Ouch! NYT SlapDown on Bush/Condi Flap

[nostamj]

today's lead editorial....

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/31/opinion/31WED1.html

President Bush finally agreed yesterday to allow his national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, to testify publicly and under oath to the panel investigating the 9/11 attacks. But Mr. Bush did the right thing only under intense political pressure and after he had already undermined the principles he claimed to be upholding. His reversal came with disturbing conditions attached, wrapped up in a volley of spin. All in all, it leaves the impression of a White House less interested in helping the 9/11 panel perform its vital task than in protecting the president's political flanks.

<snip>

The White House's initial refusal to allow Ms. Rice to testify and its cynical use of a confidential adviser as a public accuser would have been bad enough. But they fit an unpleasant pattern. This president has repeatedly abused his executive privilege while seeking to hide behind it, starting when Mr. Cheney invoked that privilege to gather business executives in secret to draft the administration's energy policy.

President Bush may be right in holding that this battle has harmed his important, but limited, right to executive privilege. If so, the wounds were self-inflicted.

[sniffa]

1. BOOYAH!

it's a stark comparison from the boston heraLd's Lead editoriaL, which stated the dems are pLaying with fire on the 9-11 commission. the 'dems' shouLd just drop it, because it'LL onLy hurt kerry. :eyes:

[readmylips]

2. bush changes his mind...kerry flip-flops...

I like how the media makes bush look good with 'changes his mind' and Kerry just 'flip-flops' when he changes his mind...

The media in this country is not worth shit!

[Auntie Bush]

4. Aaron Brown did a great job of exposing

and listing all the Bush flip-flops. Write him a letter of thanks.

[BabsSong]

3. Thankfully someone pointed out what was crossing my mind when

this "deal" came forward. In a word, I was wondering if anyone noticed that right to the 'last dog being hung' these bastards have to make deals, etc. like a goddamn Mafia Don agreeing to plead to a lesser crime rather than saying "we will be glad to get all out on the table and there will be areas that might have to go into closed session if they touch on what is going on right now to attack the terrorists", etc. These guys from the get go couldn't play it straight and they still can't.

[Auntie Bush]

5. How about the fact that Cheney has to come along with Bush

to hold his hand and answer all the technical questions (like how many troops have been killed in Iraq?) How can the Commission find any information from Bush when he doesn't know anything? (Info hasn't bubbled up that high yet...another Reagan..out of the loop) and besides he doesn't give a damn. All he cares about and knows is how many votes he'll be getting after he destroys all his enemies. A real class act! His only question is ..What do the polls say? Have I avenged Daddy yet? Is Daaaddy proud of me now? But under his breath he is saying. "I'm a better President than you Dad. See...I got rid of Saddam and you couldn't, Ha! Ha! You were only a one time President and I'm going to show you I'm better than you and I'll be a two time president and I'll do it by hook or crook. Nothing will stop me. Besides I can count on Dibold. So there Daddy! Stuff it!"

[Brotherjohn]

6. Ooohhh! What really pissed me off this morning listening to Bush...

... (like that alone isn't enough) was that he had the gall to say something to the effect that they were allowing rice to testify "because they were interested in providing the fullest cooperation regarding such an important matter as the murder of 3000 Americans.." (I'm paraphrasing)

WTF!?!

You know damn well, and so does everybody else, that you're allowing Rice to testify only because the political pressure got so intense that you could no longer afford NOT to!

Another blatant, bald-faced LIE!!!

[DeepModem Mom]

7. I like the recognition of the "disturbing conditions"...

attached to the Condi deal.