The American Spectator

Reader Mail

Gorelick Stays

4.19.04 @ 12:01AM

PEACHY KEAN
Re: Enemy Central's Lucky Dogs:

Good Call. Spineless and, oh so accommodating, EOW select Gov. Kean deserves every bit of his prize. Clearly a fine example of a push-over Republican.
-- Chef Tim
Muncie, Indiana

GORELICK MORE YEARS
Re: The Washington Prowler's Kean Interest:

"A few more days of this and the commission's work will be tainted." How recent is this quote?? Just how long do you think it takes a dead skunk by the side of the road to stink?
-- J.W. Purcell, 1SG (USA Ret)
Clarksville, Tennessee

"A few more days of this and the commission's work will be tainted." -- Unnamed 9/11 Commission staffer.

Earth to Staffer: It's already too late.

Gorelick shouldn't be "asked" to step aside, she should've been told to step aside because (a) she knew about her role in constructing the "Wall" and knew that the intelligence community's failure to understand, appreciate and communicate what it had would be an issue; (b) she didn't decline to serve, which is what she should have done, because someone who was actively involved in making policy ought not sit in judgment of it (for example, I don't see any current members of the Bush Administration on the Commission ...); and (c) anyone viewing a report Gorelick had a hand in preparing will be entitled to wonder whether her contributions to the problems were downplayed, papered over, whitewashed, etc.

This Commission's a joke.
-- Brad Bettin
Melbourne, Florida

You just make this stuff up as you go along, don't you? If the Republican staffer exists and you didn't just put words in his mouth than this person is dishonorable, disloyal to his employers and his country. He is disrespectful to his elders. Indeed his only loyalty is to twisted, perverted standards of his party and your wretched lying rag.

Ashcroft voluntarily declassifies a document that he think will embarrass a Democratic member of the commission, but the Bush administration holds back Clinton documents that show Clinton, unlike the passive GWB, authorizing the killing of Bin Laden. Ashcroft contends there is no such order; he just never read it. He needs the Patriot Act to hide his massive incompetence. Just when did Rice finally read the August 6th memo? Maybe if George had scored more than the @560 on the verbal part of the SAT he would have been able to understand the memo. Sorry the memo wasn't explicit enough for Mr. Verbally Impaired. It should have told him that 5 Al Qaeda members would hijack American Airlines Flight 11 and fly it into the World Trade Center. Then he would have moved heaven and earth.

Why don't you ask for Ashcroft's resignation or Phillip Zelikow as Exec. Director of the commission; he participated as a member of Rice's NSC in actions immediately prior to 9/11? Hypocrisy is the nicest thing one can say about the level of ...well, you can't even call what you put out journalism. If it was only on paper, it would be good for only one thing.
-- Debra Cooper
New York, New York

The 9/11 commission is now impotent. Not only must Gorelick resign but all of the members who fail to see her folly, especially the chairman. The staffers said it best. Most of these guys are has-beens. There is absolutely no reason that they should have been on the talk show/news circuit blathering and pontificating.
-- Bob Kofira
Alpine, Arizona

Give me a break! If Gorelick should step down, so should Zelikow (he is Condi's writing buddy). While we are at it, I suggest Scalia should step down from Cheney's case too. You can't have it both ways. Selective document declassification and selective recusal demands are hypocrisy at it its worst!
-- Adrian Potter

May I please beg to differ? I find Mz. Gorelick's presence on the commission within the current flap context absolutely delicious. It is just exactly what the doctor ordered.

Prior to the disclosure of "The Memo" the 9/11 Commission was riding high. They had the public's approval. They had racked up an impressive record of demands that they had forced the Bush Administration to comply with. The public opinion was running decidedly in their favor.

Letter to the Editor

topics:
Education, Trade, Bill Clinton, Religion, Abortion, Global Warming, Constitution, Law, Iraq, Russia, NATO, Oil