Is Clarke pulling a John Dean....

[Junkdrawer]

Is it possible the Clarke figured out last year that he was going to be the Sept. 11 Commission's scapegoat and that prompted him to get busy on the book so that his side of the story came out first? Is Condi nervous because she knows she's Number 2 on that short list?

Hmmmm...

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

1. Why would he be their scapegoat?

It seems the facts sort of exonerate him from that.

I dont know about Condi.

[Junkdrawer]

3. Now that his book's out, we know the facts. Imagine if they just...

painted a picture that his "failed Clinton policies" were the scandalous cause of 9-11. Imagine him struggling to put together his rebuttal while the press was crucifying him.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

6. I think they are STILL going to use the "Failied Clinton policies"

line in this smear campaign. The NYT has reported that part of the smear campaign will be to "politicize" the issues....

[madfloridian]

2. You mean a John Dean, that is.

Could be. He is quite eloquent, just like John Dean.

[Junkdrawer]

4. Thanks. I changed it to be clear. n/t

[Unknown Known]

5. I think he knows something is coming down the pike

And he's trying to distance himself from it. IMHO:toast:

[nankerphelge]

7. I heard

that the book was finished last year and it has been sitting around awaiting approval for release.

[FredScuttle]

10. That is true...

Clarke submitted the final draft to the WH last fall to check any (potentially) classified information. They sat on it for months, only releasing it a few weeks back. Thus, when you hear the freeper argument about the timing of the book's release in the midst of a campaign, tell them Clarke wanted it out last December, but the WH dragged ass on their review...much like they dragged ass on doing anything about al Queda until it was too late.

[Gman]

8. John Dean once stated he

was afraid of being raped in prison. That's probably one of the biggest reasons he sang so loud. I think Clarke has other, more honorable, motivations.

Don't get me wrong. Dean has turned out OK since Watergate and I like him now. But during Watergate he was just as thick with Nixon as any of them. Dean was a rat looking to save his own butt.

[Junkdrawer]

11. I never thought it was a perfect analogy...

The main point is that, faced with being scapegoated may have been the final push to get Clarke to stop spinning (lying???) for the regime and come clean.

[Kool Kitty]

9. Slightly off-topic but,

Dean has a new book out, too, entitled "Worse Than Watergate". Looks good, too.