Sponsored Content
« Top Headline Comments 08-21-09 | Main | AP Contrasts Myths of Health Care with "Facts;" Decides it Far Prefers Obama's Myths »
August 21, 2009

Tom Ridge in 2008: Politics Never Played a Part in Terror Decisions; "Wire Me Up" [to a Polygraph] and I'll Tell You the Same Thing

Well, it seems that a minor dispute (if it was even that) has been blown up into a conveniently-book-selling scandal.

Either Ridge was lying in 2008 -- not so very long ago -- or he's lying a year later. Hard to take this seriously, especially given that we know that publishers, before agreeing to any kind of advance, demand to see juicy, scandalous revelations in the book proposal.

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.”

So there was a dispute as to the appropriate response and Ridge wondered, he says now, if politics played a role. Well, he earlier he denied that possibility, but even assuming the truth is a bit more nuanced, the most that's possible here (given his previous claim) is that he merely wondered if politics was shaping the Administration position.

It's fine to wonder that -- and, indeed, someone in his position ought to wonder such things. His duties were vital, and it's appropriate to be on guard against all sorts of wrong-headed responses.

But the most that seems to have happened -- assuming Ridge is not a complete fabricator -- is that he "wondered," had no evidence for his wonderment, and ultimately concluded (at least in 2008) that his wondering was incorrect.

But now he amps it up and claims that it was quite a bit more than wondering.

Meh.

Oh, Bush officials deny this and express puzzlement at the allegation, which they're hearing for the first time now, it seems. But I think Ridge's statement is the one that's dispositive.


digg this
posted by Ace at 10:31 AM

| Access Comments




Recent Comments
BignJames: "How long does this...nothing go on? 2024? 28? fore ..."

TheJamesMadison, on just the weirdest trip with John Boorman: "24 Every time I bring up Hunter's influence peddli ..."

People's Hippo Voice: "Just ask anyone here to sacrifice their Social Sec ..."

Taylor: ""The FBI knows exactly what document Chairman Come ..."

Divide by Zero [/i]: " My wife and I paid into SS for a combined 100 ye ..."

Aetius451AD Work Laptop: "29 Ok, so they find him in contempt of Congress. T ..."

It's me donna : "29 Ok, so they find him in contempt of Congress. T ..."

polynikes: "Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at May 30, 2023 ..."

Joe Mannix (Not a cop!): "[i]'We as usual just need several months of his he ..."

Bitter Clinger: "Meh. Republicans just jacked the debt ceiling u ..."

Archimedes: "[i]The FBI said last week: "Releasing confidential ..."

Duke Lowell : "Ok, so they find him in contempt of Congress. Then ..."

Recent Entries
Search


Polls! Polls! Polls!
Frequently Asked Questions
The (Almost) Complete Paul Anka Integrity Kick
Top Top Tens
Greatest Hitjobs

The Ace of Spades HQ Sex-for-Money Skankathon
A D&D Guide to the Democratic Candidates
Margaret Cho: Just Not Funny
More Margaret Cho Abuse
Margaret Cho: Still Not Funny
Iraqi Prisoner Claims He Was Raped... By Woman
Wonkette Announces "Morning Zoo" Format
John Kerry's "Plan" Causes Surrender of Moqtada al-Sadr's Militia
World Muslim Leaders Apologize for Nick Berg's Beheading
Michael Moore Goes on Lunchtime Manhattan Death-Spree
Milestone: Oliver Willis Posts 400th "Fake News Article" Referencing Britney Spears
Liberal Economists Rue a "New Decade of Greed"
Artificial Insouciance: Maureen Dowd's Word Processor Revolts Against Her Numbing Imbecility
Intelligence Officials Eye Blogs for Tips
They Done Found Us Out, Cletus: Intrepid Internet Detective Figures Out Our Master Plan
Shock: Josh Marshall Almost Mentions Sarin Discovery in Iraq
Leather-Clad Biker Freaks Terrorize Australian Town
When Clinton Was President, Torture Was Cool
What Wonkette Means When She Explains What Tina Brown Means
Wonkette's Stand-Up Act
Wankette HQ Gay-Rumors Du Jour
Here's What's Bugging Me: Goose and Slider
My Own Micah Wright Style Confession of Dishonesty
Outraged "Conservatives" React to the FMA
An On-Line Impression of Dennis Miller Having Sex with a Kodiak Bear
The Story the Rightwing Media Refuses to Report!
Our Lunch with David "Glengarry Glen Ross" Mamet
The House of Love: Paul Krugman
A Michael Moore Mystery (TM)
The Dowd-O-Matic!
Liberal Consistency and Other Myths
Kepler's Laws of Liberal Media Bias
John Kerry-- The Splunge! Candidate
"Divisive" Politics & "Attacks on Patriotism" (very long)
The Donkey ("The Raven" parody)
Powered by
Movable Type 2.64