The mass exodus of the president’s top advisors isn’t quite over yet; Frances Fragos Townsend has decided to cash in on her White House experience and enter the private sector.
Fran Townsend, the leading White House-based terrorism adviser who gave public updates on the extent of the threat to U.S. security, is stepping down after 4 1/2 years. […]
In her handwritten resignation letter to Bush, Townsend wrote, “It is with a profound sense of gratitude that I have decided to take a respite from public service.” White House press secretary Dana Perino said Townsend struggled with the decision, talking about it with the president for months.
In an interview, Townsend said she hates to leave when figures like Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaida’s No. 2 leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, remain at large. “Do I wish that I was going to be standing here when they are captured or killed? Absolutely. But I have no doubt that we will ultimately be successful,” she said.
The transition from homeland-security positions in the administration to deals on K Street is one of the more common moves in DC lately, and I have no doubt that Townsend will be able to land a lucrative deal.
But before she goes, let’s take a moment to consider some of Townsend’s greatest hits. Because, let’s face it, she’s had a few doozies.
Last month, for example, Townsend defended the Bush administration’s “harsh interrogation techniques” during an interview on CNN. She assured Americans that the abuse of detainees stops “if someone becomes cooperative.” (In other words, “We stop torturing when we get what we want out of the suspect.”)
In July, Townsend appeared on NPR to talk about terrorist activities in Iraq. When the host asked if al Qaeda had any capabilities in Iraq before Bush launched his 2003 invasion, Townsend said, “I don’t know — I wasn’t at that briefing.”
Also in July, Townsend told a national television audience that Americans can’t bring shampoo or bottled water on airplanes, but lighters are fine.
Around the same time, Townsend couldn’t explain why the war in Iraq had become a boon for al Qaeda recruitment and fundraising.
And finally, last December, Townsend was on CNN when she delivered one of my favorite lines of all time. CNN White House correspondent Ed Henry noted that, despite Bush’s promises, Osama bin Laden remains a free man. Henry suggested that this should probably be considered a “failure” in the war on terror. Townsend responded, “I’m not sure — it’s a success that hasn’t occurred yet.”
So long, Fran. We hardly knew you.