Rice Keeps Door Closed to the Public

[reprehensor]

http://www.newsday.com/news/columnists/ny-nybres283726042mar28,0,2994047.column

Jimmy Breslin





March 28, 2004

Richard Ben-Veniste of the 9/11 committee was pretty exciting as prosecutor in the Watergate case. Now, during a hearing in Washington on Wednesday, he suddenly asked only one question of a witness and then turned to another commission member and said, "You can have all my time if I can have yours with Condoleezza Rice." Swinging a sash weight in a light-hearted warm-up. He is interested in a couple of discrepancies.

Condoleezza Rice sure heard that. She made a private appearance in front of the 9/11 commission, but won't make a public appearance under oath. Watch how far away she stays from Ben-Veniste. She says she preserves the confidentiality of the White House. Yet she goes on any television. Tonight she is scheduled for the "60 Minutes" show. There is no precedent stopping presidential advisers from testifying in front of a committee. Just in recent times, you had Zbigniew Brzezinski, Sanford Berger, John Podesta and Charles Ruff appear.

And right now you are entitled to think that by refusing to appear under oath, Rice has something to hide.

Already, she has us mixed up by saying in a private meeting that she never heard anybody mention that planes could be used as missiles. Then she asked to change that story and said that intelligence might have or did mention this two years before. Good and vague. For somebody in New York, this deepens the suspicion that because this was about New York, where they don't visit or even campaign, not with our population, the Bush people could care less about us.

Rice says that if everybody is nice, she might make another private appearance before the committee. Keep the door closed. She likes a set pattern for her appearances, a television interview with no crowd in which she speaks and smiles and the announcer says thank you. She is not made for a back and forth on a public stage with somebody like Ben-Veniste. She is a symbol of why people are starting not to believe the White House.

more@link

[nwstrn]

1. Great article

The myth of the "competent" Repubs is being exposed. I love this part on Rice:

"Condoleezza Rice always is introduced as a former provost of Stanford University. You can't get anything to sound much better. Provost! She must be in charge of science you can't even imagine. Ancient literature. Anything ancient. If it is impossible to understand, she knows it.

It turns that as provost she was in charge of assigning lecture halls. If they were for decent right wing visiting lecturers, they were given good halls. A liberal had to speak with one foot in the bay. A Stanford scientist brought out Paul Glimscher from NYU to lecture. Rice found him to be a dastardly New York liberal and they couldn't get a place for three days."

[donhakman]

2. ][][][][][][]

"Truth is mighty and will prevail. There is nothing the matter with this, except that it ain't so." - Mark Twain

[SlingBlade]

3. A great site.

Man, This is great, I’m new here and have been spending my time on a local newspaper forum.
It’s crawling with right wing lunatics, And whenever a question is brought out about this Administration or its obvious contradictions, The poster is buried under a ton of rhetoric and personal attack.
There are just not enough free thinkers there I guess, But I keep plugging away.
A breath of fresh air here, Thank you all.....

[peacefreak]

4. Welcome Kiloman!

nt

[Disturbed]

5. FriedRice

This twit has zero credibility. Bushco thought that by trotting out a black woman that they were going to win with her spin. She is one of the worst liars in their gang.

btw was that Sunspot? I got banned from there, as "Snappy".

Debating with The Wingnut Cult is a waste of time and energy.

[newyawker99]

7. Hi kiloman!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Manix]

6. I'm starting to dislike her more each day.