Clinton testifies before 9/11 commission

[lancdem]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040409/ap_on_go_pr_wh/sept_11_commission_clinton_7

WASHINGTON - Former President Clinton (news - web sites) defended his counterterrorism policies in a private meeting with the Sept. 11 commission and said intelligence wasn't strong enough to justify a retaliation against al-Qaida for the 2000 bombing of a Navy ship.
Clinton met for nearly four hours with the 10-member bipartisan panel in a closed-door session shortly after the conclusion of national security adviser Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites)'s public testimony, broadcast live on national television.
Commissioners described Clinton's testimony as frank and informative.

more ...

[MrBenchley]

1. Without Al Gore?

(snicker)

[lancdem]

2. Notice the words "frank and informative"

I don't think they'd apply to any Bush people, do you?

[russian33]

3. 4 hours...

...and Dr. Rice could only 'spare' 2 and 1/2?

[Tellurian]

4. From your link:

" Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore consented in February to separate private interviews; Gore is scheduled to meet the panel soon."

"President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney also will meet privately with the full panel in a joint session in coming weeks. They initially restricted the interview to one hour with two panel members, but under mounting public pressure agreed last week to a joint session without time constraints."


Keep the public pressure up!

[Hamlette]

5. the commissioners gushed over how wonderful Clinton's testimony was

on all the news shows last night. Lou Dobbs tried to make a joke when one of the commissioners was talking about how difficult it was to get answers out of Condi. Both (a dem and a republican) shot back that it wasn't like that with Clinton at all. The republican said it was obvious Clinton had done a lot of thinking about the terrorist threat, that he was open and gave them all the time they wanted and he even answered questions the commissioners had not thought to ask. He was smiling when he said it. They LOVED Clinton.

My prediction is that Clinton comes out in the 9/11 report unscathed. Of course they might say something like: "Clinton was prevented from doing more because we didn't have the political will to go to war until after 9/11" and the republicans we reply "See?!?! It was all Clinton's fault."

[lancdem]

6. I'm not at all surprised Clinton was so cooperative

and I'm pleased to see the 9/11 commissioners ssying so publicly.

[havocmom]

7. The Republican commission member also remarked Clinton stayed longer

than the time they had originally requested of him. Made it very clear that it was good to have that sort of cooperation from a leader who recognized the importance of their work and wasn't just there because he failed to weasel out of it like members of the current WH.

Am loving Lou Dobbs' shows these days. And he never fails to stick a pin in well heeled market spokesmen touting that the economy looks good to them with a well timed comment along the lines of 'yes, well YOU have a job.'

[Fleshdancer]

8. "it was obvious Clinton had done a lot of thinking about..."

aahhh...remember the good ol' days when our President had the mental capacity to think about things? Important things like terrorism threats? Yep, those were the days.

It's amazing how refreshing intelligence is when surrounded by stupid for 4 looong years.

[auntpattywatty]

9. When Republicans are truthful, they love Clinton too. Especially compared

to Bozo.