Prez Wannabee Graham Eying Evidence That Bush Blew 9/11

Newsmax.com ^ | 5/7/2003 | Carl Limbacher

[Chesner]

With Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff For the story behind the story...

Wednesday, May 7, 2003 12:02 a.m. EDT Prez Wannabe Graham Eyeing Evidence That Bush Blew 9/11

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Bob Graham is reportedly sitting on damaging evidence that the Bush administration could have prevented the Sept. 11 attacks - but he hasn't released the information yet because it's classified.

"I think Bob Graham has a smoking pistol on the Bush administration," Congressional Quarterly's Craig Crawford told WABC Radio's John Batchelor and Paul Alexander late Tuesday.

Crawford explained that Graham's mystery evidence has to do with "their failures, particularly intelligence failures, before 9/11."

In recent weeks Sen. Graham, the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, has charged repeatedly that Bush bungled the war on terrorism. But the ex-Florida governor has never publicly suggested that he thought the president had left America vulnerable to the 9/11 attacks.

Nevertheless, Crawford, who's been covering the Florida Democrat's presidential run, said that Graham obtained the Bush-9/11 evidence while serving as the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

"The problem is that what [Graham] knows - and he knows some very damaging stuff about the Bush administration's failures before 9/11 to prevent 9/11 - he can't talk about because it's classified," he explained.

Another reason for Graham's silence: Republicans would likely complain that Graham has abused his position on the Intelligence Committee by turning it into a tool for opposition research.

Still, Graham has been publicly hinting at what he knows without going into detail, said the CQ reporter. He quoted a recent speech in which the senator claimed, "I know first hand, as former chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, how little this administration has done to provide real security at home while it has directed its attention away from the war on terror abroad."

Crawford said that the presidential hopeful is trying to figure out a way to make the 9/11 evidence against Bush public without violating the secrecy rules on the Intelligence Committee.

"He's got something on Bush. He just can't figure out how to use it," he explained.

If Graham does indeed have evidence implicating the administration in 9/11-related negligence, it would be doubly ironic for the Bush White House, which has gone out of its way not to point fingers at the Clinton administration for its role in leaving America vulnerable to a 9/11-style attack.

Even an acknowledgement last year by ex-President Clinton that he turned down a deal for Osama bin Laden's extradition to the U.S. prompted only yawns from the Bush political operation.

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics: Bush Administration DNC

[Chesner]

Interesting. Graham scares me. I never cease to be amazed at the number of fellow Floridians who think that "he's a good man" and conservative politically.

[Joe Brower]

[wideawake]

I guarantee that Graham has nothing because there is nothing.

When he is caught dead to rights, he will have a tissue of suppositions, half-truths and assumptions.

[Dog]

Graham better put up or shut up..

Newsmax is hyping this story for all its worth.

[Dog]

He's got something on Bush. He just can't figure out how to use it," he explained.

So A US Senator is figuring out a way to blackmail a sitting President??

Very interesting..

[smith288]

Whatever evidence Bush "sat" on Clinton most definately did as well. The difference, Bush fought back, Clinton litigated (after WTC I and Cole).

[BOBTHENAILER]

"I think Bob Graham has been smoking a crack pipe in front of the Bush administration," Congressional Quarterly's Craig Crawford told WABC Radio's BOBTHENAILER.

That is how real this story is.

[Zavien Doombringer]

One ring to rule them all...!

[The South Texan]

This Craig Crawford guy gets on my nerves big time. And the media (MSNBC) always drags this guy out as some sort of objective anaylist. He is nothing but a DemoRat shill.

[Tacis]

I'm with the barbra streisand meter! Even assuming that Graham is a good guy, name me one other Senate dem that wouldn't leak confidential information that they thought would hurt Bush. They are all crooked weasels and if the information existed, it would already have been passed to the NYT, the Post, or Pravda.

But, if there is damaging information, it would be far more damaging for Willie (and, therefore, Hillie) and would not be leaked. And, if it exists, the reason it hasn't been leaked is that it would do far more damage to the bad guys than to Mr. Bush.

[areafiftyone]

I work in NYC and I am sure other Freepers who work here and experienced 9/11 firsthand will agree that WE DO NOT BELIEVE ANYTHING THAT EVIL VILE DEMOCREEP SAYS ABOUT BUSH! GRAHAM IS HATEFUL AND DESERVES TO BE OUSTED FROM THE CAMPAIGN!!! WHO THE HELL MADE HIM CONGRESS AND WHITE HOUSE HALL MONITOR WITH HIS LITTLE DIARY!!! Sorry for the rant but he makes my blood boil!!

[Zavien Doombringer]

Another reason for Graham's silence: Republicans would likely complain that Graham has abused his position on the Intelligence Committee by turning it into a tool for opposition research.

Says so right here...

[Free ThinkerNY]

This is the ineffectual President who blew 9/11

[Wphile]

Craig Crawford bugs me big time too. And, he's hardly ever right!

I thought I saw on TV or maybe on FR that Graham has said that there were intelligence failures (that's pretty obvious isn't it?) but the Bush administration does not share in the blame.

Also, this is a newsmax story and I seldom believe anything newsmax prints until I see it elsewhere.

Plus, Graham was chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee for the year leading up to 9/11 so perhaps his committee wasn't doing its job either.

[Asclepius]

"The problem is that what [Graham] knows - and he knows some very damaging stuff about the Bush administration's failures before 9/11 to prevent 9/11 - he can't talk about because it's classified," he explained.

Yeah. Right. I know x. But I cannot talk about x because x is a secret.

[Lazamataz]

Not even such scumbags as Pelosi, Boxer or Schumer would dare suggest that Bush could have foreseen, prevented, or mitigated 9/11 pre-event.

This tells me a lot about this Graham character.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

These Dems are all jealous and haters.

An honest Dem would say,.........

"sure, Bush has done a good job, but I can do better!"

Proof that there are no honest Dems.

[Mo1]

Graham better put up or shut up..

Exactly .. this is such BS

[RayBob]

Graham can say that there's evidence, that he's seen it, and its bad, really bad...but he can't release it because its classified. Gets to spout off, and doesn't have to back it up. The press, the left and the whackos on the right will buy it hook line and sinker.

[backhoe]

He needs to look at this:

-Bush and Clinton and 911- some facts... --