GOP: Declassify Clarke's 2002 testimony
Am I the only one who finds it disturbing that the generalized Republican reaction to Richard Clarke's testimony before the 9.11 commission it to do whatever they can to impugn his credibility? How craven can one party become?. Judging by Sen. Bill Frist and his ilk, the answer is moreso than you might have previously believed possible.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Senate's top Republican demanded Friday that testimony former White House counterterrorism adviser Richard Clarke gave before a congressional panel investigating the September 11 attacks in 2002 be declassified to determine whether he lied Wednesday to an independent commission probing the tragedy.
In a blistering floor speech, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee charged that Clarke "has told two entirely different stories under oath," and he castigated Clarke for cashing in on the 9/11 tragedy by writing a book.
"I personally find this to be an appalling act of profiteering, of trading on insider access to highly classified information and capitalizing on the tragedy that befell this nation on September 11th, 2001," Frist said, calling on Clarke to "renounce any plan to personally profit from this book."
I'm not sure that I have ever seen a more unseemly and disturbing display of mean-spirited partisanship than the tirade produced by Sen. Frist. Of course, if you have no argument of your, why no insult and demean a man who has devoted many years to serving his country ably and well?
Richard Clarke is not the problem here. The problem is the partisan Republican attack machinery who view anything other than complete, unquestioning, and unwavering support of Our Sainted President as the moral equivalent of treason. In this case, Frist's response may simply be because the Republicans HAVE no adequate answer. Perhaps they really ARE afraid of the truth coming out.
How about we call on Frist and his goons to begin looking for the truth and stop impugning the integrity of an analyst who served two Presidents- one a Democrat, and one a Republican- with dignity and honor?
I suppose it easier to impugn the character of a man than to actually make an honest effort to find the truth. The truth is that more than 3,000 Americans died within our own borders, and Republicans are more interested in engaging in demagoguery and political gamesmanship than in finding out what may or may not have gone wrong. Shame on them.
