Posted on 08/08/2004 9:22:05 AM PDT by dvan
ATLANTA - Thursday Senator John Kerry criticized President Bush for his immediate reaction to the 9/11 attacks on America soon after Michael Moore's use of the footage in Fahrenheit 911. Addressing minority journalists in DC, Mr. Kerry said he would have moved into action much faster than the President on that morning.
Kerry said, "Had I been reading to children and had my top aide whispered in my ear, 'America is under attack,' I would have told those kids very politely and nicely that the president of the United States had something that he needed to attend to -- and I would have attended to it."
In the same interview with Larry King on July 8th where Kerry claimed "I haven't had time" to be briefed on new security threats, he told King what he did that horrible morning.
"I was in the Capitol. We'd just had a meeting - we'd just come into a leadership meeting in Tom Daschle's office, looking out at the Capitol. And as I came in, Barbara Boxer and Harry Reid were standing there, and we watched the second plane come in to the building. And we shortly thereafter sat down at the table and then we just realized nobody could think, and then boom, right behind us, we saw the cloud of explosion at the Pentagon. And then word came from the White House, they were evacuating, and we were to evacuate, and so we immediately began the evacuation."
The second plane hit the WTC at 9:03 AM and the plane crashed into the Pentagon at 9:43 AM. For a period of 40 minutes Mr. Kerry did nothing because "nobody could think".
Conversely, the President did think. It took the President seven minutes to vault into action while his staff was preparing his departure. Those were seven minutes the Secret Service had to secure an alternate route for the Presidential motorcade and Air Force One, seven minutes to make the executive decision to ground all aircraft, and seven minutes to make the decision to issue orders to shoot down any aircraft that failed to comply.
Kerry's immediate response was not to check on his family, not to check on any of his Boston constituency where some attack planes originated, not to inquire if the attack was continuing, and for at least 40 minutes he didn't call any federal agency to see where he could be of help. In fact, he waited for 40 minutes to be told what to do.
Since he is not the President, Kerry would no nothing of what emergency protocols were in place for that day. The President did indeed "attend to it" after the proper protocols had been initiated. He simply did not alarm the children and teachers at that the moment he was informed.
Good article, but the author could use an editor--used "no" where "know" would have been the correct word.
I don't care what anyone says.. I woke up to the radio, instead of music, hearing grave voices of a crash. By the time I got to the TV, the second plane had just hit about 3 minutes earlier.
I didn't panic, I didn't run around. I just sat there, open jawed disbelief. I wasn't even angry. Then I heard the pentagon was hit, and I thought 'wow, they're hitting us hard'.
Just my personal story, but I just can't imagine much more reaction than sheer shock. It wasn't until they collapsed that I got *angry*.. The same anger I feel to this day for revenge.
Bush didn't want to alarm the children. Isn't it all about the children Kerry?
Where was Kerry at the time of the attacks? Was he even in his DC office? Where was he "evacuated" from? If not, did he have information there was going to be an attack so to not be there? Where was his concern for his fellow Americans that he didn't make the necessary calls home?
That this is still even discussed, that people like Kerry and Moore can even say this [self-deleted] without being literally howled off the stage by a horrified public and hounded out of public life, is a genuine cringing embarrassment to me as an American.
Dan
Well said Dan.
Posted elsewhere is a letter to the NY Post by a reader who points out something very obvious that Moorkerry never thought of--the secret service had to secure the perimeter in case Bush was due to be attacked on evacuating the school.
I never thought of that, but considering how Cheney et al were physically picked up and evacuated immediately, the Secret Service was not just standing around looking at their watches thinking "Gee, wonder when the president will allow us to take him out of here."
As the letter writer points out, an ex-military man like Kerry should know about checking one's perimeter.
Good point, but isn't it true that when Bush was advised the first plane hit the tower, it wasn't yet known that this WAS an attack? The initial impression was that it was a plane that had mechanical trouble or went terribly off course. It wasn't until the 2nd plane hit that the pieces fell into place and emergency action went full throttle.
Right, this is all in refernce to the second crash.
With all the Moorish retorical hindsight, one of the premier lib talking heads (jennings maybe or??, but not rather), said he would have immediately got up and told the children, 'Excuse me, I have to leave now, the USA is under attack' or something even more ignorant.
Does anyone have the quote?
Is it verified anywhere exactly what was said to by the Secret Service to Bush at this moment? I remember watching it on TV but the thought of terrorists was distant until the second plane hit. Up until then, all we knew is that a plane hit the TTs, could have been pilot error, malfunction, etc.
Just as the swift boat thing has not been a good thing for Bush, second guessing those 7 minutes for Bush will prove to not be a good thing for Kerry. Its nothing more than Monday morning quarterbacking.
Did he attack Saudi Arabia (the number-one supporter of terrorists)? Syria? Pakistan?
Did he get a formal declaration of war?
Did he revoke the visas of all citizens of terror-supporting states?
Did he direct the CIA and FBI to work together and begin a massive wave of targeted assassinations of known terrorists and their leaders?
I am not saying Kerry would have done better. I am saying that it is now 2004--and we are still permitting visas to citizens of terror-supporting states; we are still allowing pilots for "Saudi Airlines" to come here to be trained; massive numbers of "OTMs" are crossing our borders; we have done no background checks on naturalized citizens who originated from terror-supporting states (one of the hijackers on 9/11 was a 'citizen' who had received advanced military training in the U.S.), nor have we required colleges and universities to provide more information on citizens of terrorist states who are majoring in, say, biochemistry or biology or chemistry...
--Boris
absolutely... i heard he was told to take his time while they secure the entrance area and get his cars started and ready at the door also for a using the Plan-B alternate route to the airport rather than the primary one they had planned in case it was compromised, plus having AF-1 started and warming up while he was en route etc. etc. etc. those precious first minutes were not wasted
I didn't panic, I didn't run around. I just sat there, open jawed disbelief. I wasn't even angry. Then I heard the pentagon was hit, and I thought 'wow, they're hitting us hard'.
Just my personal story, but I just can't imagine much more reaction than sheer shock. It wasn't until they collapsed that I got *angry*.. The same anger I feel to this day for revenge.
I am assuming that you do not work in a job involving a crisis response responsibility. I do.
We immediately made an assessment of our client's higher risk office locations. We made the quickest possible headcount of those traveling that day on business. We evacuated those who worked in high rise towers. We established communications with management employees in a responsible charge for their facilities.
These actions were all commenced within 10 minutes of the second plane hitting the WTC. So, we were slightly behind the White House team and solar systems ahead of Kerry and company.
Hmmmm, does anyone know if the windows in Daschle's office have a view of the Pentagon? It's quite a few miles away too, isn't it?
Is his description of events even remotely possible? (Not that I'd want to call kerry a liar but I find his story more than a little suspicious.)
I was watching on TV, from far away at home. I didn't go into work until the afternoon. There wasn't a whole lot I could do, except get some guns ready in case it didn't stop.
Was not meant as a slam on you. I was simply illustrating that those entities with a plan can and did implement those plans within minutes.
Kerry admittedly was 'shocked and awed.' Literally frozen into inaction. Frozen along with the rest of his party's leadership.
And done what? Grab his shotgun, and go crawling on his belly hunting terrorists?
Hey Boris, just because no one emails you with updates on all of the government actions, doesn't mean plenty of things aren't being done.
My ex husband is a federal agent and you and all the other "geniuses" on this board would be shocked at how much is being done.
You aren't as informed as you think you are.
Unless you are a congressmen, it is not your job to jump into action.
Everyone believed it was an accident, though I vividly remember witnesses on CBS saying it sounded more like a missile than a plane. I pretty much dismissed that, but there was something odd to me about the plane hit.
I think I even told my mom I didn't think it was an accident....and then boom, the second plane hit on live tv.
What was the ketchup boy doing in a "leadership meeting?" According to his own Senate web site, he holds no leadership positions. He's got three minor subcommittees where he is ranking minority member but not even a co-chairmanship of a subcommittee.
Boxer's pretty low on the leadership roll, too. Reid is the Dim whip(Maybe even a dimwit!). If the story's at all true, sounds more like the ketchup boy and Boxer had been called in for a "Come to Jesus" meeting
Most likely discussing personal concerns in our preemptive attacks on Vietnam.
When he came back over to let me know a second plane had hit the other tower, I just looked at him and said "That's no accident!"
Bush took a few minutes while preparations were being made to go on with business as usual, an important and calming example for a roomfull of kids. He handled it very well, even to the point of not getting the children worked up.
Quality leadership is not just learned by rote, it comes from within.
Kerry apparently does not have that.
No, but he would have panicked a school full of kids in his haste to save his own butt....and then said it was to keep them out of the line of fire later.
How does one respond to that.
BTTT
Tell the lefties to STFU, for several reasons. For example, the reasons given on this very thread. And also for the reason Bush gave -- that there wasn't any good to be gained by rushing off in a tizzy, when it would have (and was) perfectly fine to wait as he did. Seven minutes would not have made any difference on that day. As it turns out, W has demonstrated that he has the ability to make difficult and correct snap decisions. JF'nK has shown merely that he's a whiner.
If President Bush had done the things Kerry, and the rest of the Democrats, said he should have done, Kerry, and the rest of the Democrats, would now be criticizing him for having done those things. To them this is all a political game and how to make points. Another example: the heightened security alert. No matter when it was announced, the announcement would be criticized as having been made for political purposes.
By his own admittance he couldn't think for those 40 minutes. Even if you're not the president, if you're supposedly presidential material you should be able to think. He was paralyzed.
The reality is that the 'Rats would find something to complain about Bush's response to 9/11 no matter what the response. Goes to show they have nothing.
Let's see; Kerry thinks Bush should have hurriedly left the room, stunning the teacher -- because you know the press would have made a mad dash out the door after him -- so that he could DO something (like scare the children.).
And, on the other hand, at a rally for his whistle stop this very week, Bush supporters loudly cheering were admonished by John Edwards, "My children are on this train; show some manners."
Color me confused.
All these talking heads think they have ALL available information. I've always said that there is more going on than we know. Everyone tries to second guess everyone else when, in reality, they DO NOT know how they would have reacted. I don't care if they say they do, they have no idea how they would've reacted in that situation.
When you're put into a situation you've never experienced or even planned for, only a complete MORON would say they know what they would do.
And when it comes to being a moron, Kerry IS the total package.
Thanks. My ex husband is part of a counter-terrorism task force and there is so much going on that they can't talk about.
(We are still very close, obviously.)
He tells me what he can, but even with me, he has plenty he can't discuss.
In fact, I feel very comforted by the things he can't tell me.
That means all sorts of things are being done to help protect us.
Kindly respond to the substantive claims I made in my post. Otherwise you are just another smug face (Ann Lewis comes to mind) saying, "I know but I cannot say".
--Boris
You are a great big fool if you think I am going to tell you classified information.
Call me what you want but I will not do it.
It's wrong.
Face it, you don't know everything. None of us do.
Tell me Boris, what part of "I can't say" bothers you so much?
Did he attack Saudi Arabia (the number-one supporter of terrorists)?
And, IIRC, our biggest importer of oil. How does $25.00/gallon for fuel sound?
Did he get a formal declaration of war?
Oh, I thought Congress voted to approve the use of force. I must've been mistaken.
Did he revoke the visas of all citizens of terror-supporting states?
I didn't know all of them were terrorists. Can you imagine the lawsuits?
Did he direct the CIA and FBI to work together and begin a massive wave of targeted assassinations of known terrorists and their leaders?
No, he mobilized the military, you know those guys with tanks, helicopter gunships, .50 caliber machine guns, and Tomahawk missiles. Last time I checked, the FBI didn't have a Tomahawk missile.
All that being said, we're on the same team, you and I. We both want these terrorists to take the permanent dirt nap, but we need to criticize the President after the election on these issues. Doing so pre-election only divides us and gives a morale boost to the dims.
Kerry is the most unqualified, inept, joke of a candidate that we have seen in a Presidential election. He is a know nothing, do nothing, flash in the pan, who wants to be in charge. We must stick together and defeat him first, then we can get our own house in better order.
let me see we are now critizing the president for 7 minutes...
gee what could he have done with that i wonder....
yes like all things lets not talk about the PREVIOUS 8 YEARS
lets talk about the months of his presidency and the 7 minutes
GO BACK TO SLEEP AMERICA THE DEMOCRATS WILL WORRY FOR YOU>...GO BACK TO SLEEPPPP...MICHAEL MORRE WILL TELL U WHAT HAPPENED...
I'm getting the impression from some Dems that they didn't think that was too cool a statement by Kerry -- especially after Giuliani's response (calling it "monday morning quarterbacking") got a lot of publicity.
True, Dems didn't literally howl him off the stage -- they've got too much at stake with their anybody-but-Bush mania.
But I think a lot of Dems are embarrassed. They're also concerned that smug pronouncements like that from Kerry will turn off those cherished "undecided" voters.
I hope you're right.
Dan
It was not a formal declaration of war as required by the Constitution. Perhaps you've heard of it.
" I didn't know all of them were terrorists. Can you imagine the lawsuits?"
Firstly they have no standing to sue. A visa is an "invitation" to visit the U.S.--for a limited time. It can be revoked at the pleasure of the President anytime. The logic of revoking visas for citizens of known terror-supporting states on 9/12/2001 was--and is--that we don't have time to check them individually. Individual deep background checks should be reserved for "naturalized citizens" originating in terror-supporting states.
"No, he mobilized the military, you know those guys with tanks"
Which are notoriously ineffective in targeting individual guys with rags on their heads. We should have sub-contracted the job to the Mossad; they know what they are doing.
Interestingly, your post was silent on the fact that we are still issuing visas to citizens of terror-supporting states and still training pilots from those nations. All I can say is may God have mercy on us--because we refuse to take necessary and prudent steps to protect ourselves.
--Boris
It was not a formal declaration of war as required by the Constitution. Perhaps you've heard of it.
Now that is true sarcasm!
We haven't had a formal declaration since WW2. Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Gulf War One, Bosnia, Gulf War 2 . . . at this rate, I don't think we will ever get another one.
" I didn't know all of them were terrorists. Can you imagine the lawsuits?"
Firstly they have no standing to sue. A visa is an "invitation" to visit the U.S.--for a limited time. It can be revoked at the pleasure of the President anytime. The logic of revoking visas for citizens of known terror-supporting states on 9/12/2001 was--and is--that we don't have time to check them individually. Individual deep background checks should be reserved for "naturalized citizens" originating in terror-supporting states.
How many visas are we talking here? What would the impact be of sending thousands of people packing? It sounds like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. What would keep terrorists from simply going to another non-terror state, and immigrating from there? What about tourist visas? Work visas? It would require a whole other branch of government to do a decent background check.
Just because they can't sue, doesn't mean John Edwards won't be filing the suits, either. For Pete's sake, they're trying to give illegal aliens the right to vote!
"No, he mobilized the military, you know those guys with tanks"
Which are notoriously ineffective in targeting individual guys with rags on their heads. We should have sub-contracted the job to the Mossad; they know what they are doing.
Can you contract out the Moussad? Interestingly, those "ineffective" guys with the tanks have liberated two countries, destroyed the Taliban, put bin Laden on the run, destroyed a brutal regime, liberated 25,000,000 people, and captured an estimated 75% of al Qaeda's leaders.
Interestingly, your post was silent on the fact that we are still issuing visas to citizens of terror-supporting states and still training pilots from those nations. All I can say is may God have mercy on us--because we refuse to take necessary and prudent steps to protect ourselves.
I agree with you that we need to be more diligent in issuing visas. I'll go a step further -- I think we need to seal our borders and use the military to do it. Only legal entry should be allowed.
There are risks in life, and you cannot eliminate or even reduce all of them.
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