If the Whitehouse can Declassify National Security material to get

[Bandit]

a Critic of the Whitehouse why can't they declassify material about our energy meetings in 2001. I would think National Security would be much more sensitive and need classification far more than mere energy meetings. Declassify the Energy meetings and show what an open and honest government we have.

[sallyseven]

1. What are they thinking? They knew what was in the book

and they chose the date for it to be published, Do they think they can alter the outcome?

[kskiska]

3. They knew for quite some time this was coming

I remember reading when O'Neill's book came out how the book the White House really feared was the next one – the Clarke book. Now we know why.

[Spazito]

2. They didn't plan on the inquiry being given more time...

they thought the inquiry would have been finished their public hearings before the book could affect it and they couldn't hold the book up any longer because if the release date were closer to the election, it would still have an impact.

They screwed up and I LOVE it!

[Bozita]

4. Rove is really far from the genius he's thought to be

Sometimes, some things get too damned big to spin.

Good job, Karl.

[eleny]

5. This will backfire on them like everything else lately

I think Clarke is so well grounded, that anything the administration does proactively is another shot in their collective foot. Even the McLaughlin Group last night thought the administration should have been collectively silent on the Clarke matter. And that includes Pat Buchanan. In fact, Buchanan took Clarke's side on the matter of highlighting the positive and toning down the negative in press conferences. He said that you didn't tone down the negative, you (paraphrase here) buried it.

My take on all this is that everything will backfire on Bush because it's time this happened. Enough is enough - even for some insiders.