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You are here: Home / Politics / Republican Stupidity / Scandalpalooza

Scandalpalooza

by Tim F|  October 2, 20061:59 pm| 33 Comments

This post is in: Republican Stupidity, War on Terror aka GSAVE®

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Following up on John’s post below, lying to the 9/11 Commission is also bad in a way that both easy for Joe Voter to grasp and very hard to spin away. For Condoleeza Rice’s sake I hope that the didn’t do it. But it sure looks like she did.

Find that and more WoT-related tomfoolery in this Sunday piece by Bob Woodward (who is by definition Promoting a Book and therefore suspect). The upshot of Woodward’s reporting seems to be that regarding the Bush admin, crazy liberal bloggers were basically right about everything.

Why did Woodward’s inside sources pull a 180 and reveal the Bush admin for the imcompetent navel-obsessed clowns that they are? Somewhere along the line somebody must have said to himself, they can suck at their jobs this much, but any worse than that and I’m pulling the plug. As nice as it is that the hypothetical line finally got crossed, when you look at the last Woodward book the first thing that comes to mind is the soft bigotry of low expectations. People who found Bush’s management at that point acceptable really don’t expect very much from government.

***Update***

If Woodward is correct wouldn’t George Tenet, who allegedly conducted the briefing, have mentioned it to the 9/11 Commission? This seems like a massively exculpatory detail for Tenet and hardly the sort of thing that he would hide voluntarily. If he did bring it up then the Commission should already know about the discrepancy in their stories, but apparently they had no inkling that the meeting ever happened. I think that Tenet’s side of this story deserves attention as well.

***Update 2***

What Billmon said.

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33Comments

  1. 1.

    DougJ

    October 2, 2006 at 2:10 pm

    Why did Woodward’s inside sources pull a 180 and reveal the Bush admin for the imcompetent navel-obsessed clowns that they are?

    Easy — he didn’t have the same sources. The higher-ups shut him out so he went to mid-level sources — who told him the truth. I think it’s that simple.

  2. 2.

    Ugh

    October 2, 2006 at 2:15 pm

    This ship be sinkin’.

  3. 3.

    Anderson

    October 2, 2006 at 2:26 pm

    The update makes my point I was about to make, I guess.

    If Condi Rice says, “it’s raining,” my 1st reaction is to look out the window & see if she’s lying.

    BUT, Tenet has a huge incentive to lie. No one looked good after 9/11, but CIA looked worst.

    Suskind’s new book is basically “Tenet’s Story,” and this new bit seems to be the same, as told to Woodward.

    I’ll be very curious whether Cofer Black backs up Tenet, but even so, he’s CIA too.

  4. 4.

    Mr Furious

    October 2, 2006 at 2:26 pm

    Rice today:

    “What I am quite certain of is that I would remember if I was told, as this account apparently says, that there was about to be an attack in the United States, and the idea that I would somehow have ignored that I find incomprehensible,” Rice said.

    […] “I don’t know that this meeting took place, but what I really don’t know, what I’m quite certain of, is that it was not a meeting in which I was told there was an impending attack and I refused to respond,” Rice said.

    Well, I’m convinced. How ’bout you? I didn’t think she could sound more stupid and dishonest then the PDB denial…

    Fucking pathetic.

  5. 5.

    p.lukasiak

    October 2, 2006 at 2:26 pm

    “If Woodward is correct wouldn’t George Tenet, who allegedly conducted the briefing, have mentioned it to the 9/11 Commission? This seems like a massively exculpatory detail for Tenet and hardly the sort of thing that he would hide voluntarily.”

    Tenet was still part of “the team” when his interviews were being conducted (he resigned in June 2004, the Commission released its report in July 2004). One suspects that this is just the “tip of the iceberg” regarding what the Commission didn’t know — and didn’t bother to ask about. (did the person who actually did the August 6 briefing get asked what Bush’s reaction was? I doubt it, because the “covered your ass” remark surfaced only recently….)

  6. 6.

    BlogReeder

    October 2, 2006 at 2:40 pm

    …who is, by definition, Promoting a Book and therefore suspect

    Exactly. This is just He said – she said and it’s around election time to boot. Highly suspicious.

  7. 7.

    LLeo

    October 2, 2006 at 2:52 pm

    I am getting despondent. I think it is safe to say that the Bush administration will stick to their guns for the next 2 years.

    The House may change over to democrats, but the only powers they will have is to put a check on more of these un-american laws, and to investigate all the improprieties of the administration.

    My big question is, after the 2008 elections, how can America walk back from torture, remission of the 800+ year old tradition of Hebeas Corpus, and a completely FUBAR’ed Occupation of Iraq?

    I am scared that it will take decades to fix all the things that the Bush administration broke. I am even more scared that the next administration won’t attempt to restrict torture, won’t attempt to reestablish Hebeas Corpus, and will continue the open ended Occupation of Iraq. Nearly everytime in out history we’ve ceded power to the Federal Government we’ve never gotten it back. The Alien Sedition Act and the 18th Amendment are the only two examples of regaining liberties I can think of.

  8. 8.

    Zifnab

    October 2, 2006 at 3:04 pm

    I am getting despondent. I think it is safe to say that the Bush administration will stick to their guns for the next 2 years.

    The House may change over to democrats, but the only powers they will have is to put a check on more of these un-american laws, and to investigate all the improprieties of the administration.

    My big question is, after the 2008 elections, how can America walk back from torture, remission of the 800+ year old tradition of Hebeas Corpus, and a completely FUBAR’ed Occupation of Iraq?

    You look at this as bad news, but I see it completely differently.

    If the President decides to keep sticking his foot in it, pushing for torture and bungling Iraq and hanging out with Abramoffs, he and his party will just get dirtier and dirtier. I say let’m. It will be Bush who looks obstructionist when he starts vetoing everything that crosses his desk. Bush who looks bad when he refuses to withdraw the troops. Bush who has to come down to Congress and defend Rumsfield, then Rice, then Cheney as the investigations uncover more and more.

    All the Democrats have to do now is – surprisingly – keep doing what they’ve been doing. Sit straight, fly right, and make the honest, smart, rational choices. In 2008 we can re-ban torture, reinstate Habeus Corpus, end domestic spying, and clean up the rest. And the nation will love the Dems for it. Ironically, the Republicans have made such a horrible mess that the first steps of clean-up will be easy. Withdraw from Iraq means saving hundreds of billions right off the bat. Raising the minimum wage – something that’s been a long time coming – brings instant popularity as the bottom 3% of the income earners suddenly get a big pay raise.

    Some of these reforms are so simple and so easy they’re almost embarassing. All the Dems need to do is do them and they’ll be sitting pretty for another 40 years.

  9. 9.

    Tim F.

    October 2, 2006 at 3:08 pm

    Exactly. This is just He said – she said and it’s around election time to boot. Highly suspicious.

    Blogreeder, some days you are the wind beneath my wings.

  10. 10.

    DougJ

    October 2, 2006 at 3:19 pm

    A Woodward/Foley bounce for Bush? He’s up to 41 in Rasmussen.
    (Channeling ABC”s The Note)

  11. 11.

    The Other Steve

    October 2, 2006 at 3:31 pm

    Woodward and Bernstein are responsible for the death of modern Journalism. Oh, along with Barbara Walters.

  12. 12.

    The Other Steve

    October 2, 2006 at 3:32 pm

    Obviously a large number of disgruntled employees.

  13. 13.

    BarneyG2000

    October 2, 2006 at 3:32 pm

    The other week I was scanning the old press briefing from back in 2001:

    6/27/01
    Q And just to follow that, the Indian government have arrested a number of terrorists in connection with Osama bin Laden and his activities, also in Saudi Arabia now. Osama Bin Laden has called on India, that he will destroy all the U.S. installations and all the U.S. interests in India. So what is the U.S. government doing? Has the President spoken with the Prime Minister of India or anybody there?

    MR. FLEISCHER: The President is always concerned about extremism and terrorism and that is particularly the case with Osama Bin Laden. And the United States, working with our allies around the world, will remain vigilant in making certain that all steps are taken to prevent terrorist acts from taking place.

    7/2/01
    Q The murderous Osama bin Laden has threatened Israel and the United States in the next two weeks to, in his words, hit them where it hurts the most. Since President Jefferson sent the U.S. Navy to attack the Barbary pirates and President Wilson sent the U.S. Army under General Pershing into Mexico in pursuit of a mass murderer of Americans, named Pancho Villa, the President realizes that these are two legitimate presidential precedents for his taking military action, doesn’t he, Ari? Or does he think that Jefferson and Wilson were wrong? (Laughter.)

    MR. FLEISCHER: The President will take action that he deems appropriate in national security interests.

  14. 14.

    sglover

    October 2, 2006 at 3:36 pm

    All the Democrats have to do now is – surprisingly – keep doing what they’ve been doing. Sit straight, fly right, and make the honest, smart, rational choices. In 2008 we can re-ban torture, reinstate Habeus Corpus, end domestic spying, and clean up the rest. And the nation will love the Dems for it. Ironically, the Republicans have made such a horrible mess that the first steps of clean-up will be easy. Withdraw from Iraq means saving hundreds of billions right off the bat. Raising the minimum wage – something that’s been a long time coming – brings instant popularity as the bottom 3% of the income earners suddenly get a big pay raise.

    Erm…. Well, I hope you’re right, but I see the winner of the ’08 election getting a real poison chalice. There’s a slew of unpopular measures that’ll have to be enacted, for anyone who’s at all serious about fixing the massive fuck-ups of the Cheney years. For instance, I don’t see how some kind of tax increase can be avoided, and there’s no option for Iraq that won’t be deeply unpalatable for some influential bloc.

    Don’t get me wrong. I want the Dems to win, mainly because they don’t go around gratuitously smashing things. But the contemporary Republican Party is batshit insane; their ideology needs to be discredited for a generation. So a part of me thinks that a GOP win in ’08 could ultimately be a good thing for the country — in precisely the same way as Hoover’s election was in ’28.

  15. 15.

    BarneyG2000

    October 2, 2006 at 3:38 pm

    http://www.iht.com/bin/print_ipub.php?file=/articles/ap/2006/10/02/asia/AS_GEN_Afghanistan_Frist.php

    Could this be true? Frist cuts and runs from the Taliban? ACE of Spades switches party from GOP to Democrate (see blog).

  16. 16.

    capelza

    October 2, 2006 at 3:48 pm

    BarneyG2000…that’s quite a couple of things to casually drop. Frist does not suprise me if this true…he is a gormless worm. Is he testing the waters for the Admin’s own “cut and run”? I think my new name for the Pres will be Burka Bush.

    But Ace of Spades turning Dem? I simply do not believe that…do I reeeaaalllyyyy have to go…there. :(

  17. 17.

    croatoan

    October 2, 2006 at 3:53 pm

    This Time magazine article from August 2002 backs up Woodward:

    “In mid-July, Tenet sat down for a special meeting with Rice and aides. “George briefed Condi that there was going to be a major attack,” says an official; another, who was present at the meeting, says Tenet broke out a huge wall chart (“They always have wall charts”) with dozens of threats. ” Tenet couldn’t rule out a domestic attack but thought it more likely that al-Qaeda would strike overseas.
    …
    But nothing happened. After Genoa, says a senior intelligence official, there was a collective sigh of relief: “A lot of folks started letting their guard down.” After the final deputies’ meeting on Clarke’s draft of a presidential directive, on July 16, it wasn’t easy to find a date for the Principals’ Committee to look at the plan-the last stage before the paper went to Bush. “There was one meeting scheduled for August,” says a senior official, “but too many principals were out of town.” Eventually a date was picked: the principals would look at the draft on Sept. 4. That was about nine months after Clarke first put his plan on paper.

  18. 18.

    capelza

    October 2, 2006 at 3:53 pm

    Oh bloody hell…he did say that…

    Goodbye GOP.

    The Democrats have complained for years the GOP wasn’t serious enough about defeating Al Qaeda and the Taliban, that it was too focused on Iraq. Congratulations — you just took a talking point and made it an established fact.

    We’ll see if he really means it, but I’m saving that post in case he sobers up and scrubs it… :p

  19. 19.

    Pb

    October 2, 2006 at 3:55 pm

    Ace of Spades — nice, now let’s see how he walks it back.

  20. 20.

    capelza

    October 2, 2006 at 4:00 pm

    HotAir (those copy cats ;) ) has said the same thing..what next..Free Republic? Someone else will have to check them…THAT I can not do.

  21. 21.

    John S.

    October 2, 2006 at 4:15 pm

    Heh, according to Ace’s commenters (including Stormy herself):

    1. Frist isn’t a real Republican!

    2. It’s the media’s fault!

    3. Democrats are still worse!

    What a bunch of enlightened idiots he has over there.

  22. 22.

    Steve

    October 2, 2006 at 4:17 pm

    Wow.

    The rest of us will try to rebuild to the extent we can a party that actually sees ending the Taliban and Al Qaeda as somewhat more critical than ending internet poker.

    Can’t argue with you there, Ace.

    I can only imagine the reaction if a leading Democrat suggested letting the Taliban back into government. I give Ace points for consistency in outrage.

  23. 23.

    Mr Furious

    October 2, 2006 at 4:19 pm

    Thanks for reminding me about Genoa, croatoan. Another perfect example of Rice lying her ass off…

    “Nobody could have imagined using planes as weapons…”

    Oh yeah?

    July 20, 2001: The G8 summit in Genoa, Italy begins. Security is extremely tight because of large protests and intelligence indicating that terrorists associated with Osama bin Laden were planning to attack the summit to kill George W. Bush and other attendees. The reported attack plan involved crashing a plane packed with explosives into the buildings where the delegates were meeting or staying during the summit.

    Numerous precautions against this attack were taken, including: George W. Bush staying at a separate location from the other delegates, fighter jets patrolling the sky over the city, a large no-fly zone for commercial aircraft, and surface-to-air missile batteries emplaced around the city.

    No one could hve imagined it except that your very Administration took specific precautions against exactly that attack earlier that same summer.

    GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

  24. 24.

    Mr Furious

    October 2, 2006 at 4:20 pm

    Was this the “swatting flies” meeting?

  25. 25.

    sglover

    October 2, 2006 at 4:28 pm

    Yikes, with all the damning GOP news these last 72 hours, and now this latest thing from Frist — I’ve never seen a political party slash its own wrists in public before. Astonishing.

  26. 26.

    The Other Steve

    October 2, 2006 at 4:40 pm

    Frist is a RINO!

  27. 27.

    OnTheOther Hand

    October 2, 2006 at 5:49 pm

    WTF?

    9/11 Commission saw the ‘scary’ briefing of 2001
    By JONATHAN S. LANDAY, WARREN P. STROBEL and JOHN WALCOTT
    McClatchy Newspapers
    WASHINGTON – The independent Sept. 11, 2001, commission was given the same “scary” briefing about an imminent al Qaida attack on a U.S. target that was presented to the White House two months before the attacks, but failed to disclose the warning in its 428-page report.

    Former CIA Director George Tenet presented the briefing to commission member Richard Ben Veniste and executive director Philip Zelikow in secret testimony at CIA headquarters on Jan. 28, 2004, said three former senior agency officials.

    Tenet raised the matter himself, displayed slides from a Power Point presentation that he and other officials had given to then-national security adviser Condoleezza Rice on July 10, 2001, and offered to testify on the matter in public if the commission asked him to, they said.

    http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/nation/15662785.htm

  28. 28.

    Punchy

    October 2, 2006 at 5:52 pm

    As for Foley and the Republicans….

    Nobody could have anticipated the breaching of the Levi’s.

  29. 29.

    Steve

    October 2, 2006 at 5:55 pm

    Josh notes:

    Very hard to say what would be behind the decision to leave it out considering that Ben Veniste was one of the Dems on the Commission.

    Ben-Veniste was, in my opinion, the most partisan Dem on the panel. So yeah, what’s up?

  30. 30.

    Zifnab

    October 2, 2006 at 6:41 pm

    Wow. Frist is such a tool. I guess we’ve just answered the “How do you invade Iran with no troops?” paradox. Pull all our soldiers out of the one war actually worth fighting. How many American Generals are rolling over in their graves?

  31. 31.

    Richard 23

    October 2, 2006 at 8:02 pm

    Ben-Veniste was, in my opinion, the most partisan Dem on the panel. So yeah, what’s up?

    We wouldn’t want to hurt Bush’s feelings!

    Don’t forget Lee Hamilton.

  32. 32.

    Bruce Moomaw

    October 2, 2006 at 8:22 pm

    Regarding Billmon’s blog entry: Ben Veniste has now told his side of the story, and he says it’s TENET who is the liar. Quoting tonight’s NY Times:

    “Mr. Tenet told members of the Sept. 11 commission about the July 10 meeting when they interviewed him in early 2004, but committee members said the former C.I.A. director never indicated he had left the White House with the impression that he had been ignored.

    ” ‘Tenet never told us that he was brushed off,’ said Richard Ben-Veniste, a Democratic member of the commission. ‘We certainly would have followed that up.’ ”

    Other accounts indicate that Ben Veniste and Philip Zelikow (the Commission’s executive director) were apparently the only members of the Commission who were ever told about the meeting — Tim Roemer has already said that he never heard a word about it and that he is “furious” about that fact. Tenet has always been a Vicar of Bray type who stayed in power under both Clinton and Bush by telling both Clinton and Bush whatever they wanted to hear at the time. At any rate, we need to find out once and for all who the hell was telling the truth about this meeting.

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