Kerry Slams White House Attack on Clarke

[Thrill]

"I don't think people want questions about character; I think they want questions about our security to be answered," Kerry said Saturday. "That's what this is about."


Kerry also said Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites), President Bush (news - web sites)'s national security adviser, should testify in public before the commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.


"If Condoleezza Rice can find time to do `60 Minutes' on television before the American people, she ought to find 60 minutes to speak to the commission under oath," Kerry told reporters. "We're talking about the security of our country."

On Clarke, Kerry said: "Every time somebody comes up and says something that this White House doesn't like, they don't answer the questions about it or show you the truth about it. They go into character assassination mode."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=2&u=/ap/20040327/ap_on_el_pr/kerry

[H2O Man]

1. Wow.

I was just flipping through the news channels, and saw a few moments of Fox News. It's 5:16 EST, and they are going full-blast with the attacks. The Fox news staff should be wearing white sheets, because they are looking to lynch this guy Clarke. I suggest that our side needs to counter with as many suportive efforts as possible. Obviously, buying the book helps make it #1 and in the news. But we need to do more .... these lowlt thugs are calling Clarke a traitor. I'm curious what other ideas people have?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. Buy the book

read it, talk about it, and pass it on.

[k in IA]

3. It will be interesting to see Clarke's response to

the attacks on MTP and Hardball (Monday). He has been laying low for a couple of days now but when he talks for himself, I think he destroys his critics.

I just saw the Faux thing you must have (why won't the other news channels show actual live news on the weekends? It drives me crazy and then I end up watching Faux which is always dangerous for my sanity and blood pressure)and the Repugs have just lost it about Clarke. "He is profiteering" - Yeah, a guy in govt for 30 years is all about making $. He just thought he'd blow half his life in a civil servant job so he could get out after an enormous calamity and make a ton of $.

[rasputin1952]

4. The attacks on Clarke are because he is credible...

that is why the WH is ballistic about this. Clarke is above reproach, there is nothing for him to gain. Sure, they run on about his book, but Clarke's book is rarely mentioned by Clarke. Look at Hannity and his constant plugging of HIS book, ('no big words"...lol).

Clarke spends 30 years of his life, quietly protecting the nation as best he could. He has the dignity to come out and apologize to those who lost loved ones. He answers questions straight from the hip. He is a modern day American hero that everyone in gov't should emulate. I say he is a hero, not because of what he has brought into the light about the administration, btw; but because he spent 30 years of his life doing what he found to be service to the nation, in obscurity and asking for nothing that went beyond what he was due.

For this administration to sully this mans reputation, just shows me how terrified they really are. They have lied to the citizens of this nation, and they have been caught red handed. The best they can do, is trash a man that speaks the truth. This is the worst bunch of cretins that has ever had power in this nations history.

Perhaps they should look at what Clarke said in his opening statement: "Your government failed you, I failed you". For Pete's sake, is it THAT difficult for bushco to understand that?

Let's rally around Clarke and all the others that are fighting this battle. Unity, strength of message and courage are what we need. There are NO OTHER OPTIONS. bush must go!!!

[Hippo_Tron]

6. Not to mention he has NOTHING to gain by lieing under oath...

He's already said under oath that he will not take a position in the Kerry administration. And considering he's voted Republican most of his life, I highly doubt he has a personal beef with Bush.

[zulchzulu]

5. Awesome!

Some good lines. I'm glad he's mentioning the GOP's usual pitiful strategy of avoiding the issue and going into character assassination mode.

People can see that.