Condoleezza Rice Testimony

[KaNick]

They both took up a lot of time. Democrats would ask wordy questions and Rice would give wordy answers. Kerry even had to ask her to stop talking so he could get in a question.

 

[The Yankee]

Well, yes, because each commission member only had about 10 minutes. Which explains some of the heated back-and-forth when Rice was asked a question about the title of the August 6th, 2001 PDB and she started giving a paragraph answer when just the title would do.

 

[KaNick]

Also the Democrats asked speech like questions for another reason. This is a Presidential commitee, which means that the White House gets the chance to black out whatever they want before it is ever made public. This was the one chance to let the American people know what there real opinions were without them being censored.

 

[The Yankee]

I want to know something though...
When Rice said that the threats were too vague (as if you'll ever get something with every single detail down to the minute) to respond to the coming attacks...how come the administration (or at least Homeland Security) would tinker with the Traffic Light of Terror on extremely vague threats?

Hell, all we ever know is that something is going to happen somewhere at some time. I know they can't go public with everything...but it was changed at least half a dozen times since it was put in effect.

 

[Vanadorn]

QUOTE: The Yankee: I want to know something though...
When Rice said that the threats were too vague (as if you'll ever get something with every single detail down to the minute) to respond to the coming attacks...how come the administration (or at least Homeland Security) would tinker with the Traffic Light of Terror on extremely vague threats?

That's because of post 9/11 mentality which is that someone, somewhere, in some office, had a piece of paper saying exactly what was going to happen....and didn't forward it to the proper people.

Covering our own ass syndrome.

Unfortunately, it does drive people to respond to the traffic light the same way the do to the boy who cried wolf.

My 2 cents.

 

[Archer 007]

Originally posted by gorn
And this was different from what Clarke did?

Terrorism was pretty high on the list of priorities in Clinton's White House. He had drone flights following OBL's movements. Which president stopped these safeguards when he entered office........Bush.

 

[The Yankee]

Originally posted by Vanadorn
QUOTE: The Yankee: I want to know something though...
When Rice said that the threats were too vague (as if you'll ever get something with every single detail down to the minute) to respond to the coming attacks...how come the administration (or at least Homeland Security) would tinker with the Traffic Light of Terror on extremely vague threats?

That's because of post 9/11 mentality which is that someone, somewhere, in some office, had a piece of paper saying exactly what was going to happen....and didn't forward it to the proper people.

Covering our own ass syndrome.

Unfortunately, it does drive people to respond to the traffic light the same way the do to the boy who cried wolf.

My 2 cents.

Well, I don't pay much attention to the Traffic Light because in NYC (or maybe down to Long Island as well), it's supposedly always at "Orange" or "Tropicana" or whatever color is over there.

But I have noticed the cable stations talking at length for two days every time the light changes.

Just an innocent question based on observations....I imagine I would be burned at the stake (at least by conservative commentators) if I managed to ask that question yesterday.