Bush, Cheney Prepare for 9/11 Panel Meeting (New Gorelick papers released)

Fox News ^ | April 28, 2004

[cyncooper]

WASHINGTON — President Bush (search) and Vice President Dick Cheney (search) are meeting Thursday behind closed doors with the panel investigating what went wrong with U.S. intelligence before the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

The two leaders will not be under oath and no transcript or recording of the proceedings will take place. The White House said that it has no plans to report the remarks by the president and vice president. Part of the reason, aides say, is that much of the discussion will be classified.

~snip~

"If they thought it would help him, they'd televise it," James Thurber, director of American University's Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies (search), said of White House advisers. "And obviously they don't think it will help him, and so they are not."

~snip~

The Justice Department released documents publicly on Wednesday that were given to the National Commission on Terror Attacks Upon the United States (search) on Tuesday. The documents show that Gorelick was responsible for signing off on the new policy of separation and rejecting criticism from U.S. prosecutors who feared it could undermine future efforts to stop terror attacks.

The documents also show sharp criticism from Mary Jo White (search), the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, whose office prosecuted the terrorists convicted in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing (search). That office also indicted Usama bin Laden (search) for the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa.

"It is hard to be totally comfortable with instructions to the FBI prohibiting contact with the United States Attorneys' offices when such prohibitions are not legally required," White wrote in a June 13, 1995, memo to then-Attorney General Janet Reno (search).

~snip~

[cyncooper]

Well, so much for Gorelick's lie that the policy she wrote about went back to Reagan. Mary Jo White seemed to think it was a new policy.

[EllaMinnow]

"If they thought it would help him, they'd televise it," James Thurber, director of American University's Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies (search), said of White House advisers. "And obviously they don't think it will help him, and so they are not."

Asshat.

[cyncooper]

"If they thought it would help him, they'd televise it," James Thurber, director of American University's Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies (search), said of White House advisers. "And obviously they don't think it will help him, and so they are not."

Should I hold my breath waiting for Mr. Thurber to criticize Clinton and Gore--aka "the stealth witnesse"--for meeting behind closed doors?

I don't think I shall.

[EllaMinnow]

Not unless you want to turn blue.

[cyncooper]

Aha! I included that paragraph because the double standard is so glaring.

I heard Brit talk about the Justice Department releasing the papers regarding Gorelick's memo and its ramifications, but couldn't find an article on it. Only found it within this article.

I wish Fox had given that its own article, and now that I think of it, I meant to include a reference to that in the title. I'll contact the mod.

[cyncooper]

"It is hard to be totally comfortable with instructions to the FBI prohibiting contact with the United States Attorneys' offices when such prohibitions are not legally required,"

Shameless bump

[surrey]

Anybody see CeeCee being so condescending? She implied that The President and VP were like 2 Kindergartners who needed each other for support. I was about ready to spit nails. No mention that bubba needed his consigliere(Lindsay) to make sure he didn't screw up HIS answers. I was disappointed that Fred didn't bring this up.

[John Thornton]

The documents also show sharp criticism from Mary Jo White (search), the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, whose office prosecuted the terrorists

The DEMOCRATIC Clinton-appointed U.S attorney for the Southern District of New York...

[Right_in_Virginia]

President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney are meeting Thursday behind closed doors ...

I sent an email to Brit's show and Fox & Friends reminding them that Clinton met with this same group with not only his former National Security Advisor...but, also with his attorney.

Apparently FNC doesn't know this.

[cyncooper]

I sent an email to Brit's show and Fox & Friends reminding them that Clinton met with this same group with not only his former National Security Advisor...but, also with his attorney.

Thanks for doing that. I freepmailed someone with the same observation, but that won't change anything!

I think I'll find the article which reports it and send that to Brit, too.

[cyncooper]

Anybody see CeeCee being so condescending? She implied that The President and VP were like 2 Kindergartners who needed each other for support.

Yes, she certainly was in full frontal snot mode today.

And as the other freeper mentions--no mention of Clinton taking Berger and Lindsey with him. Berger and LINDSEY, for crying out loud.

[bandleader]

Gorelick has as much business being part of the 9/11 panel as Goering would have had at Nuremburg!

[cyncooper]

I just emailed Special Report with a link to the TIME article.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Here are the FNC emails:

friends@foxnews.com
special@foxnews.com
hannity@foxnews.com
colmes@foxnews.com
o'reilly@foxnews.com
cavuto@foxnews.com

I was surprised and disappointed that Fox didn't even mention Clinton showed up with his National Security Advisor AND his attorney.

[cyncooper]

You are correct, she never should have been put on this commission in the first place.

But THEN she initially denies writing the memo, THEN she writes an op-ed in the Washington Post that completely mischaracterizes the thing, and NOW we find that even Mary Jo White was protesting these *new* guidelines, and when she spoke up, Gorelick signs off on a note tut-tutting Mary Jo wanting "special treatment".

Of course, as others point out, the commission has already been thoroughly discredited, but it pains to see some still treating it with even a crumb of respect.

[tet68]

"If we thought it would hurt him, we'd televise it," James Thurber, director of American University's Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies (search), said of Commission Democrats. "And obviously we don't think it will hurt him, and so we are not."

There, just need to run it though the old Chomskyizer.

[small voice in the wilderness]

She was a ruler and a habit shy of giving W. and Cheney a political knuckle rapping. Fortunately, no one pays attention to her. Who can, with that stupid kindergarten name.

HEY, CEECEE, get a real name. And a clue.

[Liberty Valance]

"If they thought it would help him, they'd televise it," James Thurber, director of American University's Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies (search), said of White House advisers. "And obviously they don't think it will help him, and so they are not."

Bull cookies...

None of the testimony should have been televised! Partisan hacks have reduced this commission to a footnote*

[Mike Darancette]

"If they thought it would help him, they'd televise it,"

Same could be said for Clinton/Gore.

[Jeff Gannon]

From Tuesday's White House press briefing:

JEFF GANNON, TALON NEWS: When former President Clinton appeared before the 9/11 Commission he was accompanied by Sandy Berger and Bruce Lindsey. Will President Bush have anyone with him, besides Vice President Cheney?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I believe that Al Gonzales, the White House Counsel, will be present. And I would expect that there would be at least one other additional member of the Counsel's Office present. Obviously, we're still two days away from it, so a few things are still being finalized. But I'll keep you posted if there are additional people
present.