Bush Waited Six Days To Discuss Shoe Bomber With No GOP Complaints

[jefferson_dem]

Bush Waited Six Days To Discuss Shoe Bomber With No GOP Complaints

The bellowing by Republicans over the Obama administration's supposedly lackadaisical response to the attempted bombing of an airliner over Detroit seems as much about political posturing as legitimate national security concerns.

How else to explain the GOP's relatively quiet reaction eight years ago to President George W. Bush's detached response after a similarly-botched terrorist attack?

On December 22, 2001, Richard Reid -- known more infamously as the shoe bomber -- failed in his attempt to blow up a Miami-bound jet using explosives hidden in his shoe. Coming less than four months after September 11, there already were deep concerns about a potential attack during the upcoming holiday break. Nevertheless, President Bush did not directly address the foiled plot for six days, according to an extensive review of newspaper records from that time period. And when he did, it was only in passing.

The day of the attempted attack, for example, the Associated Press reported that "White House officials" were monitoring the situation throughout the afternoon and that "President Bush received two briefings" on the matter while at Camp David for the holidays. Spokesman Scott McClellan, meanwhile, told reporters that administration officials were consulting with acting Massachusetts Gov. Jane Swift -- the plane Reid boarded made an emergency landing at Boston's Logan International Airport.

"The White House has been monitoring the situation since early on today," McClellan said, according to a Washington Post article published on December 23. The lead statement came from Swift, who lauded the "heroic acts" of "the flight attendants and passengers who helped subdue the suspect."

<SNIP>

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/29/bush-waited-nine-days-to_n_406307.html

[Cha]

1. Yeah, the hypocrites..what does anyone expect from them?..

Except more of the same.

[GoCubsGo]

3. Also expect them to ignore...

...the fact that the Bushies put in place that the system that failed by allowing this guy to get on to that plane. Hypocrites, indeed. If anyone wants to blame President Obama for anything, it's trusting that the so-called "safeguards" that were in place when he took office are adequate and appropriate. Hopefully, at this point, he has learned that they can't be trusted on ANYTHING.

[Cha]

4. What exactly

part of the "system" are you talking about, that failed, GoCubs?

[Cha]

7. And, this..Who's running the TSA? No one, thanks to Sen. Jim DeMint

<snip>

WASHINGTON — An attempt to blow up a trans-Atlantic flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day would be all-consuming for the administrator of the Transportation Security Administration — if there were one.

The post remains vacant because Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., has held up President Barack Obama's nominee in opposition to the prospect of TSA workers joining a labor union.

As al Qaida claimed responsibility Monday for the thwarted attack and President Barack Obama made a public statement about it, Democrats urged DeMint to drop his objection and allow quick confirmation of nominee Erroll Southers, a counterterrorism expert, when the Senate reconvenes in three weeks.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/81356.html

[azmouse]

2. And if Obama had spoken out the day the incident happened

the Republicans would have found some way to complain about that.
They had their talking points ready no matter what happened.

[O is 44]

5. They only get away with it...

because the media allows them to. Did you see the joke of an interview done by CNN just now with the lying bastard Demint? She asked him why he was putting a hold on the TSA guy and he went into a rant slamming the President. Then she says the famous words as pointed out by Jon Stewart, "we'll leave at that" Ugh.

[Peacetrain]

6. Oh geez I completely forgot that!!!

[bahrbearian]

8. Chimpy had a reason to wait 6 days, he was on vacation.