[Leroy S. Mort]

the commission's chairman, former New Jersey Gov. Thomas Kean, said he was concerned by how long it would take to rebuild. ``It scares me a bit that we dismantled the CIA to the point that it now takes five years to rebuild it,'' he said.

What's this "we" sh_t, Kemosabe?

[NonValueAdded]

There was one exchange at the end of Dr. Rice's public testimony that I found very troubling and this article refreshes my concern:

THOMPSON: Last simple question. If we come forward with sweeping recommendations for change in how our law enforcement and intelligence agencies operate to meet the new challenges of our time, not the 20th century or the 19th century challenges we faced in the past, and if the president of the United States agrees with them, can you assure us that he will fight with all the vigor he has to get them enacted?

RICE: I can assure you that if the president agrees with the recommendations, and I think we'll want to take a hard look at the recommendations, we're going to fight.

(emphasis added) source

It is bad enough to have to endure the partisan attacks from this bunch. I assume the pubs thought the truth was on their side and Condi et al could hold their own during questioning - They have. But when I look at the make-up of this commission, the first question I ask is: 'what is their competence to come up with "sweeping recommendations" and how immense will the political pressure be to implement these recommendations?' That is the real problem; we can endure the hearings and the Rats will show their true colors as partisan hack jobs - They have. But for them to write policy and gin up sweeping changes? Please, not that bunch!!! At least there is comfort in Dr. Rice's answer that the administration will not cede power to the commission and that adults will review the commission's homework.

And now to hear that they are having trouble coming up with recommendations? Please don't let "commissioner" Jamie write a memo!

[samtheman]

By the standards of this commission, Julius Streicher should have been a judge at the Nuremberg trials, not a defendent.

[Puddleglum]

I sometimes wonder if this commission has a huge staff like senators do. Do they staffers do all the real work, including writing the questions and recommendations for the ten inquisitors?

I ask this because it would influence whatever recommendations they produce.

[YaYa123]

The 9-11 commission has been outted, thanks to the open hearings. It is political, partisan, discredited, and will have no historical value. Democrats have to be disappointed that the Commission won't the hurt the Bush Administration, and we never expected it would expose the failures of Clinton.

Kean and Hamilton are blind, idealistic idiots.

Thank God President Bush is forcing the July deadline on this comic collection of incompetents and political pukes. By August, the damn thing won't even be late night joke material for Jay and Dave.

One side benefit of these hearings is watching Chris Mathews' head explode. The man will never have credibility again, not after the shameful way he has used the 9-ll widows and misrepresented the findings for dramatic effect.

[MizSterious]

Then in the next breath, he tells citizens to "stay out of 'their' business." Kean might wear the (r) after his name, but he's as bad as the dems.