Officials ignored warning signs, 9/11 panel says

[Natoma]

Clarke wants everything declassified wrt 9/11

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4619346/

I watched Meet The Press tonight. I can see how he'd grate on people, but what he had to say was rather pointed and direct.

 

[John Reynolds]

 

[digitalwanderer]

"I really, really want to testify and my public testimony would clear everything up and make everyone happiful; but those mean and nasty lawyers just won't let me do it!"

 

[Natoma]

The white house is just making it worse for themselves needlessly. Condi Rice has already answered the commission's questions in private, and she's seemed just fine going on news shows and 60 Minutes to refute Clarke's under oath testimony. If she has nothing to hide, and she feels like talking to all these other bodies while not under oath, why not go under oath then?

She says she doesn't want to break the separation of powers barrier. Well, this commission isn't congress. It's a panel that was appointed by the president. Sooooooooo. I'd give this another couple of days before the white house exercises executive privilege, and then acquiesces in the "spirit of cooperation." They keep executive privilege intact, while minimizing the political damage. Though there seems to already have been some serious political damage.

Of course, not that I'm crying any tears regarding the white house's plight atm.

 

[Natoma]

Faster than I thought.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4623066/

Though surprisingly, Bush and Cheney are also going to testify under oath in front of the full commission, in public. I did not see that coming. I'm sure they wanted to nip this one in the bud.

In a reversal, the White House said Tuesday it has agreed to allow national security adviser Condoleezza Rice to testify in public and under oath before the Sept. 11, 2001 commission. In addition, President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have agreed to testify in private before the entire commission, not just the two co-chairmen as earlier proposed, the White House said in a letter to the panel.

The letter sought written assurances that the panel would not consider Rice's testimony precedent-setting and that no additional public testimony from any White House official would be sought.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Faster than I thought.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4623066/

Though surprisingly, Bush and Cheney are also going to testify under oath in front of the full commission, in public. I did not see that coming. I'm sure they wanted to nip this one in the bud.

In a reversal, the White House said Tuesday it has agreed to allow national security adviser Condoleezza Rice to testify in public and under oath before the Sept. 11, 2001 commission. In addition, President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have agreed to testify in private before the entire commission, not just the two co-chairmen as earlier proposed, the White House said in a letter to the panel.

The letter sought written assurances that the panel would not consider Rice's testimony precedent-setting and that no additional public testimony from any White House official would be sought.

It doesn't say that Bush/Cheney will testify under oath, just privately. (Yes it's sort of nit-picky, but it could be important.)

 

[Natoma]

Misread. Oh well, I'm sure pressure will eventually build for them to publicly testify. Wash, rinse, repeat.