http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04087/292095.stmRichard Clarke was once described as "the most important person in the federal government you've never heard of." No longer. This week, in an explosive book, an interview on "60 Minutes," and in hearings before the commission investigating 9/11, Clarke has charged that, as a presidential adviser, he warned about the threat of Osama bin Laden long before the 9/11 attacks -- but that President Bush ignored the warnings.
Predictably, the Bush administration has denied this charge, and in response has attacked Clarke. "You have a real credibility problem" said one Republican member of the 9/11 commission, John F. Lehman, a Navy secretary under President Reagan. Others hint that Clarke is motivated by the prospect of a high-level position should John Kerry become president.
I believe Clarke is telling the truth. But, even more importantly, I believe key issues central to our national security are being ignored in the mudslinging.
I worked with Dick Clarke for years, including two at the White House, where we shared a suite of offices in the White House National Security Council. His commitment to the protection of the nation, and his high ethical standards, are to me beyond doubt. So are his qualifications. When he left the White House last year, Clarke had more experience in national security affairs by far than anyone else in the White House.