Just Damn: Bush Caves, Rice to Testify in Public

Just Damn: Bush Caves, Rice to Testify in Public

The Senators won. And the people lost.

Now they get to grandstand for the cameras when questioning Dr. Rice.

What do they think she will say in open testimony that she did not say in private testimony? Does that make ANY sense at all?

But what off the public's "right to know"? Well, get over it. It doesn't exist here.

The public's "right to know" was vested in the Senator's they voted for . . . and the Senators ALREADY KNOW. They have already heard EVERYTHING Condi Rice has to say.

But the White House Reps have shown once again they have NO SPINE when dealing with the Dems. Executive privilege be damned.

If you were an advisor to the President, would you know feel safe giving unadulterated advice? Saying exactly what you want to say? Knowing that someday you might be forced to testify before congress in open session? Or might you guard your words against just such an eventuality? I suppose your answer to that would depend on your intelligence . . . . . . . .

"But but but the White House made the Senators promise that this testimony doesn't hurt the separation of powers and executive privilege and that it won't mean that Congress can call on other administration officials later to testify" you sputter.

SURE it doesn't. SURE they won't. Congress NEVER takes more than they say they will, right? They NEVER take the caving in of an opponent to mean that they can do it again, right?

Just damn.

White House to Let Rice Testify in Public

WASHINGTON (AP) - In a reversal, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice will testify in public under oath before the commission investigating the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks as long as the panel seeks no further public testimony from White House officials, the administration said Tuesday.

And just what will the administration say if the panel changes its mind and DOES want more testimony? Will they cry the ancient playground plaint of "No FAIR!"? Will they come back and say, "HEY! You guys said you wouldn't DO that!"

Or will they again give in to supposed "public outcry" (which doesn't actually exist - then or now) and break down the separation of powers even further?

Good idea folks - let's make the Executive branch a wholly owned subsidiary of the Legislative. Damn.

In addition, President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have agreed to a single joint private session with all 10 commissioners, with one commission staff member present to take notes of the session, White House counsel Alberto Gonzales said in a letter to the panel.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan, on Air Force One with President Bush, said the commission had unanimously agreed to the administration's conditions for the testimony.

The decision was conditioned on the Bush administration receiving assurances in writing from the commission that such a step does not set a precedent and that the commission does not request "additional public testimony from any White House official, including Dr. Rice," Gonzales' letter said.