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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Karen Lawrence who wrote (261382)	6/5/2002 3:42:17 PM
From: jlallen	Respond to of 769667

Karen Lawrence-(confirmed)Dope

To: Karen Lawrence who wrote (261382)	6/5/2002 3:42:29 PM
From: Karen Lawrence	Respond to of 769667

Cheney's Winning Formula -- Secrecy Plus Fear Equals A Pliant Public The Republican 'Don't Ask. Don't Tell' Policy Jill Rachel Jacobs is a writer in New York. Well, it's that time of year again. Lemonade and lazy days of summer are approaching. And while the livin' should be easy, before finalizing those last minute summer travel plans, you might want to batten down the hatches, load up on bottled water, peanut butter, and say your prayers, because we're on terror alert again. Not that we've ever been off alert, but after the recent news reports and hype broke concerning what the White House knew and didn't know about the 9/11 attacks, Vice President Dick Cheney issued a not-so-gentle reminder. "We don't know if it's going to be tomorrow or next week or next year," the Veep said. "But the prospect of another attack against the United States is very, very real…" It's "just as real as it was Sept. 12." For those not quite grasping the ominous warning, he further clarified, "It's not a question of if, but a question of when." But none of this information is new, as we've been on high alert since the September attacks. Vague and unspecific reports of threats against the United States have been issued frequently and routinely since then. Coincidentally (or not), the latest non-specific announcement quickly followed criticism of the administration’s handling of intelligence reports prior to the September attack. We can say this much about the White House: they certainly know how to respond to a real threat when the danger is assessing their job performance. Of course, the man who conveys the most gravitas is called on to do what needs to be done: Dick Cheney. It's a role the Veep seems to enjoy, being the tough cookie. And it’s become somewhat predictable political theatre. Cheney resurfaces from his underground bunker to voice strong opposition to anything the public might want to know about the way the White House conducts business. To Cheney, potential congressional investigations into the events leading up to 9/11 are merely the latest irritant. The Veep must be quite a poker player. He sternly replied that Democratic and press questioning of the commander in chief's prior knowledge of the attacks was "incendiary," and further reminded us, "Such commentary is thoroughly irresponsible and totally unworthy of national leaders in time of war." This is the Republican version of "Don't ask, don't tell" (which once referred to another military matter). Still, wouldn't congressional investigations into 9/11 answer some legitimate questions about what the White House did and didn't know? Might it reveal how to better handle future warnings and threats? These are hardly treasonous ponderings. If there's nothing to hide -- apart from intelligence failures we already know -- why discourage an investigation? The Bush crew obviously loves secrecy more than credibility. This is an administration that seems to relish doing business behind closed doors. The Bush team was shrouded in secrecy long before taking office. Remember the start of the presidential campaign, in 1999, when dozens of corporate execs made "quiet" treks to Austin, Texas, to join W. for some Texas tea and to brief the future candidate on corporate America's agenda? These cozy get-togethers predated Cheney’s still-secret energy policy meetings. If the Veep has his way, the White House would never have to respond to a critic through the end of W.’s second term -- because a president needn’t stoop so low when fighting a war, especially a war with no end. What better way to duck such inquiry than to remind people that new threats are out there -- so the White House has to get back to work. Telling Americans that there will definitely be another terrorist attack, maybe even bigger than 9/11 as latest reports suggest, and then encouraging them to be vigilant and normal, renders Americans confused and fearful. Meanwhile, news reports and congressional inquiries into whether the government may have dropped the intelligence ball before the 9/11 attacks may quickly become a footnote -– especially if we keep hearing from the Veep, FBI director and others about dangers in the shadows. Perhaps these latest threats are new and legitimate. Maybe it’s just a coincidence that they’ve surfaced at a time when the administration is feeling some political heat. It's my guess that Americans will be on alert for a long time, at least for another six years