As the September 11th Commission grills President Bush and Vice President Cheney about their contradictory statements today, we wanted to alert you to a powerful new tool to help journalists, activists and the public compare the Bush administration's claims against well-documented facts. The Center for American Progress today launched a comprehensive Claim vs. Fact database at http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1330816&l=31810 that documents statements from conservatives like President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Members of Congress and Fox News personalities, and compares those statements to the facts. Each fact is sourced, and in many cases includes a web link directly to that source.
Frick and Frack went before the Worthless Commission today.
The president says he had a good conversation with the 10 members of the commission. He says he answered every question they asked.
"It was wide-ranging," he said. "It was important."
VOA article
"It was wide-ranging," he said. "It was important."
Of course it was private, no recording and no oaths. I can't imagine anything coming out of it to interest us. Perhaps someone on the Worthless Commission will leak something.
But maybe not.
Two Democrats on the panel, Vice Chairman Lee Hamilton and former U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey of Nebraska, left the session about an hour early. Hamilton, a former congressman from Indiana, was said to have had a prior commitment to introduce visiting Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin at a lunch.
Reuters article
The meeting couldn't possibly hurt the president. It was secret. Bush and Cheney could cover each other's butts so there are no discrepancies. There is no record. No oath. Just a nice friendly get-together. It has little to do with informing the public.
Even so, after three hours of talking, the commission issued a statement saying the meeting was "extraordinary" and went on to gush, in a statement: "The commission found the president and the vice president forthcoming and candid. The information they provided will be of great assistance to the commission as it completes its final report. " Whatever that means.
...The 9-11 commissioners looked pretty silly, pulling their chairs up around George W. Bush and Dick Cheney in the White House this morning for a good 'ol gab fest. Some of them probably didn't figure on becoming props in Bush's re-election campaign.
That's exactly what they became. As the meeting got under way the Bush campaign launched its spin. "This is a good opportunity," White House press secretary Scott McClellan solemnly declared, "for the president to sit down with members of the commission and talk with them about the seriousness with which we took the threat from Al Qaeda, the steps we were taking to confront it, and how we have been responding to the attacks of September 11." He added, "This is a private meeting. The discussion from this meeting will be reflected in their final report."
And when it was over, the president briefly talked with reporters, saying he had had a "good discussion" with the commission. In a condescending tone, Bush said, "I'm glad I did it. I'm glad I took the time. . . I enjoyed it." He didn't say what the questions were or how he answered them, but when reporters pushed, the president said, "If we had something to hide, we wouldn't have met with them in the first place." He added, "We answered all their questions."
So once again, without telling us anything of substance, the president comes off looking solemn and presidential, capturing the news for a full day of headlines that can't help but further tie down his campaign stance as the wartime president.
Village Voice article
Even so, after three hours of talking, the commission issued a statement saying the meeting was "extraordinary" and went on to gush, in a statement: "The commission found the president and the vice president forthcoming and candid. The information they provided will be of great assistance to the commission as it completes its final report. " Whatever that means.
...The 9-11 commissioners looked pretty silly, pulling their chairs up around George W. Bush and Dick Cheney in the White House this morning for a good 'ol gab fest. Some of them probably didn't figure on becoming props in Bush's re-election campaign.
That's exactly what they became. As the meeting got under way the Bush campaign launched its spin. "This is a good opportunity," White House press secretary Scott McClellan solemnly declared, "for the president to sit down with members of the commission and talk with them about the seriousness with which we took the threat from Al Qaeda, the steps we were taking to confront it, and how we have been responding to the attacks of September 11." He added, "This is a private meeting. The discussion from this meeting will be reflected in their final report."
And when it was over, the president briefly talked with reporters, saying he had had a "good discussion" with the commission. In a condescending tone, Bush said, "I'm glad I did it. I'm glad I took the time. . . I enjoyed it." He didn't say what the questions were or how he answered them, but when reporters pushed, the president said, "If we had something to hide, we wouldn't have met with them in the first place." He added, "We answered all their questions."
So once again, without telling us anything of substance, the president comes off looking solemn and presidential, capturing the news for a full day of headlines that can't help but further tie down his campaign stance as the wartime president.
Personally, I think it's a mistake to go on that war president thing with the war going so badly.
....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.
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