McKinney Claims Bush 'Conspiracy'; includes poll for FREEPing

11 Alive - WXIA/Atlanta ^ | 9.16.02 | Ian Stinson

[mhking]

McKinney Claims 'Conspiracy of Silence'

Should You Have Been Warned? Does Bush not warning the American public about possible terrorist attacks change your perception of his administration?    • Cast Your Vote

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• Archive Story: McKinney Under Fire for Bush Comments

Web Editor: Ian Stinson
Last Modified: 5/16/2002 4:11:49 PM

Georgia Rep. Cynthia McKinney is renewing her call for a "full and complete congressional investigation" of the Bush Administration.

In a statement released Thursday, May 16,
McKinney said the Bush Administration "engaged in a conspiracy of silence" regarding prior knowledge of the Sept. 11 attacks.

On Thursday, the White House confirmed that President Bush was told a month before Sept. 11 that Osama bin Laden's terrorist network might hijack American airplanes.

In March of 2002, McKinney charged the Bush administration with failing to act on warnings that a terrorist attack was coming. She also hinted that the administration wanted to benefit its political allies in the defense industry.

McKinney was widely criticized for her statements. Sen. Georgia Sen. Zell Miller said Rep. McKinney's claims were "loony" then, and remain so.

Also on Thursday, House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, D-Mo., said Congress needs to find out -- in hearings open to the public -- what Bush and other officials knew, when they knew it and what they did with the information, in order to prevent future terrorist attacks.

Statement of Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney on Terrorist Warnings
May 16, 2002

Several weeks ago, I called for a congressional investigation into what warnings the Bush Administration received before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. I was derided by the White House, right wing talk radio, and spokespersons for the military-industrial complex as a conspiracy theorist. Even my patriotism was questioned because I dared to suggest that Congress should conduct a full and complete investigation into the most disastrous intelligence failure in American history. Georgia Senator Zell Miller even went so far as to characterize my call for hearings as "dangerous, loony and irresponsible."

Today's revelations that the administration, and President Bush, were given months of notice that a terrorist attack was a distinct possibility points out the critical need for a full and complete congressional investigation.

It now becomes clear why the Bush Administration has been vigorously opposing congressional hearings. The Bush Administration has been engaged in a conspiracy of silence. If committed and patriotic people had not been pushing for disclosure today's revelations would have been hidden by the White House.

Because I love my country, because I am a patriot, and because the American people deserve the truth, I believe it would be dangerous, loony and irresponsible not to hold full congressional hearings on any warnings the Bush Administration had before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Ever since I came to Congress in 1992, there are those who have been trying to silence my voice. I've been told to "sit down and shut up" over and over again. Well, I won't sit down and I won't shut up until the full and unvarnished truth is placed before the American people.

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[mhking]

Ms. McKinney has finally spoken. And as expected, she is using this to lay further blame on the Administration and is demanding a "full investigation" of the Bush Administration.

In addition, 11 Alive has a poll that will be reported on their early and late local news this evening. Y'all know what to do.

The direct link to the poll is: http://www.11alive.com/data/poll/polls32.asp

[mhking]

Black conservative ping

If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know.

[blam]

I demand a full and complete investigation of McKinney's sanity.

[Magnum44]

McKinney said the Bush Administration "engaged in a conspiracy of silence"

...something I wish Mckinney would do.

[Lazamataz]

Does Bush not warning the American public about possible terrorist attacks change your perception of his administration?

What an ABSURDLY-worded poll question.

Perhaps they would have better luck with this:

"Now that President Bush has stopped using crack cocaine and tossing infants into the air to be used as skeetshooting targets, do you like his admininstration any more?"

[hellinahandcart]

This just may be the most biased poll question I've ever seen, but apparently common sense is triumphing anyway:

Does Bush not warning the American public about possible terrorist attacks change your perception of his administration?
Yes, he should have warned us.: 39.9%
No, he did the right thing.: 56.0%
I'm not sure: 4.1%

[blam]

FReeped.

[stainlessbanner]

I've been told to "sit down and shut up" over and over again.

For good reason, Rep. McKLooney!

[ecomcon]

Bump.

37% "Should have warned us"
59% "Did the right thing"
4% "Not sure"

[hispanarepublicana]

bump

[Endeavor]

freeped

[stainlessbanner]

Opinion Poll Results
(based on 1021 votes)
Does Bush not warning the American public about possible terrorist attacks change your perception of his administration?

Yes, he should have warned us.: 38.5%
No, he did the right thing.: 57.5%
I'm not sure: 4.0%

[Bahbah]

Freeped the poll. When do we get to ask President Bush if he stopped beating his wife yet. What a horribly worded poll.

[Constitution Day]

All right, I'm not a big poll-FReeper, but have at it if you want to!

[tracer]

And the motive for this "conspiracy of silence" is...??

[Joe Brower]

Hmmm... the poll just blows up in my browser (IE 5.5). Maybe I'm just lucky, or maybe everyone piling on here crashed the ASP engine on the host from overload... $:-)

[concerned about politics]

This is what I got on my screen...

Provider error '80004005'

Unspecified error

/data/poll/polls32.asp, line 78

I'll try again later.

[spunkets]

" I was derided by the White House, right wing talk radio, and spokespersons for the military-industrial complex as a conspiracy theorist."

Not really. They all just thought you're a nutty flake. You don't think the squirrels and all those furry little animals had you pegged as a conspiracy theorist did you? They're laughing because they've never seen a fruit quite as soft and ripe as you are.

[mhking]

I had the same problem (Mac IE 5.1).

[Joe Brower]

Whups... I just got in after try #5. "Bush couldn't have done a damn thing different" is at 60%.