The Admirable Openness of the 9/11 Commission: Why Charges It Is Overly Po

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Why Charges It Is Overly Politicized Are In Error

http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dean/20040507.html

By John W. Dean

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A growing chorus of Republicans and members of the conservative media has charged that the 9/11 Commission has improperly politicized its proceedings, and thus failed before even completing its work. From the floors of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, to the editorial pages of the Wall Street Journal (which has opposed the Commission's investigation from the outset), there have been calls for resignation of a commissioner, charges of partisanship, and claims of excessive showboating by commission members.

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It has been Republicans -- not the Commission's members -- who have been engaging in partisanship and Beltway politics. In fact, it appears that Republicans and their surrogates are seeking to discredit the 9/11 Commission's report before it is issued, apparently fearing whatever it may say, given that this is a presidential election year.

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Richard Clarke Dropped the Political Bomb

It was former White House counterterrorism chief Richard Clarke's testimony that triggered much of the Republican anger. While Clarke was critical of both the Clinton and Bush Administrations, clearly he was harder on the Bush White House. And of course, it is Bush who is standing for reelection.

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While the 9/11 Commission itself is determined not to make the mistakes of earlier inquiries into nation shattering experiences, the partisans taking cheap shots at this effort do themselves and the nation no favors with their efforts. Hopefully, they will let the Commission complete its work, stop firing their baseless salvos, and we can all judge the work of this study when it is finalized.

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