2001: Osama Plotted, Bush Golfed, 3,000 Died.

[Beloved Citizen]

Too bad for the 3,000 who died on 9/11 that Osama bin Laden didn't share Shrub's fascination with golfing, pleasure boating with his father, and taking publicity photos on a Texas vanity ranch.

Unfortunately, while our appointed erstwhile "president" spent much of his time at the office planning getaways, pleasure trips, and a foreign policy aimed at correcting perceived slights against the failed presidency of his father, Osama successfully plotted the murder of thousands of Americans.

With the publication of Richard Clark's "Against All Enemies," the controversy now is whether Bush was appropriately tuned in to the threat Al Qaeda presented to this country.

Maybe instead the question should Be: "Was George Bush tuned in to anything at all?"

http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2001/wpost080701.html

[heidiho]

1. Agree - THIS is such an issue for me

I don't know any president who wouldn't have cut short his "vacation" to return to DC to address the issue of the impending terror attack.

I still don't know why his aides left him sitting in a classroom for twenty minutes by himself while Cheney was whicked away.

I still don't know why he cowered and flew around the country all day instead of taking charge of the situation.

He is completely unnecessary in this cabinet. As Clark said last night, the Bush II administration just picked up where Bush I left off.

[enough]

2. Should be a big campaign issue. Bush* on vacation 42% of term pre 9-11

This how much George Bush cared about fighting terrorism before 9-11.

From the article:

A White House On the Range

Bush Retreats to Ranch For 'Working Vacation'

by Mike Allen
The Washington Post
August 7, 2001

CRAWFORD, Tex., Aug. 6 -- By the time President Bush returns to Washington on Labor Day after the longest presidential vacation in 32 years, he will have spent all or part of 54 days since the inauguration at his parched but beloved ranch. That's almost a quarter of his presidency.

Throw in four days last month at his parents' seaside estate in Kennebunkport, Maine, and 38 full or partial days at the presidential retreat at Camp David, and Bush will have spent 42 percent of his presidency at vacation spots or en route.

Many of those days are weekends, and the Camp David stays have included working visits with foreign leaders. But administration officials, who initially believed that regular trips to the Texas ranch enhanced Bush's image as a rugged outsider, are acting like they may be worried about the perception that he is loafing.

much more at link>



Thanks again, B.C, great find.

[grannylib]

3. Golf seems to be a typical Bush family response to crisis...'Bar' went

golfing the day her daughter died; must be the repuke way of expressing 'family values.'

[MajorFlaw]

4. I wasn't surprised that shrub took a month off in 2001, but

as summer 2002 approached I just assumed that he wouldn't dare make the same mistake again. My bad, apparently nothing is important enough for this POS to cancel a vacation. This has been a drive by pResidency, quick photo op, Repug fundraiser, and on to the next stop. Once he has been removed how will we know that he was even there, as opposed to being just a long, bad dream.

[DieboldMustDie]

8. "...how will we know that he was even there?"

Well, he'll be leaving behind a half trillion dollar deficit and a whole lot of dead bodies to remind us. :mad:

[MajorFlaw]

10. You do have a point there. n/t

[radwriter0555]

5. osama didn't plot nothing. he knew about it, but the splinter cells were

funded by the ISI and operated independently of OBL. He knew about the operation, but he most certainly didn't plan it.

[Old and In the Way]

9. You know, I think you might be right about this.

That story about the Pakistani general meeting with Goss and Graham on 9/11 while funneling $200,000 to Atta sure died quick, didn't it?

OBL was a mighty convenient boogy man to have handy on 9/12....yet we had no problems letting his family leave while the rest of the US was grounded.

I suspect that we've been taken down a path of distraction with OBL as mastermind.

[Bridget Burke]

11. I agree...

Osama bin Ladin has been portrayed as some kind of James Bond super-villain, plotting evil deeds from his mountain fastness, with minions carrying out his nefarious plans throughout the world. A looser network is probably closer to the reality. He may have sent some money to the 9/11 plotters, but it would have gone on without him. And future terrorism doesn't depend upon him, either.

However, whoever was plotting, we can agree that Bush was playing golf during that time.

[zbdent]

6. 2001: A Bush Idiocy

By (not Arthur C.) Richard Clarke

[truthspeaker]

7. He was AWOL in 2001just like he was AWOL in 1972