White House Holding Notes Taken by 9/11 Commission

[kskiska]

Panel May Subpoena Its Summaries of Bush Briefings

The White House, already embroiled in a public fight over the deadline for an independent commission's investigation of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, is refusing to give the panel notes on presidential briefing papers taken by some of its own members, officials said this week.

The standoff has prompted the 10-member commission to consider issuing subpoenas for the notes and has further soured relations between the Bush administration and the bipartisan panel, according to sources familiar with the issue. Lack of access to the materials would mean that the information they contain could not be included in a final report about the attacks, several officials said.

"We're having discussions on this almost hourly or at least daily," said the commission's vice chairman Lee H. Hamilton, a former Democratic congressman from Indiana. "We retain all of our rights to gain the access we need. . . . This is a priority item for us to resolve, and we are working to resolve it."

The disagreement is the latest obstacle to face the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, which is racing to complete its work by a May 27 deadline after months of fighting over access to government documents. The commission has asked that the deadline be pushed back at least two months, but the White House and leading congressional Republicans oppose that idea.

Such a postponement would mean releasing the potentially damaging commission report on July 26, in the middle of the presidential campaign. Legislation to be introduced next week in the Senate would extend the commission's deadline until next January, avoiding the election altogether.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64628-2004Jan30.html

[Beetwasher]

1. What Else?

I mean what else can these criminals do? I mean fer cryin' out loud, what the hell does it take?

[LiberalFighter]

12. I would release the report as an "Incomplete Report"

Detail everything that they do have.

State that due to the Administrations refusal to release pertinent material the only conclusion that can be made is that they are responsible for 9-11. Make every accusation possible against the Administration in the report and schedule press conferences every other week.

Make sure that it is released on the deadline so that Administration has to defend themselves while they are trying to campaign.

[Jawja]

29. Good Plan,

Would work if the corporate media covers it. It could drop off the radar within the week, too, like so many other issues.

[diamond14]

2. first kissenger, then lee hamilton (another expert whitewasher)

and hardly anyone objected to lee....

Lee Hamilton has lots of experience in whitewashing investigations...
we'll never get the answers as long as lee's in charge....

[jansu]

3. Watergate II

What is it with Republican Administrations which believe that they have the right to keep information from Commissions, the Congress and the public? Do they just forget, that the American people are the Sovereigns of the United States and that they only retain their positions by the consent of the governed?

"A popular government, without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy; or, perhaps, both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own governors, must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives". James Madison

We must demand that all information be turned over to not only the Commission, but to the survivors and their lawyers. This should be part of the election process, because if there was wrong doing, we, the people, have the right to know all of it, before we choose our next President. We can not be informed without it and therefore can not make a informed choice!

"A democracy cannot be both ignorant and free"! Thomas Jefferson

TRUTH IS A VIRUS----PASS IT ON!

[suegeo]

24. Consent of the governed?

Welcome to DU.

I know nearly everybody here gets tired of reading this but I feel I must point out, for the record:

This administration doesn't really have the consent of the governed.

Jeb and Ms. Harris messed around with the voting records in Florida. And the supreme court stopped the vote counting so that King George could be coronated.

It was a coup, not an election.

[jansu]

38. I Agree!

But, they were allowed to get away with it. Most American's just "got over it" like the Republicans told us to. Where were the protest marches? Most American's thought that there was not much difference between the two parties, (isn't that what Nader told us?) and that we could wait it out! What could this little man do to harm us? History has shown us that you need to worry about the little man, and Bush has just proven the point!

The point I was trying to make, was that we must have all the information. That we need to demand that WE KNOW everything! It is so important, because this Administration has far worse things planned for their next four (and more?) years. Not only against us, but the world. The only way to defeat him again, is to make the numbers too high against him, that the Supreme Court can't install him, again. And there are only two ways to do that; get more people to register to vote Democratic and/or to get those who voted for him last time to change their vote, with facts!

I am afraid that there will not be an election. (Remember the Mayor of NY, stated that he was canceling their election for Mayor, because it was important to have "continuation of the government, at this time of war". There was such an outcry that he backed off of that position).

The UN-PAT. Act allows for and the HOMELAND SECURITY ACT have a provision under it, that if the Terrorist Alert goes to RED, then no one is allowed out of their houses at anytime. A 24 hour curfew on all Americans! (Usually, under Marshall Law, the curfew is only from Sundown to Sunrise, and only in a given area). If a "terrorist" attack happens just before the election, we will be in the RED.

King George, forever? Not if all thinking American's can help it!

[leesa]

31. They don't believe in democracies or support the constitution

[kentuck]

4. What type of incompetent Commission would give the WH the last copy?

"Here are the only notes we have...we didn't make any copies...so take care of them.." ??????

[ozymandius]

10. This is part of the investigative panel's requirements.

I know - it's screwy. They do not have free access to their own notes. In an interview with Kean, he says that they may not take their own notes out of the vault where they review the surrendered classified documents. In essence, their notes are classified.

What bothers me about this scenario is the question whether or not the White House seized the notes taken by commission members. If the White House did, then is it an obstruction of justice?

EDIT: BTW, the panel members are not allowed to make any copies of their notes that may be carried away from the reviewing vault.

[Occulus]

20. And some still wonder IF it's a whitewash?

Wow.

[ozymandius]

21. Yes. This makes it clear why some Republicans have parted with Bush.

Even Kean - he shows steel in his spine when it comes down to investigating this matter. Party loyalties aside, Kean looks like the kind of Republican that would have voted in favor of impeaching Nixon because of the unrepentant obstruction of justice.

Sadly though, to your point, this layer of secrecy on all the evidence was one point the White House defined in order to comply with any kind of investigation into the events leading up to 9-11. Then - the WH attempted to craft the mission of the committee.

[markses]

32. And in true ironic form

It is loyalty to state that drives Kean's aggressive stance. In the end, Kean is loyal to the people of the State of New Jersey, who lost so much and so many on September 11.

No offense to the southerners on this board; they are among our best, our brightest, and our most capable. But it is often forgotten how much northerners too hold their own states dearly, and often exhibit a duty to state above almost all else.

Kean sees an attempt to bamboozle the people of the state of New Jersey, and he won't 'ave it.

[alittlelark]

13. NO S**T!!!

How ludicrous! I never turned in a paper in Grad school without a hard copy for myself!! (Prior to WP)

[Dogmudgeon]

18. I'm sure they have electronic copies

The problem is that they are forbidden by law from using or releasing it -- even by/to their own people.

What they're probably trying to do is get permission to distribute it, even if only internally.

This is SOP with a lot of governmental stuff. Even when I was working on unclassified documents for the Orion (an old "jeep" of a plane), all "copies" were strictly controlled.

I'm sure there rationale is perfectly sensible. But since we're dealing with Team Bush, sensibility doesn't enter into it.

--bkl

[jamesinca]

19. They seem more concerned about the date of release

It says that they do not want the report released in June, the middle of campaign season. They don't care if it happens in January after the elections. A little red flag should go up on this one. They are busier than a cat in the litter box cover up some poop.

[leftchick]

23. Make that a BIG red flag.....

these people are so transparent a moran could see through it....IF the moran chose to.

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. They are frightened that the public at large

will find out that bush didn't give a shit that an attack was coming, that they were spending ALL their time trying to promote missile defense and tax cuts. Eventually it will come out that bush is directly to blame for the 9/11 through absolute gross negligence and incompetence. This is why all the resistance to a fair investigation.

[BattyDem]

6. Remember when ...

Bush* said, "If Saddam has nothing to hide, he should let the inspectors in."

Hey Georgie ... if you have nothing to hide, you should give the commission what they ask for. After all, we all want to find out the truth about 9/11 so we can prevent it from happening again ... right? :eyes:

[GreenGreenLimaBean]

34. Your forgetting, chimp* was born agin

He's goin to hebbin' on a flying chariot. He has nothin to wide because
he has accepted jebus.

[grasswire]

7. OMG

This is stunning. The precedent is chilling.

It seems time for US to put some pressure on our Senators, if there's legislation to be introduced there.

[young_at_heart]

8. "Refusing" is becoming an everyday word

This administration won't return phone calls, won't have press conferences........not very cooperative are they?

[gbwarming]

9. Remember, This is a man who has delayed, denied, deceived the world. nt

[grytpype]

11. Why don't they just issue subpoenas?

I don't get it.

[Lorien]

15. Like with Cheney's energy papers?

They are above the law. :grr:

[kodi]

14. if the dems held the senate or house bush would be ruined

which shows how important it is that the dems do capture back either of them as a balance against a republican president.

the power to call for and hold hearings and investigations is the best weapon to wield in washington, as the gop tactics against clinton showed.

bush has not had to deal with anything like the investigations that clinton underwent. if and when he does he will crumble like a cheap suit.

[Katie]

16. 9/11 inquiry could become election embarrassment for Bush

September 11 inquiry could become election embarrassment for Bush
Fri Jan 30,11:56 AM ET



WASHINGTON (AFP) - The White House is resisting pressure to push the deadline of the main inquiry into the September 11 attacks closer to the November presidential election in a move which could embarrass President George W. Bush (news - web sites).
The US Congress originally gave the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon The United States 18 months to finish its investigation into the 2001 hijacked plane strikes. That would take it to May 27.


But the commission this week asked for at least two months more to complete its work.


"We are telling the Congress and the president what we need to do the best possible job," said commission chairman Thomas Kean. "Much work remains."


Investigators looking into the attacks on the World Trade Center towers in New York and the Defence Department headquarters in Washington -- which left about 3,000 dead -- have reported several bureaucratic obstacles.


Kean, a former governor of New Jersey state, has highlighted how the Bush administration has refused to give access to some secret documents and for some top officials to give evidence.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1521&e=5&u=/afp/us_attacks_vote

Please Rate Story!

[isbister]

17. It already should be

an election embarrassment for Bush... along with the other 5 investigations going on

[Jawja]

30. If he hadn't

fought tooth and nail for having a commission, it wouldn't be an election year issue.

[dusty64]

22. Embarrassment? It ought

to be imprisonment.

[RedSock]

26. HEY Commission!

Why did you f*cking agree to those MORONIC terms in the first place???????

Toadies.

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[KayLaw]

25. And Clinton

How can any thinking person buy the RW's bull about any of this being Clinton's fault? Are there actually people who believe the Bushies would behave so suspiciously and go out of their way to cover for Clinton? They would only go out of their way to blame Clinton.

[underpants]

27. Suddenly Bill is an all knowing perveyor of truth and wisdom

Which is odd considering that he was the face of evil and lies for 8 years and the Bushies tried to reverse anything and everything Clinton.

[K.B.]

28. Why are the candidates not racing back to DC on this?

I'm tired of this....

Edwards, Kerry, 'Republican Joe' Leiberman and even Dennis of Ohio are all out there saying "Oh, I"m a leader... I've done a good job for the people... I'll fight for what is right!"

Then where are they at a time like this??????

These "representatives of the people" need to get their asses back to washington and raise hell about this.

Oh yeah, they'll bring it up in a speech on the trail but it means NOTHING. Every speech they give is layered in "... but vote for me."

This is INSANE that the white house is getting away with this.

Where are the democratic leaders right now. I checked CSPAN, I don't see them out in front of the house or in the halls raising hell.

I don't see them demanding impeachment proceedings on them.

Where the hell are the Republicans? I want them to come out and say "OH yeah, we think it's fine that they are trying to hide something from the american public."

So much for people who are supposed to be the voices of the people in Washington.

How freaking hard is it to get across to the American public: The White House is stonewalling this investigation. They are hiding something.

If it weren't going to be one of them against George W. Bush I don't think I could stomach voting for any of them but I'll vote for whoever it is because it's either that or kiss our world goodbye.

[bleedingheart]

33. When will the grown ups be in charge???

[TacticalPeek]

35. This cabal may be building their own scafold.

Their extreme and excessive secrecy has caused an imbalance in the natural forces at play in a democracy. The executive orders sealing Presidential papers, Cheney's energy meetings, the Plame leakers, total lack of Congressional oversight and press scrutiny, and on and on.

Like a dam holding back dark and foul waters, a crack can lead to a chasm and bring a deluge of trouble.

Their arrogance and hubris has led them to believe that they will always get away with everything. When their time comes, it won't be pretty. And I think that time is coming in the next few months.

[Stephanie]

36. Abuse of Power

I like the way you think, TacticalPeak. They are building up a head of steam that WILL escape, eventually. Maybe the Plame grand jury will be the key. At any rate, abuse of power can't be tolerated forever.

[TacticalPeek]

37. Whenever they exude their smug invincibility, as Cheney has lately,

I just remember Spiro "Bagman" Agnew.







The Dick Cheney of his day, and only the unholy amount in the bag differs.