As the 9/11 Commission’s report goes public, nearly all of the analysis will emphasize the panel’s conclusions and recommendations. That is, of course, how it should be.
But watching Bush receive the report this morning and offer his support for the Commission and its efforts is a little frustrating. Most seem to have forgotten that if it were up to Bush, today’s announcement would have never happened.
Today’s Progress Report lays it out nicely:
Yesterday President Bush told reporters, “I look forward to receiving the report,” saying he welcomed a “full discussion” of the panel’s findings. But the president has not always been so welcoming to the commission. From the beginning, the White House has vocally opposed the commission, bullying congressional opponents by insinuating the panel would divert resources from the war on terror and “brush[ing] off” requests for full funding and access to relevant documents. Now that the report’s release is upon us, Bush praises its work as “very useful,” but his administration has done everything it could to discredit the commission’s findings and distract from the truth. In fact, the report’s release this morning will represent the culmination of a long, difficult process, carried out against the will of the Bush White House.
Something to keep in mind.