riddler 0 #1 September 4, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/21/us/21ridge.html QuoteWASHINGTON — Tom Ridge, the first secretary of homeland security, asserts in a new book that he was pressured by top advisers to President George W. Bush to raise the national threat level just before the 2004 election in what he suspected was an effort to influence the vote. After Osama bin Laden released a threatening videotape four days before the election, Attorney General John Ashcroft and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld pushed Mr. Ridge to elevate the public threat posture but he refused, according to the book. Mr. Ridge calls it a “dramatic and inconceivable” event that “proved most troublesome” and reinforced his decision to resign. The provocative allegation provides fresh ammunition for critics who have accused the Bush administration of politicizing national security. Mr. Bush and his Democratic challenger, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, were locked in a tight race heading into that final weekend, and some analysts concluded that even without a higher threat level, the bin Laden tape helped the president win re-election by reminding voters of the danger of Al Qaeda. Keith M. Urbahn, a spokesman for Mr. Rumsfeld, said the defense secretary supported letting the public know if intelligence agencies believed there was a greater threat, and pointed to a variety of chilling Qaeda warnings in those days, including one tape vowing that “the streets of America will run red with blood.” “Given those facts,” Mr. Urbahn said, “it would seem reasonable for senior administration officials to discuss the threat level. Indeed, it would have been irresponsible had that discussion not taken place.” Mr. Urbahn said “the storyline advanced by his publisher seemingly to sell copies of the book is nonsense.” Mr. Ashcroft could not be reached for comment. But Mark Corallo, who was his spokesman at the Justice Department, dismissed Mr. Ridge’s account. “Didn’t happen,” he said. “Now would be a good time for Mr. Ridge to use his emergency duct tape.” Frances Fragos Townsend, who was Mr. Bush’s homeland security adviser, said that “there was a fulsome debate” about the threat level but that “the politics of it were not ever a factor.” Mr. Ridge’s book, called “The Test of Our Times” and due out Sept. 1 from Thomas Dunne Books, is the latest by a Bush adviser to disclose internal disagreements and establish distance from an unpopular administration. Mr. Ridge complains that he was never invited to National Security Council meetings, that Mr. Rumsfeld would rarely meet with him and that the White House pressured him to include a justification for the Iraq war in a speech. He also writes that he lobbied unsuccessfully before Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to replace Michael D. Brown as head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and that the White House killed his proposal to open a homeland security regional office in New Orleans. The most sensational assertion was the pre-election debate in 2004 about the threat level, first reported by U.S. News & World Report. Mr. Ridge writes that the bin Laden tape alone did not justify a change in the nation’s security posture but describes “a vigorous, some might say dramatic, discussion” on Oct. 30 to do so. “There was absolutely no support for that position within our department. None,” he writes. “I wondered, ‘Is this about security or politics?’ Post-election analysis demonstrated a significant increase in the president’s approval rating in the days after the raising of the threat level.” Mr. Ridge provides no evidence that politics motivated the discussion. Until now, he has denied politics played a role in threat levels. Asked by Eric Lichtblau of The New York Times if politics ever influenced decisions on threat warnings, he volunteered to take a lie-detector test. “Wire me up,” Mr. Ridge said, according to Mr. Lichtblau’s book, “Bush’s Law.” “Not a chance. Politics played no part.” Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rushmc 23 #2 September 5, 2009 all ready debunked......."America will never be destroyed from the outside, if we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Abraham Lincoln Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #3 September 5, 2009 What stood out for me was the Bush spokesmens' response, which was the same type of response the Bush Admin spokesmen would use whenever an ex-insider would criticize them: they spent as much time and effort attacking Ridge personally, and his motivations, as they did rebutting his message on facts. I'm thankful to them for reminding me how glad I am that those mean-spirited assholes are out of power for a while. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnealtx 0 #4 September 5, 2009 Quote those mean-spirited assholes are out of power for a while. As opposed to the kindly, gentle natured folks like Democratic Senator Chris "what planet are you living on" Dodd, or Democratic Representative Louise "I'm not giving those people a forum" Slaughter - or maybe even Democratic Representative Pete "Get the fuck out of here or I'll throw you out a window" Stark, perhaps?Mike I love you, Shannon and Jim. POPS 9708 , SCR 14706 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kbordson 8 #5 September 5, 2009 QuoteQuote those mean-spirited assholes are out of power for a while. As opposed to the kindly, gentle natured folks like Democratic Senator Chris "what planet are you living on" Dodd, or Democratic Representative Louise "I'm not giving those people a forum" Slaughter - or maybe even Democratic Representative Pete "Get the fuck out of here or I'll throw you out a window" Stark, perhaps? No no no. Just the "mean-spirited assholes." You know, the ones with an (R).... or is it the ones with the (D).... or is it the ones with stars on thars? I know.... it's "whatever group I don't agree with." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,146 #6 September 5, 2009 Quoteall ready debunked....... You mean Ridge (R) LIED in his book?... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #7 September 5, 2009 QuoteQuoteall ready debunked....... You mean Ridge (R) LIED in his book? It's laughable the way the Bush people are falling all over themselves to attack Ridge personally. He's about as solid and credible as they get: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Ridge Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnealtx 0 #8 September 5, 2009 QuoteQuoteQuoteall ready debunked....... You mean Ridge (R) LIED in his book? It's laughable the way the Bush people are falling all over themselves to attack Ridge personally. He's about as solid and credible as they get: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Ridge He's still alive, UNlike a few prospective whistleblowers from the LAST Democratic administration. Guess they didn't get a chance to get near enough to Peter Paul, eh?Mike I love you, Shannon and Jim. POPS 9708 , SCR 14706 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,146 #9 September 5, 2009 QuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteall ready debunked....... You mean Ridge (R) LIED in his book? It's laughable the way the Bush people are falling all over themselves to attack Ridge personally. He's about as solid and credible as they get: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Ridge He's still alive, UNlike a few prospective whistleblowers from the LAST Democratic administration. Guess they didn't get a chance to get near enough to Peter Paul, eh? Lame attempt at changing the subject. Who is the liar, Bush or Ridge?... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnealtx 0 #10 September 7, 2009 QuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteall ready debunked....... You mean Ridge (R) LIED in his book? It's laughable the way the Bush people are falling all over themselves to attack Ridge personally. He's about as solid and credible as they get: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Ridge He's still alive, UNlike a few prospective whistleblowers from the LAST Democratic administration. Guess they didn't get a chance to get near enough to Peter Paul, eh? Lame attempt at changing the subject. Who is the liar, Bush or Ridge? Ask Andy - he's the one that replied to you.Mike I love you, Shannon and Jim. POPS 9708 , SCR 14706 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,146 #11 September 7, 2009 QuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteall ready debunked....... You mean Ridge (R) LIED in his book? It's laughable the way the Bush people are falling all over themselves to attack Ridge personally. He's about as solid and credible as they get: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Ridge He's still alive, UNlike a few prospective whistleblowers from the LAST Democratic administration. Guess they didn't get a chance to get near enough to Peter Paul, eh? Lame attempt at changing the subject. Who is the liar, Bush or Ridge? Ask Andy - he's the one that replied to you. So even you can't tell which (R) is lying. Figures.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnealtx 0 #12 September 7, 2009 QuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteall ready debunked....... You mean Ridge (R) LIED in his book? It's laughable the way the Bush people are falling all over themselves to attack Ridge personally. He's about as solid and credible as they get: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Ridge He's still alive, UNlike a few prospective whistleblowers from the LAST Democratic administration. Guess they didn't get a chance to get near enough to Peter Paul, eh? Lame attempt at changing the subject. Who is the liar, Bush or Ridge? Ask Andy - he's the one that replied to you. So even you can't tell which (R) is lying. Figures. Do you often do this "answer my question I didn't ask you" rant?Mike I love you, Shannon and Jim. POPS 9708 , SCR 14706 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,146 #13 September 7, 2009 Quote Quote Quote Quote Quote Quote Quote Quote all ready debunked....... You mean Ridge (R) LIED in his book? It's laughable the way the Bush people are falling all over themselves to attack Ridge personally. He's about as solid and credible as they get: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Ridge He's still alive, UNlike a few prospective whistleblowers from the LAST Democratic administration. Guess they didn't get a chance to get near enough to Peter Paul, eh? Lame attempt at changing the subject. Who is the liar, Bush or Ridge? Ask Andy - he's the one that replied to you. So even you can't tell which (R) is lying. Figures. Do you often do this "answer my question I didn't ask you" rant? It's an OPEN forum. Anyone can answer and you picked up the ballBut I'm asking YOU specifically now. Which of these two senior GOPers is the liar?... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnealtx 0 #14 September 8, 2009 Quote It's an OPEN forum. Anyone can answer and you picked up the ball No, actually I was responding to Andy's post, not yours - it's really NOT all about you regardless of what you think, perfessor. Quote But I'm asking YOU specifically now. Which of these two senior GOPers is the liar? Ask all you want.Mike I love you, Shannon and Jim. POPS 9708 , SCR 14706 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
