Loyal Reader rilkefan in comments below kindly points out to us a news article about Kean’s recent remarks concerning the preventability of 9/11. The chairman isn’t naming names – yet – but he’s certainly gearing up to start a world-class, Grade-A stink over the entire thing, especially with the public testimony scheduled for next year.
Good. Hammer ’em to the walls, Kean. I always liked you as Governor.
Also, I make several predictions:
1). Republicans are going to be incensed at the way that current Administration officials (and bureaucrats) will be raked over the coals, not to mention the way that their argument that they inherited this mess (and are thus not to blame for 9/11) will be ignored or derided. My response: sucks to be you. Be grateful that Bush will probably avoid major splatters and move on.
2). Democrats are going to be incensed at the way that former Administration officials (and bureaucrats) will be raked over the coals, not to mention the way that their argument that they provided a workable plan to their successors (and are thus not to blame for 9/11) will be ignored or derided. My response: sucks to be you. Be grateful that Clinton will probably avoid major splatters and move on.
3). Both sides will accuse the other of politicizing this for the 2004 elections, in tedious, tedious detail. My response: yeah, whatever.
4). I will receive at least one honestly-meant and earnest response to this post telling me that this commission will demonstrate that it was the evil [Democrats/Republicans] [choose one] that were responsible all along, and that any little mistakes and/or unavoidable activities by the saintly [Democrats/Republicans] [choose one] shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same lifespan, let alone the same breath. My response: Well, my excellent readers, that is indeed an interesting point, but alas it’s one that is held by your opposite numbers, too.
5). I will be accused of sucking up to our readers. My response: What, doesn’t everybody?
I, for one, would appreciate more sucking up.
The as-yet-to-be-released report should have come out long ago.
And for what it’s worth, my personal opinion is that Bush is probably responsible for 9/11 in the way that Clinton is for the Rwanda genocide – I figure they’ll both burn in hell unless they spend the rest of their lives working in the interests of humanity.
“I figure they’ll both burn in hell unless they spend the rest of their lives working in the interests of humanity.”
Rumors to the contrary, I am not in a position to determine the final destination of any human soul, so I can offer no real response to this. 🙂
Of course, it’s not going to be quite so important whether Clinton gets splattered, as whether Bush does…
“Of course, it’s not going to be quite so important whether Clinton gets splattered, as whether Bush does…”
Well… yes in the short term, maybe no in the long. Clinton is still a serious player in the Democratic party, thanks to the combination of his former job, his personal popularity and his wife’s current status*: a bad report about 9/11 could affect that status at just the point where control of the Democratic party is up for grabs. Could have long-ranging effects down the road.
Moe
*Being the spouse of a Senator can give you a useful amount of power in its own right. Just ask Tipper Gore. 🙂
“Could have long-ranging effects down the road.”
Such as, Clinton ’08?
This may come as a surprise to some, given my desire to see GWB in a job more suited to his talents*, but I don’t care which side gets tarred the most by Kean’s report. I’m more interested in seeing that something like 9/11 doesn’t happen again.
Not that the public humiliation of John Ashcroft and Condoleeza Rice wouldn’t cause a twinge of glee, but still…
* That would be greeting customers at the Crawford Wal-Mart.
I don’t know the kind of stuff that Kean is refering to. All commissions find that there are things we should have been doing before whatever catastrophy happened that they formed the commission about. What kind of sorry commission would say, “Nothing could be done. We made all the preparations and they were too smart for us”?
For that reason, and because I would rather pursue the perp than punish the victim, I’ll lay off Bushco. Of course, I may be forced to defend Clinton by comparing his to Bush’s meagre efforts.
The real scandel is probably not what the administration failed to do before 9/11 but the foot dragging and obstuction that occured in forming and assisting to commission itself.
Two very good things can come of this report: first and foremost, lessons can be learned and distributed that help prevent it from happening again, but also important is that the families who were most directly affected can get some closure.
Anyone who interferes with those potential outcomes for political reasons or to spare themselves embarrassment should be ….{insert humiliating public punishment here}.
The report should be delivered, discussed, and followed up with dignity and bipartisanship. The victims deserve nothing less.
My fear is that any blame that falls on, y’know, the FBI or CIA, will be ignored by those eager to blame one administration or the other.
And any that gets noticed, will not have anything DONE about it. No matter who wins next year.