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Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: lurqer who wrote (40424)	3/26/2004 12:30:53 AM
From: lurqer	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 89467

Democrats say Bush abuses power By Jackie Frank and Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats have accused the White House of election-year "abuses of power" in trying to discredit former top U.S. counter-terrorism official Richard Clarke, who has accused President George W. Bush of ignoring threats from al Qaeda before the September 11 attacks. Democrats took to the Senate floor to lambast the Bush White House, which had fiercely condemned Clarke on Monday. "We are seeing abuses of power that cannot be tolerated. The president needs to put a stop to it right now. We need to get to the truth and the president needs to help us do that," Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota said. Clarke specifically accused Bush of paying insufficient attention to the al Qaeda threat before the September 11, 2001 attacks and thereafter focusing on Iraq at the expense of efforts to crush the Islamic militant group. His attack coincided with efforts by Bush to make his leadership on security and terrorism the major theme of his campaign for re-election in November. The White House responded by noting that Clarke had been the top U.S. counter-terrorism official for eight years before Bush took office and had failed to prevent a number of al Qaeda attacks from taking place. It also said Clarke was speaking out for political reasons and was acting out of pique for having been passed over for a top job under Bush. Speaking during a cabinet meeting, Bush rejected Clarke's criticism that he ignored the threat from al Qaeda. "The facts are these: (CIA Director) George Tenet briefed me on a regular basis about the terrorist threats to the United State of America and had my administration had any information that terrorists were going to attack New York City on September 11, we would have acted," he said. SQUELCHING DISSENT Top Democrats tried to turn the political tables on Bush by accusing the administration of attempting to squelch dissent and bad news on a range of fronts. They recalled moves to discredit former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, who questioned Bush's Iraq policy in a book in January, and the leaking of the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame when her husband, former diplomat Joseph Wilson, accused Bush of hyping prewar intelligence on Iraq. Sen. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota pointed to a "shroud of secrecy" in the administration. In remarks aimed at Bush, New York Sen. Charles Schumer said, "Don't hide the facts ... don't try to undermine those who would present the facts." Daschle called "impeccable' Clarke's reputation from 30 years in four administrations and told reporters, "I happen to believe Mr. Clarke." He also called for an investigation of Clarke's allegations. Clarke rejected White House charges that he was playing election-year politics by timing the release of his book "Against All Enemies", detailing his criticisms of the Bush approach, for this week. He said publication was held up by the administration for three months for a security check and he had not intended for it to be released in the middle of the election campaign. swissinfo.org lurqer