROUND war with IRAQ didn't like Clarke's memo that said Iraq was not connected to 9/11. When asked to UPDATE the memo whose ink was still drying, Clarke wrote that there is NO CONNECTION between 9/11 and Iraq.

The president did not read that updated memo and Clarke was not invited to meet with the loopy loopers again.

I gather he rathers to retire than to be in a loopy loop that would have him as a member.

[K8-EEE]

18. Meeting With Outta-Loopers Post 9/11?

Why was he doing THAT? The out of loop thing is a dumb lie that looks bad for them either way...

I like how Jon Stewart reacted to Scottie's "GWB was not in the situation room" the day after 9/11 -- WHAT IS HE SAVING THE SITUATION ROOM FOR THEN? TIME TO TAKE THE PLASTIC OFF THE CHAIRS IN THE SITUATION ROOM -- THERE'S A SITUATION!!