Pataki Blames Dems for Pre-9/11 Failures

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,117420,00.html

"MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — New York Gov. George Pataki urged supporters Saturday to back President Bush's re-election by saying Democrats' failure to respond to previous acts of terrorism led the way to the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

Pataki criticized the Clinton administration for not properly responding to the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, attacks on U.S. embassies in Africa, the bombing of the USS Cole and an attack on a U.S. military barracks in Saudi Arabia."

"Thank God that on Sept. 11, George W. Bush was the president of America," Pataki told hundreds gathered at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference on Saturday night."

"But Pataki's remarks were the best received over the three-day conference. He was interrupted several times with thunderous applause as he pointed out Bush's response to Sept. 11 proved he should lead the country."

[lefty_mcduff]

1. Hmmm. More 'fair and balanced' reporting from Faux

n/t

[keithyboy]

21. OK, we take blame for pre-9/11 failures if Repugs will take blame for 9/11

and post 9/11. That's fair!

[NMDemDist2]

2. ick ick ick--- big shock Blame Bill pas deux

[iorg]

3. Now the famous quote

Trent Lott Questioned by the Observer, London England, January 2001

Do you think it is fair that President Clinton is being accused of not preventing the attack on the USS Cole?

LOTT: Well, in reality that is the way it is in America
and it is what makes us a great nation. True leaders must
handle difficult situations or have competent people
who handle those situations.

Sources did give information of a general nature to the
Administration and it is obvious that an attack still occured.
This is a more 'impeachable' offense than what was brought
before the Congress.

Fortunately, George Bush will in just a few days become
our President. I can assure you that such situations will not be
mishandled by his Administration. However general the information might be, the President-elect will act with authority to prevent such tragedies.

[azmesa207]

7. Trent Lott's Quote

John Kerry should used this as a Campaign add If we take Lott at his word Bush I to Blame for 9/11

[eaprez]

4. What Kinda Crack Were They Smoking?

What drugs do these people use? What kind of idiot does one have to be not only to say that stuff....but believe it.

Clinton caught, prosecuted and locked up those responsible for bombing the WTC. He also called a cabinet meeting, knocked some heads together and prevented the Millennium attacks.

George Bush did nothing after reading the 8/6 PDB....other than continue his vacation. To stick ones head in the sand and deny the obvious...well,all I can say is that I am happy these idiots are Republicans.

[The Zanti Regent]

5. From another thread...

HOW MANY TERRORIST ATTACKS CLINTON STOPPED.

Just for the record, under Richard Clarke's leadership as Czar of Counterterrorism:

CLINTON Developed the nation's first anti-terrorism policy, and appointed first national coordinator of anti-terrorist efforts.

CLINTON Stopped cold the Al Qaeda millennium hijacking and bombing plots.

CLINTON Stopped cold the planned attack to kill the Pope

CLINTON Stopped cold the planned attack to blow up 12 U.S. jetliners simultaneously

CLINTON Stopped cold the planned attack to blow up UN Headquarters

CLINTON Stopped cold the planned attack to blow up FBI Headquarters

CLINTON Stopped cold the planned attack to blow up the Israeli Embassy in Washington

CLINTON Stopped cold the planned attack to blow up Boston airport

CLINTON Stopped cold the planned attack to blow up Lincoln and Holland Tunnels in NY

CLINTON Stopped cold the planned attack to blow up the George Washington Bridge

CLINTON Stopped cold the planned attack to blow up the US Embassy in Albania

-- Tried to kill Osama bin Laden and disrupt Al Qaeda through preemptive strikes (efforts denounced by the G.O.P.).

-- Brought perpetrators of first World Trade Center bombing and CIA killings to justice.

-- Did not blame Bush I administration for first World Trade Center bombing even though it occurred 38 days after Bush left office. Instead, worked hard, even obsessively -- and successfully -- to stop future terrorist attacks.

--Named the Hart-Rudman commission to report on nature of terrorist threats and major steps to be taken to combat terrorism.

-Clinton sent legislation to Congress to TIGHTEN AIRPORT SECURITY. (Remember, this is before 911) The legislation was defeated by the Republicans because of opposition from the airlines.

-Clinton sent legislation to Congress to allow for BETTER TRACKING OF TERRORIST FUNDING. It was defeated by Republicans in the Senate because of opposition from banking interests.

-Clinton sent legislation to Congress to add tagents to explosives, to allow for BETTER TRACKING OF EXPLOSIVES USED BY TERRORISTS. It was defeated by the Republicans because of opposition from the NRA.

-Clinton increased the military budget by an average of 14 per cent, reversing the trend under Bush I.

-Clinton tripled the budget of the FBI for counterterrorism and doubled overall funding for counterterrorism

-Clinton detected and destroyed cells of Al Qaeda in over 20 countries

-Clinton created national stockpile of drugs and vaccines including 40 million doses of smallpox vaccine.

-Of Clinton's efforts says Robert Oakley, Reagan Ambassador for Counterterrorism: "Overall, I give them very high marks" and "The only major criticism I have is the obsession with Osama"

-Paul Bremer, current Civilian Administrator of Iraq disagrees slightly with Robert Oakley as he believed the Clinton Administration had "correctly focused on bin Laden.

-Barton Gellman in the Washington Post put it best, "By any measure available, Clinton left office having given greater priority to terrorism than any president before him" and was the "first administration to undertake a systematic anti-terrorist effort"

[erpowers]

16. Where Did You get this From

I would like to know where you got your information from in that I would like to write to the New York Times editorial page and explain the things Clinton did to protect America. I would like to be able to gives sources for the information. Also, would you be able to tell me where to find information about the Bush admin refusing to give money to the FBI and other counterterrorism efforts.

[RoyGBiv]

6. Previous Failures

Well, if they want to get really nasty and are absolutely sure they'd like to bring historical failures into this, they might be interested in what foreign policy analysts are starting to realize was the point of origin for how terrorist groups are currently planning their actions against the United States.

And it doesn't start with Clinton. It starts with Ronald Reagan and the circumstances that led to the 1983 bombings in Beirut.

[seabeyond]

8. i am amazed

at least clinton was aware he was informed. bush sat on his butt, has said himself as everyone admits too, and it is clintons fault. do these people use smart for themselves. or just totally embrace the stupid

the real point on this we havent harped on that we should, repugs were taking clinton down for a blowjob,. i know during the whole thing i yelled that they so polarized clinton couldnt do his job. so if they put the blame on clinton era, we flip flop it to, republicans were the ones that created an atmosphere clinton could not do what he needed to do. like ignoring clinton when bush walked in and told bush the danger, the republicans closed their ears to the threat, causing all citizens to be in danger

[nosmokes]

9. how did pataki

manage to get elected? i still don't understand that one.

[Paradise]

10. a n d, more than once?????? n/t

[Snellius]

11. Pataki won because of the NY Democrats

The Democratic Party in New York takes itself so much for granted it has become disorganized, uninspired, and corrupt.

[DeepModem Mom]

13. Pataki's also pretty moderate -- he should be ashamed...

of himself, spreading this crap I don't think he believes himself. It's cynically self-serving, and irresponsible.

[DeepModem Mom]

12. The Southern Reps also enjoyed a Hillary assassination joke --

From the article:

One of the remarks caused Democrats to demand an apology: State Rep. Jennifer Carroll made a joke that suggested Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton could help the country best if she was assassinated....

Earlier in the day, Carroll opened her remarks during a discussion of Senate races by making a joke about Clinton. She said the New York senator and former first lady was visited by the ghosts of three presidents — Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln — and asked each what she could do to help the nation.

Carroll said Lincoln's response was "Go to a theater." Lincoln was assassinated in Ford's Theater in Washington....

Carroll said she didn't think the joke was inappropriate.

"You infer what you want to infer, but I never said assassinate, or kill or maim," Carroll said.

Last week, the Republican Party demanded Democrats repudiate a newspaper ad a St. Petersburg Democratic club bought that said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld should be "put up against a wall" and someone should "pull the trigger." Democrats quickly denounced the ad.

Carroll's party defended her, saying the comment was made during a friendly gathering of Republicans and was much different than an angry statement published for the public to see.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

14. Here's more Republican humor involving Evil Dick and guns...

By now you've all had the opportunity to be inspired by this photo of Evil Dick stroking and admiring this fine firearm at an NRA rally (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,117410,00.html ):



And while he was smiling and stroking, the following outburst happened right under his nose (from the article above) and probably did not disturb him in the least:

"Earlier in the day, Tom Mauser, whose son, Daniel, was killed with an assault weapon in the Columbine High School (search) killings five years ago, tried to enter the convention hall where the NRA was meeting, seeking to urge Cheney to support extending the assault weapons ban.

Mauser was turned away by a security guard as several conventioneers applauded. A couple of conventioneers yelled "Get a life" and "Vote for Bush."

Mauser, who marched three blocks to the convention hall literally in his son's shoes, said before the march that continuing the ban would be common sense.

"What is the useful purpose to these weapons? ... They are the weapons of gangs, drug lords and sick people." Mauser said. "It is a weapon of war and we don't want this war on our streets."

Unfortunately, the article does NOT mention if Cheney punched the air repeatedly with his fist and did the Arsenio Hall "roof, roof, roof" chant after the "Vote for Bush" cries.

Evil Dick...gotta love him. Even if he is Evil. As well as a Dick.

[samsingh]

15. Pataki sounds like a traitor

[Z-Dawg-E]

17. Expect more

that's just the start.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_I...

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

19. Welcome to DU, Z-Dawg-E

Welcome aboard.

[Z-Dawg-E]

20. Thanks

Won't be here long though -- headed home.

[Skittles]

22. *self-sensored*

*sensored*

[Ivote]

18. I don't think so

maybe he doesn't have the intelligence to have understood the HART RUDMAN Report that was given on Jan 31, 2001 which preceeded 911 that took place in HIS STATE.
National Security Issues
U.S. Commission on Natl. Security for 21st Century
Washington, District of Columbia (United States)
ID: 162274 - 01/31/2001 - 1:05 - $45.00



Schlesinger, James, Secretary, Department of Defense
Gingrich, Newt, U.S. Representative, R-GA
Galvin, John, General, NATO, Supreme Allied Command
Rice, Donald, Secretary (Fmr.), U.S. Air Force
Thornberry, William "Mac", U.S. Representative, R-TX
Roberts, Pat, U.S. Senator, R-KS
Hamilton, Lee H., Director, Wilson Center for International Scholars
Rudman, Warren B., Co-Chair, U.S. Commission on Natl. Security for 21st Century
Boyd, Charles G., Executive Director, U.S. Commission on Natl. Security for 21st Century
Hart, Gary, U.S. Senator, D, Colorado




Commission members spoke about their final report on national security in the 21st century. The report addressed threats posed by terrorism, cyber-warfare, and other sources. It also recommended restructuring the National Security Council, State department and Department of Defense to combat new threats. Following their remarks they answered questions from the audience.

[SarahB]

23. Sure

That's why when he bombed in Sudan in 1998, they were all screaming "Wag the Dog" at President Clinton.
Their memories are mighty short.