OpenLeft: Republicans would have impeached Gore over 9/11

[marmar]

Republicans would have impeached Gore over 9/11
by: Chris Bowers

Tue Dec 29, 2009 at 14:00


There are a few lessons to be learned about the bathroom bomber incident. Here are six lessons that come to mind:

1. It is pretty easy for single, incompetent individuals to change United States federal policy through the threat of violence.

2. Many Republicans believe that unions are a greater threat to national security than terrorists.

3. Quite a few conservatives don't believe any criminal suspects are entitled to due process.

4. Many conservatives believe that we should institute an apartheid state against Muslims in America.

5. If Al Gore had been President on September 11, 2001, there would have been no bi-partisan, United We Stand language coming from conservatives. The aggressive, partisan response we have seen to even this failed attack would have almost certainly meant impeachment proceedings against President Gore sometime in late 2001 or early 2002.

6. A substantial minority of elected officials in the Democratic Party is willing to go along, or at least keep silent on with #3 and #4, either because they believe it or because they don't have core values and think those positions are electoral winners. For the same reasons, a smaller minority of elected officials the Democratic Party would even be willing to go along with #2 and #5.

Although, since these are not the first examples of these outcomes, beliefs or counterfactuals, I guess all of these are actually reminders, not lessons.


http://www.openleft.com/diary/16733/republicans-would-have-impeached-gore-over-911

[MiniMe]

1. That assumes that 9/11 would have happened under Gore

He would have paid attention to the warnings.

[Dennis Donovan]

2. 9/11 probably wouldn't have taken place if Gore were President...

Unlike the Bush Admin who ignored terrorism before 9/11, the Gore Admin would've followed the recommendations of Hart-Rudman and the Gore Commission, both of which would've made the pulling off of 9/11 very difficult, if not impossible.

[McCamy Taylor]

3. Ditto.

[Rhiannon12866]

8. That's exactly what I thought when I saw the subject line...

Bush* intentionally ignored anything that was considered a "Clinton issue," North Korea, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the very real threat of Osama bin Laden, which Sandy Berger specifically addressed with Condi Rice. A Gore administration would have handled all this much differently. As it was, this all worked out as badly as it could have for Bush*-Cheney, which they have attempted to obfuscate ever since... :grr:

[Gman]

4. Chris Bowers is very annoying

Where does he come up with this shit like impeach Gore? I guess he needed to post something so he pulled this out of his ass.

[LiberalFighter]

5. Chris Bowers doesn't have any credentials. If he did he lost them with this hack piece.

[clear eye]

6. If Gore had been President in 2001, there would have been no 9/11 attack

b/c he would have continued Clinton's aggressive intelligence policies and had the agency chiefs follow up on the many warning signals and tips.

[Cleita]

9. Exactly. There is no doubt he would not have ignored,

"Bin Ladin determined to attack in the United States" which Condi Rice dismissed as "swatting flies" to pay attention to the intelligence.

[chrisa]

7. A terrorist attack happening is not an impeachable offense.

Or an offense dealing with the President at all. How could he be charged for something he had nothing to do with? Pretty silly statements, if you ask me.