The lead summary from this <$NoAd$>evening’s uber-insider Nelson Report …
Clarke Terrorism Charges…White House must head-off before it gets “outside the Beltway”
Summary: the 9/11 Commission has always been a high risk potential for the Bush Administration, hence the very careful limits put on official cooperation. Hearings this week, “bombshell” book by former WH staffer Richard Clarke, have high risk potential to change attitudes “outside The Beltway”. Polls consistently show the public still puts “trust” in double digits for Bush over Kerry on terrorism war. So White House reacts quickly, and very very firmly, to anything resembling a credible criticism of Bush…see the deconstruction of ex-Treas. Sec. O’Neill, UN inspector Blix, and now Clarke. The White House’s top terrorism expert going back to the Reagan Administration provides anecdotal and eye-witness testimony apparently corroborating many other sources that Iraq was THE fixation, at the expense of all else. VP Cheney’s rebuttal that Clark “out of the loop” is confusing, if Clarke was given the terrorism oversight job by NSC chief Rice. This one will bear watching…the polls will tell the tale.
Taiwan elections…let’s give it a rest for today, except to note that President Chen has endorsed the idea of an official recount, and the High Court has said it will think about it, and rule on all this as soon as possible. But that’s not likely to be before Friday’s anticipated certification of Chen’s reelection, so KMT is still screaming.
As soon as the transcripts of today’s testimony appear, watch for Tim Roemer’s exchange with Paul Wolfowitz over Richard Clarke’s claims. Wolfowitz would not clearly address the validity of claims which his spokesman yesterday was bold enough to call a ‘fabrication’.
More soon. And later, the gaggles start flowing …
