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Clarke Part XXXVI

Somehow I don't think that Dr Rice is going to enjoy her public testimony in front of the 9/11 committee. I bet the Bushies are just slapping themselves on the back that they held out on Rice's public sworn testimony long enough to let this leak.

So who gets to do the honors. My guess Ben Veniste, but Kean might be keen on doing it himself.

Q: Dr Rice the 9/11 attacks disrupted your schedule. What exactly were you scheduled to do on 9/11/01 ?
A: Give a Speech
Q: Was this a speech to present the Bush administrations new vastly improved anti al Qaeda policy, the first such initiative of the Bush administration, the policy that moved beyond roll back containment to elimination ?
A: No that policy was classified top secret, I would never have mentioned it.
Q: Well I have the text of the speech .
A: that is a confidential document. It would violate the separation of powers for me to discuss it. That document should be kept secret.
Q: Were you planning to deliver this speech in public ? How confidential could it be ?
A: Well the draft is confidential.
Q: In your speech did you plan to discuss the Clinton anti terrorism budget ?
A: Yes. As you know the Clinton law enforcement approach to anti terrorism was completely insufficient to protect the homeland.
Q: Were you planning to suggest that the Clinton anti-terrorism budget was too low compared to other budget items -- say missile defences ?
A: I was prepared to argue that the Clinton budget did not contain enough funding for missile defences. The fact that the President was going to increase the missile defence budget compared to the Clinton anti terrorism budget does not mean that it would be increased compared to the plan for our much improved al Qaeda elimination plan.
Q: Did you plan to use a colorful metaphor to argue that Clinton had been leaving us vulnerable because of an excessive focus on the threat from terrorism compared to the threat from balistic missiles such as the ones which were not found in Iraq ?
A: Yes
Q: including the word "Mace"
A: Yes
Q: Do you have any Mace with you right now ?
A: no.
Q: good, so let me continue.

Oh my oh my oh my.

Did someone mention that the Bush administration has a big problem with staffers who are on Clarke's side ? Didn't someone in the Bush administration realise that they had to try to get done testifying before said staffers began leaking ?

Under the circumstances, I think that to make a fair fight in which the outcome is not in doubt, Mr Clarke should be forbidden to use words containing the letter o as well as words containing the letters e and a.