There were many silver bullets, just no silver platter

[ochazuke]

Any of a number of precautionary measures or greater concern about terrorism by the administration would have stopped 9/11. Examples: confiscate knives (myth: the knives were packing knives. They weren't.) Atta was a known al Qaeda operative, known to be in the USA. His name should have been on an airline watch list.

It's true that no one knew of the 9/11 plot prior to its execution. But short of having it served up to her on a silver platter, she still should have carried out her responsibility to implement as many silver-bullet measures as she and Clarke and the rest of them could think of. Instead, the warnings and recommendations so well documented by Clarke went un-acted upon.

[leftofthedial]

1. that's dead-on

they never told us the time, place or method of attack, and no one told me to do anything, so you see, it's not my fault.

Perfectly reasonable.

[PurityOfEssence]

2. High-larious; shout it from the rooftops

These guys are just amazing; it's almost as if one can imagine Richard Clarke like Tom Green in a trenchcoat yelling through a megaphone while standing on the table, and yet all they can do is try to cut a deal with the Taliban for a pipeline, screw California to try to resuscitate Enron and pass whopping tax breaks.

Spread this one far and wide, and if you originated it, you deserve chuckles and praise. Ridicule and outrage may be what it takes to bring these schmucks down.

[ochazuke]

3. It's mine, but I give it to the world.

I will not even ask for attribution. Just use it well, and lay low them evil bushies.