I really hate that the Bush administration’s political schemes and manipulative rhetoric have created an environment of constant mistrust. It shouldn’t be this way.
When I see reports like this one, my first thought shouldn’t be to question the White House’s motives. But it is.
Federal officials have information suggesting that al Qaeda has people in the United States preparing to mount a large-scale terrorist attack this summer, sources familiar with the information said yesterday.
Attorney General John D. Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III intend to hold a joint news conference this afternoon to discuss the threat and to ask Americans to watch for several suspected al Qaeda operatives who may be in the country, officials said.
The concerns are driven by intelligence deemed credible that was obtained about a month ago indicating an attack may be planned between now and Labor Day.
And while I’m not proud of it, and hope desperately that nothing happens, I immediately think of two things.
First, Bush received warnings like this not too long ago and decided it’d be the perfect time for a month long vacation. After all, the warnings didn’t tell him to do anything about the threat.
And second, as Ezra Klein noted this morning, it was just two months ago when we learned this:
Administration sources tell Time that employees at the Department of Homeland Security have been asked to keep their eyes open for opportunities to pose the President in settings that might highlight the Administration’s efforts to make the nation safer. The goal, they are being told, is to provide Bush with one homeland-security photo-op a month.
It’s horrible being cynical; it’s worse that Bush has made it is so easy to be this way.