Coming soon - the Charley McCarthy testimony. Will they dress alike?
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Bush, Cheney Coached for 9/11 Questioning
Tue Apr 27, 2004 02:15 PM ET
By Adam Entous
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House aides coached President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney on Tuesday for their appearance before a panel investigating the Sept. 11 attacks that they agreed to under pressure and only if they could appear together and behind closed doors.
At the administration's request, Thursday's unprecedented questioning of a president and vice president at the White House will not be recorded and a transcript will not be made.
Their testimony will not be under oath, but White House spokesman Scott McClellan said they "will tell it exactly how it happened."
Bush already has met with his national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, Chief of Staff Andrew Card and White House counsel Alberto Gonzales to prepare for the session, which at Bush's insistence will be held in private and with Cheney at his side.
McClellan said Gonzales' office has provided Bush with "documents from that time period to refresh his memory." Bush and Cheney plan to continue meeting with their top advisers and reviewing internal documents over the next two days, officials said.
By insisting they appear together, Democrats say the White House may be trying to eliminate the possibility of contradictory testimony under questioning from commissioners expected to focus on whether the administration did all it could to head off the Sept. 11 attacks.
McClellan rejected that argument, insisting that having Bush and Cheney appear together would help commissioners piece together the events of that day and complete their recommendations. He said Cheney would take questions if asked directly, but that Bush was expected to take the lead.
Bush's advisers are worried the commission's findings will be critical of Bush, who is running for re-election in November on his record of fighting terrorism.
Bush, who initially opposed creation of the independent commission, had earlier insisted he meet with just the panel's chairman and vice chairman, and for only one hour. Under pressure from the commission, however, Bush agreed to meet all 10 members -- five Republicans and five Democrats -- and to answer questions for as long as necessary together with Cheney.
Bush strategists and commission aides refused to discuss their strategy for the session, underscoring the confrontational relationship between the White House and the panel even before a bitter fight over whether Rice should testify in public. The White House eventually backed down and allowed Rice to appear under oath.
"This is not an adversarial process," McClellan said. "He (Bush) looks forward to answering whatever questions they may have." Continued ...
reuters.com |
