Is Democrats updating their Anyuone But Bush talking points, because on Hardball a moment ago, two 9/11 commission members, Ben Veniste and Thompson, both agreed that it was nonsense for Democrats to try to hang 9/11 on Bush, particularly in light of the much bally-hooed August 6th PDB.
Ben Veniste called Condi Rice “prescient,” both agreed that the memo was “junk,” the shoddy circumstances under which it was created was “frightening,” and that the only NEW information in the memo turned out to be wrong.
Meaning, for all you slow-witted readers outthere, that the document was, as repeatedly stated by the President and Rice, historical.
SteveMG
My first reaction upon reading the August 6 PDB was: “Is this what the President reads? All the good stuff must’ve been redacted, right?
No? You mean this is what the President goes on?”
SMG
Oliver
But I thought you guys hated the “partisan” Ben Veniste?
Charlie (Colorado)
Oliver, consider:
(1) Ben Veniste was all over Condi like cheap paint;
(2) then Ashcroft declassified the Gorelick Directive, showing that the “wall” was an artifact of the Clinton Administration in excess (she says as much in the memo) of the requirements of the statutes;
(3) and now Ben Veniste says it couldn’t be avoided, and the real fault was the “nineteen cowards” who attacked the WTC.
I don’t think the inference of slimy partisanship is at all weakened by this demonstratino.
HH
Ben Veniste realizes he’s got nothing now.
Flagwaver
HH and Charlie, you nailed it.
Ben-Veniste behaved exactly like the partisan hack he is during the Commission hearings, but even HE is not fool enough to believe he can sell that shit to the public. He is, of course, without shame or ethics, but even he won’t completely whore himself for Terry McAwful and the DNC.
Terry
This “reconsideration” of his thinking and views comes after he tried his hardest to plant in the public’s mind just the opposite of what he apparently now concedes. I rather suspect he views his mission as significantly accomplished.
burnplant
Shorter Cole and toadys:
Ben-Veniste is a partisan hack. Except when I agree with him.
John Cole
For the record-
I still hate Ben Veniste- it is just that even he knows when he has reached the point of unspinnability.
CadillaqJaq
I doubt the liberal Dem Bush bashers will agree with anything that Ben-Veniste said of late… they’ll be content to go with his initial rantings because it more suits their agenda: to smear GWB.