Rice Cooker

April 8, 2004

Bush National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice testified before the 9/11 Commission this morning. Already, the Center for American Progress analyzed Dr. Rice's testimony and released Claim vs. Fact: Condoleezza Rice's Opening Statement

CLAIM: "We increased funding for counterterrorism activities across several agencies."

FACT: Upon taking office, the 2002 Bush budget proposed to slash more than half a billion dollars out of funding for counterterrorism at the Justice Department. In preparing the 2003 budget, the New York Times reported that the Bush White House "did not endorse F.B.I. requests for $58 million for 149 new counterterrorism field agents, 200 intelligence analysts and 54 additional translators" and "proposed a $65 million cut for the program that gives state and local counterterrorism grants." Newsweek noted the Administration "vetoed a request to divert $800 million from missile defense into counterterrorism." [Sources: 2001 vs. 2002 Budget Analysis; NY Times, 2/28/02; Newsweek, 5/27/02]

Listening to her testimony on the WNYC, I was surprised at how nervous Rice sounded. Apparently, she looked better than she sounded.

From the NY Times, complete coverage includes a panorama and video. Audio downloads of all testimony before the commission are available for free at Audible.

Neil Pollack summarizes Rice's testimony

In the NYT Op-Ed page, Peter Bergen and Scott Armstrong have questions for Dr. Rice.

In Salon.com: Sidney Blumenthal on What the 9/11 commission won't ask

National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice is to be questioned in public only about the Bush administration's policy -- or lack of it -- on terrorism before 9/11. But her negligence and incompetence encompass the entirety of the Bush foreign policy.

Also in Salon, Eric Boehlert: Fighting stem cells, not terror cells

Perhaps the most intriguing and least discussed what-if is this: What if, during the first eight months of the Bush administration, the president had showered terrorism with as much personal time and attention as he did stem cell research?

Michael Froomkin and Billmon wonder why the Bush Administration failed to heed a memo titled "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S."

Posted by Andrew Raff at April 8, 2004 12:53 PM