For the record, this is the 2nd time Dr Rice will testify. The first was a closed-door session. The news groups are technically correct when they say she will be testifying publicly. However, it leads people to believe she has withheld testimony.
It’s tough to make political hay when there isn’t a camera and an audience. Take those 2 things away and your just another politician doing his or her job. Maybe CNN can get Howard Stern as color commentator to help their sagging ratings.
One thing I’ve always wondered about, do the participants wear that funny makeup for video cameras?
On the other hand, the nice thing about a closed door session is that you can pretty much say anything you want to attempt to impeach Dick Clarke, and he won’t even know he needs to defend himself. Sorry she won’t be able to do that. Of course, you prefer that she do the honorable thing, with the most transparency for all, right? I mean, read a certain way, it might seem that you would prefer that she did not answer questions for all to hear.
This is clearly a sign that the adminstration regards correcting the “intelligence failures” that led them to invade Iraq as one of the nation’s tip-top double-urgent priorities.
Yes, but he did lie under oath, which is perjury, which is a serious matter for our legal system and not merely a matter of fibbing. I agree he shouldn’t have been impeached, but it’s wrong to downplay what he did.
That’s a great thread SimonX.
I wonder if the president himself chose the name for the CICUSRWMD panel, or is the obvious transliteration to CircusWMD just a happy accident?
Do you mean this metaphorically? Richard Clarke is not in office nor was he elected to an office.
I have no opinion on whether she testifies or not.
Congressional hearings have never served any use except for political grandstanding (by both parties). There is no real investigation involved. Sometimes they are used as a bully pulpit to beat up an industry like baseball over steroid use. Sometimes they are a public vetting for events like a power grid failure. Always they are an opportunity for politicians to wag their tongues for the folks at home. If Dr Rice makes fools of the committee it will not impress me for this reason.
As far back as I can remember I’ve always had the mental image of “professional wrestling” when I see a congressional hearing.
So while there may be much rejoicing in Whoville that Bush and Co. will testify before the Commision, let us not forget one thing - they are not doing so willingly and without reservation. Bush and Co. have deliberately stymied the Commission from the get go, only to do an about face every time.
Credibility is not just what is said, but how it is said as well. Being dragged kicking and screaming also speaks volumes.
I guess I didn’t understand your point. I thought you were saying that she’s just gonna obfuscate in the same way Clinton did, and that nothing will happen. I was just pointing out that that strategy actually backfired on Clinton, because he got impeached. For Clinton, there was considerable political fallout from saying misleading things under oath, and since Bush is up for re-election, similar political fallout from Rice acting similarly could conceivably be damaging. I guess that wasn’t your point, though.
How does this tie in with Cheney’s refusal to provide information about the Energy Policy formulation? My understanding is that early in the administration, Cheney got in a smoke-filled back room with all his energy business cronies and worked out a policy that was pro-business, anti-everybody else. When he was questioned about it, he refused to provide any information, stating that he didn’t want to set a precedent whereby white house advisors are forced to reveal the information that had been given in private to the administration. Is that why the administration insisted that Condi’s testifying under oath could only be done if it didn’t set a precedent? Is what they’re really worried about is that if it did set a precedent, then they Congress could use it to force Cheney to testify about the Energy Policy?
This little matter is being decided by the Supreme Court right now. considering the decisions on The Petagon Papers and the one that forced Clinton to tesrify, I don’t think Cheney is going to cover up for much longer.
Well, not sure where to go beyond what I said. Public hearings have always been a dog-and-pony show. Mr. Clark slams Dr. Rice and Dr. Rice slams him back. I get really aggitated at statements of opinion that don’t require substantiation. It’s nothing but a crap flinging contest. Anybody can stand up and swear they think Mr Clark is a dingbat and incapable of operating a hot dog stand or that he is the most brilliant man on the planet. Pure video BS either way.
Mr. Clarke makes statements of fact. Wrote such and such a memo on a given date to a specific person. Met the President in the Situation Room on this date, met with him in this conference room at this time. You will recall, I’m sure, how the Bushivks swore up and down it never happened, then had to admit that it did.
Best test of bullshit is fact content. Mr. Clarke states facts that can be checked, if they prove hollow, then its tota bullshit. A really great bullshitter will use incontrovertible facts to support an empty argument.
But trying to deny those facts…date, place, time…only to have to eat it. That’s whatcha call weak bullshit.
As elucidator pointed out, this is not just a “he said, she said”. There are memos, meetings, times, places, and people that are quite verifiable. When Clarke says they only had one principals meeting on terrorism in the entire 9 months leading up to 9/11, it can be verified. That’s why Bush hasn’t contradicted him, because he knows it’s easily proven. When he says that Bush was constantly being presented with memos emphasizing the urgency of dealing with the terrorist threat, it can be verified. Meetings have written agendas which can be referred to. All they can do is come up with bullshit like “meetings aren’t important.” And when they end up changing their story, then it starts to really look bad.