Consensus is goal of 9-11 panel

[icymist]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/onpolitics/2001889304_onpolitics27m.html

Consensus is goal of 9-11 panel

By David Postman
Times chief political reporter

Two days of hearings by the federal 9-11 commission this week drew out partisan lines among the 10 panelists.

Democratic members were hardest on Bush administration witnesses, and Republicans on former Clinton administration officials.

The divide was so clear, commissioners saw a need to reassure the public.

"Would it cheer you to know that in more than a year that this commission has been in operation we've never taken a partisan vote?" Commissioner James Thompson, former Republican governor of Illinois, asked witness Richard Armitage, the deputy secretary of state.

Commissioner Richard Ben-Veniste, a Democrat, repeated that in Wednesday's hearing, "because there's a lot of interest in the media, and elsewhere in this town, in trying to make this commission into some partisan operation. That's not the case."

No one can give any details on the votes; they are all confidential, said commission spokesman Al Felzenberg. He did say there haven't been many votes, and most have been unanimous or nearly so.

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[Skidmore]

1. I would prefer that they had "The Truth" as a goal. nt

[gemlake]

2. Thompson didn't appear

to be interested in the truth during Clarke's testimony. The 9/11 commission will not be the last word on the issue. If they attempt to mitigate the bush administration's incompetence, they will only make themselves look bad.