I'd like to hear your opinion...

NPonthehudson · Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2004 6:41 pm Post subject: Here's your answer!

Here's your answer! This just in from CNN...talk about timing!

A few minutes ago, the White House declassified and released the August 6, 2001, daily intelligence briefing, delivered to President Bush a month before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
Portions of the report dealing with Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network and dated August 6, 2001, have been redacted for national security reasons, the White House said.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/04/...index.html

Karay · Sergeant Joined: Mar 29, 2004 Posts: 98 Location: USA

Sounds to me like CR was right..... not the smoking gun the press and some politicians tried to play it up to be.

Karay

NPonthehudson

A statement made by U.S. Senator Zell Miller
on the Senate Floor regarding the September 11 Commission Hearings.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"After watching the harsh acrimony generated by the
September 11 Commission - which, let me say at the
outset, is made up of good and able members - I've
come to seriously question this panel's usefulness.

I believe it will ultimately play a role in doing great harm
to this country, for its unintended consequences, I fear,
will be to energize our enemies and demoralize our troops.

After being drowned in a tidal wave of all who didn't
do enough before 9/11, I have come to believe that the
Commission should issue a report that says:
"No one did enough in the past. No one did near
enough."

Then thank everyone for serving, send them home and
let's get on with the job of protecting this country
in the future.

Tragically, these hearings have proved to be a very
divisive diversion for this country. Tragically, they
have devoured valuable time, looking backwards
when we should be looking forward.

Can you imagine handling the attack on Pearl Harbor
this way? Can you imagine Congress, the media and the
public standing for this kind of political gamesmanship
and finger pointing after that "day of infamy" in 1941?

Some partisans tried that ploy, but they were soon
quieted by the patriots who understood how important
it was to get on with the war and take the battle to
America's enemies, and not dwell on what FDR
knew when.

You see, back then the highest priority was to win a
war, not win an election. That's what made them "The
Greatest Generation."

I realize that many well-meaning Americans see the
hearings as "democracy in action." Years ago, when I
was teaching political science, I probably would have
had my class watching it live on television and using
that very phrase with them.

There are also the not-so-well-meaning political
operatives who see these hearings as an opportunity to
"score cheap points."

Then, there are the Media Meddlers who see this as
"great theater" that can be played out on the evening
news and on endless talk shows for a week or more.

Congressional hearings have long been one of
Washington's most entertaining pastimes. Joe McCarthy.
Watergate. Iran Contra. They all kept us glued to
the TV, and made for conversation around the water
coolers and arguments over a beer at the corner pub.

A Congressional hearing in Washington, D.C. is the
ultimate aphrodisiac for political groupies and
partisan punks.

But, it's not the groupies, punks and television-sotted
American public that I'm worried about. This latter crowd
can get excited and divided over just about anything.
Whether it's some off-key wanna-be dreaming of being
the American Idol, or what brainless bimbo The Bachelor
or Average Joe will choose or who will Donald Trump fire
next week.

No, it is the real enemies of America I'm concerned about.

These evil killers who right now, right now are gleefully
watching the shrill partisan finger pointing of these
hearings and grinning like a mule eating briars.

They see this as a major split within the Great Satan
America. They see anger, they see division, instability,
bickering, peevishness and dissension.

They see the President of the United States hammered
unmercifully. They see all this and they are greatly,
greatly encouraged.

We should not be doing anything to encourage our
enemies in this battle between good and evil. Yet,
these hearings, in my opinion, are doing just that.

We are playing with fire. We're playing directly into
the hands of our enemy by allowing these hearings
to become the great divider they have become.

Dick Clarke's book and its release coinciding with
these hearings have done this country a tremendous
disservice, and someday we will reap its whirlwind.

Long ago, Sir Walter Scott observed that revenge is
"the sweetest morsel that ever was cooked in hell."

The vindictive Clarke has now had his revenge, but
what kind of hell has he, his CBS publisher and his
axe-to-grind advocates unleashed?

These hearings, coming on the heels of the election
the terrorists influenced in Spain, bolster and energize
our evil enemies as they have not been energized
since 9/11.

Chances are very good that these evil enemies of
America will attempt to influence our 2004 election
in a similar dramatic way as they did Spain's.
And, to think that could never be in this country, is to
stick your head in the sand.

That is why the sooner we stop this endless bickering
over the past and join together to prepare for the
future, the better off this country will be. There are
some things - whether this city believes it or not - that
are just more important than political campaigns.

The recent past is so ripe for political second-guessing
"gotcha" and Monday morning quarter-backing. And it
is so tempting in an election year. We should not allow
ourselves to indulge that temptation.

We should put our country first.

Every administration from Jimmy Carter to George W.
Bush bears some of the blame. Dick Clarke bears a big
heap of it because it was he who was in the catbird's
seat to do something about it for more than a decade.
Tragically, it was the decade in which we did the least.

We did nothing after terrorists attacked the World Trade
Center in 1993, killing six and injuring more than 1,000
Americans.

We did nothing in 1996 when sixteen U.S. servicemen
were killed in the bombing of the Khobar Towers.

When our embassies were attacked in 1998, killing 263
people, our only response was to fire a few missiles
on an empty tent.

Is it any wonder? Is it any wonder that after that
decade of weak-willed responses to that murderous
terror, our enemies thought we would never fight
back?

In the 1990's is when Dick Clarke should have
resigned. In the 1990's is when he should have
apologized. That is when he should have written his
book. That is, if he really had America's best
interest at heart.

Some will say, "We owe it to the families" to get more
information about what happened in the past and I can
understand that. But no amount of finger-pointing will
bring our victims back.

So, now we owe it to future families and all of America
now in jeopardy not to encourage more terrorists,
resulting in even more grieving families, perhaps many
more over the ones of 9/11.

It's obvious to me that this country is rapidly dividing
itself into two camps: the wimps and the warriors.

The ones who want to argue and assess and appease,
and the ones who want to carry this fight to our enemies
and kill him them before they kill us. And, in case you
haven't figured it out, I proudly belong to the latter.

This is a time like no other in the history of this country,
and this country is being crippled with petty partisan
politics of the worst possible kind. In time of war, it is
not just unpatriotic; it is stupid, and it is criminal.

So, I pray that all this time, all this energy, all this talk
and all this attention could be focused on the future
instead of the past.

I pray we would stop pointing fingers, assigning blame
and wringing our hands about what happened on that day
David McCullogh has called "the worst day in our history"
more than two years ago.

And instead, pour all of our energy into how we can
kill these terrorists before they kill us - again.

For make no mistake about it. They watch these
hearings. They are scheming and smiling about the
distraction and the divisiveness they see in America.
And while they may not know who said it years ago in
America, they know instinctively that a house divided
cannot stand.

There is one other group that we should remember
is listening to all of this - our troops. I was in Iraq in
January and one day when I was meeting with the
1st Armored Division, a unit with a proud history
known as Old Ironsides, we were discussing
troop morale, and the Commanding General said
it was top notch.

And I turned to the Division's Sergeant Major, the top
enlisted man in the division, a big, burly, 6-foot-3,
240 pound African American and I said, "That's good,
but how do you sustain that kind of morale?"

Without hesitation he narrowed his eyes, and he looked
at me and said "The morale will stay high just as long
as these troops know the people back home support us."

Just as long as the people back home support us. What
kind of message are these hearings and the outrageously
political speeches on the floor of the Senate yesterday
sending to those marvelous young Americans in the
uniform of our country?

I say Unite America! Before it is too late! Put aside
these petty partisan differences when it comes to the
protection of our people.

Argue and argue and argue and debate and debate and
debate over all the other things - jobs and education
and the deficit and the environment - but please, please
do not use the lives of Americans and the security of this
country as a cheap-shot political talking point."

Karay · Sergeant Joined: Mar 29, 2004 Posts: 98 Location: USA

Thank you for that post. It REALLY says it all.....

Karay

Jamming · Colonel Premium Member Joined: Jun 22, 2002 Posts: 1874

Zell for President!!! A Democrat, I would vote for.

TMOV · Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2004 12:04 am Post subject:

Jamming · Colonel Premium Member Joined: Jun 22, 2002 Posts: 1874

Well Zell would never be their nominee in the first place, so everyone is safe from "Heck freezing over".

chickengirl · Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2004 12:27 pm Post subject:

Hey All...
I am not a politically savy person, but this post caught my attention, and I was so delighted to read Senator Miller's statement, regarding the 9-11 commission hearings...

I have maintained for some time, that the terrorists do not need a platform of their own... they have had one through the liberal media, and the goons that play to their cameras and microphones...

Many of these reporters need to upgrade their brains...some of the questions they asked President Bush during his press conference seemed inappropriate. I am no expert, or even a novice... but common sense tells me a good leader wouldn't consider revealing what: "mistakes he has made"...or "what he would have done differently" while the conflict is still rolling....ask him to reflect AFTER it is a done deal...

It is so sad, and embarrassing. Self-loathing seems to be the chic posture of the day...although it has been for some time...I was on that bandwagon as a teenager in the 60's and 70's...but grew up, leaving la-la-land behind.

What is so awful about loving your spouse, family, and country? I went to "Zell's" website, after reading this post, and will send him a letter of thanks and support for having the courage to articulate what I believe many in the "silent majority" would agree with.

"A House Divided Cannot Stand." says it all...
Thanks for the post "Big Apple" Wink

NPonthehudson · Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2004 1:17 pm Post subject:

You're welcome!
It's even better when you can hear him read it!

http://miller.senate.gov/floor/03-30-04sept11com.html

rtsp://video.webcastcenter.com/srs_g2/miller033004.rm

Ali

TMOV · Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2004 2:41 pm Post subject:

NPonthehudson · Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2004 4:23 pm Post subject:

In a similar vein, here is an article I wrote just after 9/11:

http://www.edgewaterbeacon.com/editorials/editorsmsg.html

NPonthehudson · Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2004 4:24 pm Post subject:

In a similar vein, here is an article I wrote just after 9/11:

http://www.edgewaterbeacon.com/editorials/editorsmsg.html


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