What is going on?
I ask myself that a lot when I look at the newspaper these days.
Condoleezza Rice, the Bush administration's National Security Advisor, has seemingly been in front of every reporter and television camera that she can find. Each time, she has criticized Richard Clarke, President Bush's former counter-terrorism czar, and his new book Against All Enemies.
But she refuses to testify under oath in front of the 9/11 Commission.
One has to ask, why is that she'll tell her story on a Sunday talk show but refuse raise her right hand and repeat it under oath?
Is she afraid of the questions that the commissioners will ask her?
Or is she simply worried about be prosecuted for perjury?
Either way, it doesn't paint a very good picture for her, the Bush Administration or our nation as a whole.
Everyone knows that there were mistakes made leading up to 9/11. That's a given.
Moreover, it's not entirely something that one can totally blame the Bush Administration for. Many of these public policy decisions were made during the Clinton Administration. No matter who was elected in 2000, 9/11 probably would have still happened.
Fixing these shortcomings, however, starts with knowing our faults and failings. If key officials within the Bush Administration refuse to testify under oath; to withhold key information then our entire nation's security is ultimately compromised.
The worst part in this mess is the fact that too many people in the news media are letting Dr. Rice slide by. As long as she appears on their talk show, they don't criticize her for not testifying under oath in front of the Commission.
They don't ask questions that are nearly as probing as what the Commission would ask.
Our nation doesn't get the insight that we need to fix what needs to be fixed.
And, in the end, the shortcomings that enabled 9/11 to happen in the first place will likely not be dealt with.
All of this makes me ask -- what in the world is going on here?
I ask myself that a lot when I look at the newspaper these days.
Condoleezza Rice, the Bush administration's National Security Advisor, has seemingly been in front of every reporter and television camera that she can find. Each time, she has criticized Richard Clarke, President Bush's former counter-terrorism czar, and his new book Against All Enemies.
But she refuses to testify under oath in front of the 9/11 Commission.
One has to ask, why is that she'll tell her story on a Sunday talk show but refuse raise her right hand and repeat it under oath?
Is she afraid of the questions that the commissioners will ask her?
Or is she simply worried about be prosecuted for perjury?
Either way, it doesn't paint a very good picture for her, the Bush Administration or our nation as a whole.
Everyone knows that there were mistakes made leading up to 9/11. That's a given.
Moreover, it's not entirely something that one can totally blame the Bush Administration for. Many of these public policy decisions were made during the Clinton Administration. No matter who was elected in 2000, 9/11 probably would have still happened.
Fixing these shortcomings, however, starts with knowing our faults and failings. If key officials within the Bush Administration refuse to testify under oath; to withhold key information then our entire nation's security is ultimately compromised.
The worst part in this mess is the fact that too many people in the news media are letting Dr. Rice slide by. As long as she appears on their talk show, they don't criticize her for not testifying under oath in front of the Commission.
They don't ask questions that are nearly as probing as what the Commission would ask.
Our nation doesn't get the insight that we need to fix what needs to be fixed.
And, in the end, the shortcomings that enabled 9/11 to happen in the first place will likely not be dealt with.
All of this makes me ask -- what in the world is going on here?
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