Clark blaming Bush for not taking precautions before 9/11 attacks

[NNN0LHI]

http://www4.fosters.com/News2003/December2003/December_11/News/pol_clark_1211b.asp

PORTSMOUTH — Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark is blaming President Bush for not taking the necessary precautionary steps to prevent the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.

The retired four-star general had harsh words for the commander in chief, saying Bush did nothing to address the problems of al-Qaida being an imminent threat.

At a reception on Tuesday with the employees of the Pierce Atwood law office at Pease International Tradeport, Clark said the Bush administration did not heed the warnings from President Clinton’s national security adviser Sandy Berger.

"He gave advice to this administration that the greater threat to national security was Osama bin Laden," he said.

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[kentuck]

1. Bush could prove both Clark and Dean wrong if he simply released..

the documents that the 9/11 commission is requesting. But he won't...because they will show that he was asleep at the wheel, that he was on vacation more than he was on the job, and that his incompetence may have permitted terrorists to hit the WTC and the Pentagon. Let Bush prove them wrong. I dare him or his people to do it. They won't because it would be devastating.

http://www.septembereleventh.org/

(added website)

[HereSince1628]

3. Pressuring Bush is something that needs to be done.

Props to Clark,

BTW I'm a believer in much of Kucinich's message and doing work for Dean and Kerry...

If the dems could force Bush to become reactionary we'd be well on the way to cleansing government.

[LittleDannySlowhorse]

6. Exactly

Bush needs to be put on the defensive, and kept there. We just need to keep a spotlight on the many, many ways in which President Fuckface has dropped the ball.

[rfranklin]

7. This should be hammered again and again by all Dems...

Asked about Dean's charges of 9/11 incompetence, Bush blew it off by saying "it's just politics." He cannot be allowed to get away with this.

Every Dem should hammer on Bush every time they are in front of a media person and in every stump speech. Tell America, Bush screwed up and let it happen, and now he can't allow an honest investigation because it will reveal his incompetence. As long as the Dems let the Bush junta define the terms of the debate they will lose because now it's Saddam and two weeks before the election it will be a freeze-dried Osama who suddenly is captured in a hidey-hole. Count on it.

[maddezmom]

2. Go Wes

<< Clark said the reason why Bush administration officials are stonewalling attempts to release documents and information about Sept. 11, is it does not want any embarrassing details to come to light. >>

[LittleDannySlowhorse]

4. Nice!

Give 'em hell, Wes!

[w13rd0]

5. FANTASTIC...

...the candidates talking about this know how they'll be painted (or attempt to be painted) for talking about these things, but they are leading the dialogue, and I appluad them for it.

[ithinkmyliverhurts]

8. It's a brilliant political move

Puts Bush on the defensive. I don't believe there was any sort of intentional malice (call me either naive or an strict adherent to Occham's razor). I do, however, think there was an absolute lacadaisical attitude on the part of the administration. They will get bludgeoned, BLUDGEONED, for doing nothing about the warnings. I think there are concerete details that the DNC will forcefeed to the RNC if they're made public. I wish all of the dems. could unite on this one issue. Just keep pounding away in a very rational and logical way. Everyday each campaign should coordinate with the others on this one issue alone. That could be the one ABSOLUTE democratic pledge: that if a dem. is elected, the 9/11 vetting process will become completely transparent (and Clinton--Bill-- should emphatically jump on board).

[kentuck]

10. I think it could very well be true....

We know now that Sandy Berger told them in his exit briefing that their #1 concern should be Osama bin Laden. We know also that a General also briefed them on it and they more or less dumped the information in the trash. They were more concerned about a new Star Wars program. They totally ignored the Israeli/Palestinian issue for the entire 8 months before 9/11. Then there was the report of their meeting of August 6 where it plainly and openly discussed that we might be hit by terrorists in an airplane. All the while, Bush was on vacation more than he was at the White House. Oh, I can see why they don't want to release the documents to the legitimate commission that is investigating 9/11...and Max Cleland said they were pulling a "scam" on the people.

[DemCam]

9. Keep at him...every day

[Myra]

11. Kick

eom

[Cooley Hurd]

12. This is awesome!!!

Both Dean and Clark are hammering on 9/11! Believe it or not, I think 9/11 is going to be an issue next year! Especially with Osama still on the loose and the 9/11 families becoming increasingly irritated by the stonewalling (and becoming VERY vocal about it).

I'm thrilled to hear Dean and Clark keeping this in the news!