BOB KERREY'S CARPING
NY Post Editorial
March 26, 2004 -- <font size=4>Former Sen. Bob Kerrey, one of the federal 9/11 Commission's Democratic members, couldn't keep from sputtering his outrage over Fox News Channel's decision to air a tape of star witness Richard Clarke's 2002 background briefing - saying the network "violated a serious trust."
With all due respect, that's a load of hooey - and Bob
Kerrey knows better.
We don't doubt for a moment that what really has Kerrey
steamed is the fact that the tape so devastatingly
undermines Clarke's usefulness as a battering ram against
the Bush administration.
As for violating any trust - since the backgrounder was conducted on conditions of anonymity - it should be noted that the White House approved the tape's release (for obvious reasons).
Then, Clarke said that the Bush White House was ramping up its anti-terrorism efforts, relative to the Clinton administration.
Now, he says that wasn't the case - that Bush had dropped the ball.
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Moreover, Clarke said during his testimony Wednesday that
he'd conducted the briefing at the White House's request,
implying that that he'd been ordered to distort the truth
If he did, he was a liar then.
If he didn't, he's a liar now.
Either way, his credibility is zilch.
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And, frankly, we doubt that Sen. Kerrey - who now heads the New School University - would have been so publicly appalled if, say, CNN had broadcast a past background briefing by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that completely contradicted his public testimony.
Fox News Channel (which has the same corporate ownership as this paper) performed a public service and helped inject a much-needed dose of reality to the proceedings.
NEW YORK POST |
