For victims' families, hearing is part of the healing process

[NeoConsSuck]

Go USAToday! F*CK CNN and FOX! Enjoy DU'ers:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-03-24-911-families-usat_x.htm

"I can't believe Condoleezza Rice is not here," MacRae said, expressing her disapproval of the White House refusal to send President Bush's national security adviser.

"Clarke, he brought out the truth," said Scott, a retired soldier who is a budget analyst at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Rosemary Dillard, 56, of Alexandria, Va., wore a small heart-shaped pin dedicated to the victims of American Airlines Flight 77, the plane that hit the Pentagon. Dillard's husband, Eddie, 54, was on the flight. Rosemary, now retired from that airline, was the manager of the jet's flight crew.

"I can't understand how Condoleezza Rice, Dr. Rice, cannot come and speak to the families," she said. "It's like we are not important." Clarke "did an excellent job," she said. "He withstood it all."

[DeepModem Mom]

1. The Bush administration shows contempt for these families --

thanks for posting this article.

And, 9/11 panel, get a clue:

"The chumminess and occasional jokes between panel members and witnesses irked some of the family members."

[leftchick]

3. their sickening "good old boy" behavior has bothered me enormously....

I can only imagine how hurt and insulted the families were. It was a disgusting display. :grr:

[Athame]

12. Especially Tenet

It was such an obvious charade to them. The panelists making jokes and asides, George Tenet sprawling back in his chair, with cocked eyebrow. I only caught a few moments of his testimony on CNN, mostly I have been listening on Pacifica and reading here at DU, but the arrogance is much fainter without the visuals.

[Veggie Meathead]

2. Maureen Dowd This Morning on Clarke's testimony

This morning's NYTimes carried Maureen Dowd's oped on Richard Clarke'stestimony before the 9/11 Commission. She was on target in describing the Bush administration's attempts to smear Clarke and capturing the anguish of the families.Characteristically,Maureen Dowd spoiled it all for me by a snide refernce to Clinton and Monica Lewinsky in the very last sentence of her oped.I found it appalling that that she did not have enough sense of proportion to refrain from comparing what was essentially a sex act in the oval office to one of the greatest tragedies in our lifetimes.One more instance of our Press's failure to treat matters of importance with the seriousness they deserve.

[BootinUp]

4. Good I don't have to read it now.

thanks for the recap. :)

[Skittles]

13. HOWDY VEGGIE

I'd like to welcome you to the DU. :hi:

PS Maureen is often referred to as Whoreen around here.

[MarianJack]

5. Kristen Breitweiser...

...(if I got her name right, which I doubt), a9/11 widow, said on the Today show this morning that the white house has done a cost/benefit analysis and decided it was better to take the heat for rice not testifying than to have her go.

The open contempt for the families and the public is disgraceful. But I guess it's still not as bad as getting a hummer in your office from a consenting adult!

[lebkuchen]

6. They're letting her twist in the wind

So she must fend for herself on the talkies by bashing Clarke.

Her name is "mud" at this point.

[MarianJack]

7. True,...

...so I wonder when she'll fall on her sword?

[Blue_Roses]

9. Did you hear her huge

*sigh* when Katie asked this question about Rice not testifying?

I feel so sorry for these families and all they've been through and now to have our National Security Advisor (*cough*) refuse to help console their loss with making available any information so this won't happen again is beyond my conmprehension. Obviously, there is something to hide or why else not be more forthcoming.

[leftchick]

11. I heard that and loved when she said....

"We need to know what the president* knew and when he knew it."

[MarianJack]

14. Yes.

She must have been sooo console to see the steady leadership of our "president" reading a children's story while her husband and 3,000 other Americans burned to death!

[Mari333]

8. For every person killed on 9/11 for every soldiers family

for every person who died on the ground when Iraq was bombed, for every family who had a kid die over there in war on either side, or sent over there to this fraudulent war, for every family who has lost health care and died as a result for every person who dies because of this administrations policies in every arena...
the whole administration should have their faces shoved down into the dirt and made to not only apologize, but be dragged out of DC in chains. Period. anything less is a travesty.

[mbperrin]

10. Ah. Never mind. Nothing I can say about Rice here.

My heart truly breaks for the 911 families and the families of all those dead in the Iraqi war and its environs.

[Moderator]

15. Story is more than 12 hours old...

...moving to GD.

Thanks!