GOP response to Richard Clarke

Maru sums it up:

Bush says: "If we had any inkling, we would have done everything we could." (stupid)

Powell says: "We did know and we were trying as hard as we could to stop it."

Condi Says: "Clarke is lying, but I can't say how."

Cheney says: "Clarke? Never heard of the guy."

Billmon has some comments on the squawkings of Dr. Frist (the cat killer - oh, sorry, couldn't resist):

Now you see, I didn't have to declassify any sensitive national security documents, and I've already caught Frist in a false statement. Either he lied when he claimed to know that Clarke "told two different stories under oath" (which seems to me to be a reasonably good definition of perjury) or he lied when he told the journalistic stenographers that he "personally didn't know whether there were any discrepancies."

Funny how apparently none of our watchdogs of the Fourth Estate thought to ask him about that little inconsistency. Nor did they see fit to comment on the fact that Frist apparently has not yet read the testimony that may or may not (depending on which set of Fristian remarks you go by) prove that Richard Clarke was (or is now) a perjurer:

And regarding Goss' threat for a perjury probe into Clarke's allegations...

But if -- a big if -- Goss actually sets a perjury probe in motion, it would tell me the White House is worried about more than just losing an election. It would suggest there's something about the 9/11 saga that could send people -- even high-ranking elected people -- to the slammer. In which case this might be a good time to pursue that Canadian residency application.

Right now, the signs are ambiguous -- which under the circumstances means not too encouraging:

Goss said he is reviewing testimony and other documents and plans to request the declassification - a sometimes lengthy process - in case a need for public hearings or other disclosure arises. (emphasis added)

That phrase "other disclosure" could cover a whole lot of ground.

So is this just a phony ploy to try to rattle Clarke and scare away any other would-be informants? Or is Bush really going to take Nixon's re-election strategy a step further?

Well, you know what I think. This bunch will stop at nothing. They will destroy (or attempt to) anyone who stands in their path to total power. And, I have reason to worry that they might be willing to destroy anything.

If there is such a thing as evil, these people personify it.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.