Why is C. Rice refusing to testify?

[sunnyday]

Why is C. Rice refusing to testify before the 9/11 commission? Any input would be appreciated? Thanks...

[mf_dolphin]

SHe ins't refusing to testify. She is just not testifying in public. The principle of separation between the Executive and Legislative Branches is why she hasn't been allowed to testify publicly.

[Lindaloo]

Actually she requested to testify in rebuttle to Clarke's lies. But the Dems want it to be conducted out in the public eye.

What I do not get is how Clarke and the Dems are trying to blame 9/11 on the Bush Administration when all the evidence points to the Clinton Administration. It is obvious that Clarke has an agenda because he was passed over for promotion. IMO his credibility needs to be flushed down the toilet.

[streetsoldier]

Besides, as a member of the Executive Branch, Dr. Rice has information on ongoing intelligence, which can NOT be made public in an open forum. This is why she spent FOUR HOURS in "closed" session with them.

Forcing her to go public before a Select Committee, "under oath", would open her to withering attacks which the Dems could use to (intentionally or not) compromise present operations to further their own political agenda.

[stormchazer]

No one in her position has ever (I believe ) testified in public. It is a matter of "seperation of power" and precedent.

[southerngale]

Well, ya'll already answered so I just wanted to comment that they gotta gripe about something!

Linda...his credibility has been flushed down the toilet and I believe that everyone can see that, even the ones defending him. I mean, how could they not see it? It doesn't take a particularly bright individual to recognize his stories are contradicting.

[chrisnnavarre]

Rice like many of the Bush cabinet members have deep ties to the oil industry. Condi Rice even had an oil tanker named after her. Iraq has the largest deposit of natural crude oil outside of Saudi Arabia under it's borders. I doesn't take an idiot to put two and two together to know that conversations must have taken place concerning Iraq before 911. If she goes into open forum under oath, the complete picture of how fixated the Bush Administration was on getting into Iraq, both pre-and-post 911.

No one in the GOP wants that during an election year. Especially while MSNBC and the other major news programs are showing images of 3500 injured troops at Walter Reed, and all hell breaking loose in the streets of Baghdad during the Republican National Convention.

[stormchazer]

Rice like many of the Bush cabinet members have deep ties to the oil industry. Condi Rice even had an oil tanker named after her. Iraq has the largest deposit of natural crude oil outside of Saudi Arabia under it's borders. I doesn't take an idiot to put two and two together to know that conversations must have taken place concerning Iraq before 911. If she goes into open forum under oath, the complete picture of how fixated the Bush Administration was on getting into Iraq, both pre-and-post 911.

No one in the GOP wants that during an election year. Especially while MSNBC and the other major news programs are showing images of 3500 injured troops at Walter Reed, and all hell breaking loose in the streets of Baghdad during the Republican National Convention.

Did you read that in the National Inquirer? Yep...all that oil we are stealing is really helping fuel prices! I would think if we were stealing all the oil, we would have lower gas prices. Oh....and they changed the name on the oil tanker because of all the crap about it. Sen John "Sheets" Byrd has every building and highway in West Virginia named after him. I wonder if he is a pawn of Big Business Road Contractors? Or Architects? Or White Sheet Makers?

I sure hope conversations were taking place. We have plans to invade or defend against every potential adversary on this planet. Its called being prepared. We do now and we did during the Clinton Administration.

Can you please quit reading talking points off of MoveOn.org and consider what is happening? We are trying to introduce Democracy in the Middle East. We are trying to defeat a group who killed 3000 Americans, as many as the 3000 heroes at Walter Reed. I bet the majority understand this War far better then you.

Here are a few more stats for you Democrat Underground bloggers:

WWII ..........407316 KIA.................670846 WIA....Democrat President
Korea............33651 KIA.................103284 WIA....Democrat President
Vietnam.........58168 KIA.................153303 WIA....Dem Pres 8/12 years

Hmmm....what would be your stand on those Wars?

[Lindaloo]

Oil prices is OPEC's fault. They stopped production of oil and then the prices rose. Now, they have upped production to stabilize gas prices. Not to mention, the pure price gouging going on. So, please do not blame this on Bush.

[Stephanie]

If she isn't providing a "public" testimony at the 9/11 hearings, then why did she give an interview to "60 Minutes"?

[mf_dolphin]

The issue is that of separation of powers. A sitting National Security Advisor has never submitted to a Congressioal committee. The fact that she gives interviews is immaterial.

[Aslkahuna]

a couple of wars-WWI-a Democratic President, Spanish-American, Republican President and the Civil War (our bloodiest) Republican President. I left out the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War since the current Party Structure didn't exist then and the Filipino-American War is included with the Spanish-American War. Oh! Yes-the American Indian Wars-both.

Steve

[JQ Public]

I think she should testify publicly...

[rainstorm]

Oil prices is OPEC's fault. They stopped production of oil and then the prices rose. Now, they have upped production to stabilize gas prices. Not to mention, the pure price gouging going on. So, please do not blame this on Bush.

the dems fault. no drilling, no new refineries, no nuclear power.

[Lindaloo]

The main problem is OPEC Helen.

I know offshore drilling is fixing to happen off the coast of MS.

[blizzard]

Oil prices is OPEC's fault. They stopped production of oil and then the prices rose. Now, they have upped production to stabilize gas prices. Not to mention, the pure price gouging going on. So, please do not blame this on Bush.

the dems fault. no drilling, no new refineries, no nuclear power.

You are starting to sound dilusional now.....

[Guest]

Oil prices is OPEC's fault. They stopped production of oil and then the prices rose. Now, they have upped production to stabilize gas prices. Not to mention, the pure price gouging going on. So, please do not blame this on Bush.

the dems fault. no drilling, no new refineries, no nuclear power.

You are starting to sound dilusional now.....

The Nuclear power is one thing. But how is the part about no new refineries and no new drilling delusional????And btw yes you can blame the dems on that if thats what you want. Maybe i am not seeing your point here or something. Besides what RS said i think Linda said it best which i totally agree on.

Care to clarify Blizz?????

[rainstorm]

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Monday, Mar. 29, 2004 05:26 PM EST
Clarke Refused to Testify in 1999 Citing Same Reasons as Condi

Former Clinton terrorism czar Richard Clarke refused to testify before the Senate Y2K Committee in 1999 citing the same rule invoked by National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice in recent days, with the Bush White House saying the regulation prevents her from testifying publicly before the 9/11 Commission.

In a transcript of a July 29, 1999 Senate hearing first unearthed by FreeRepublic.com, Committee Chairman Robert Bennett, R-Ut., explained that Clarke had cancelled his appearance, because, as a member of the National Security Council, he hadn't been confirmed by the Senate and as such was prohibited from testifying before Congress.

The Congressional Record confirms Clarke's decision not to appear by invoking the same rule cited by Dr. Rice.

According to a transcript of that day's proceeding, Sen. Bennett opened the hearing by telling his committee:

"I have some information to share with you which I'm sure will cause some consternation and disappointment.

"We were scheduled -- at the beginning of this gathering we agreed not to call that portion of it a hearing, to have a briefing from Mr. Richard Clarke. And many of you have been notified that he would be here and as recently as yesterday afternoon when I was with him, we were looking forward to his appearance and he was sharing with me some of the areas that he planned to discuss while he was here.

"Mr. Clarke, as many of you know, is the national coordinator for security and infrastructure protection and counterterrorism on the National Security Council."

TheY2K Committee Chairman continued:

"Last night, into the evening, we were notified that the legal staff of the National Security Council had determined that it would be inappropriate for Mr. Clarke to appear. I have just spoken to him on the telephone. The rule apparently is that any member of the White House staff who has not been confirmed is not to be allowed to testify before the Congress. They can perform briefings, but they are not to give testimony. And that in response to that rule, Mr. Clarke will not be coming.

Sen. Bennett explained that Clarke had "apologized to me for their failure to tell us that in a way that would have prevented our putting out the press notice in advance.

"I do not, in any sense, attribute any improper motives to Mr. Clarke. We had understood that the briefing could be held as long as there was no record made of it so that it would not be part of the formal hearing. And we were prepared to receive his briefing with the court recorder being instructed not to make any record of it and that that would comply with the rule.

"As I say, last evening I received a call at home after the Senate had adjourned telling me that that arrangement would not be acceptable to the legal staff at the National Security Council and that Mr. Clarke, therefore, would not be here.

In Sen. Bennett's concluding remarks on the subject, he said that Clarke had offered to "come before the committee and give us whatever information we wanted in a closed briefing."

Dr. Rice has made the exact same offer to the 9/11 Commission, though it has done little to quell the media's outrage over her decision not to appear in public.

[blizzard]

Oil prices is OPEC's fault. They stopped production of oil and then the prices rose. Now, they have upped production to stabilize gas prices. Not to mention, the pure price gouging going on. So, please do not blame this on Bush.

the dems fault. no drilling, no new refineries, no nuclear power.

You are starting to sound dilusional now.....

The Nuclear power is one thing. But how is the part about no new refineries and no new drilling delusional????And btw yes you can blame the dems on that if thats what you want. Maybe i am not seeing your point here or something. Besides what RS said i think Linda said it best which i totally agree on.
Care to clarify Blizz?????

I was mearly pointing out that anything that does not go her way is the dems fault. And the main point here was about the oil prices. So if I misunderstood the rest, I sincerely apologize.

[sunnyday]

One last point that maybe someone can clear up for me. Why won't she take an oath?