BuzzMachine

The media pundit's pundit. Written by NYC insider Jeff Jarvis, BuzzMachine covers news, media, journalism, and politics.

Turning 9/11 into a fad

17 comments on Turning 9/11 into a fad

Turning 9/11 into a fad

: The rush to hug the 9/11 Commission is getting both obnoxious and scary.

Yesterday, John Kerry said:

“If I’d been president last week, I would have immediately said to the commission ‘yes, we’re going to implement those recommendations.”

Well, how about considering them first? How about a little debate? How about trying to improve upon them?

I’m also concerned that the commission is turning into a shadow government. Kerry is talking about keeping them going for another 18 months.

Hmmm. Shouldn’t the president and the congress be running our anti-terrorism strategy now?

And last week, Kean and Hamilton didn’t do anything to stop speculation that they should get the new intelligence czar job they’re pushing for.

Sorry, but that smells like conflict of interest to me: Start a commission, propose a job, get the job, stay in power. There should be a code of ethics for commissions so they stay independent and do not find themselves in conflict of interest: Come and do your job and then go.

17 responses to “Turning 9/11 into a fad”

  1. hugh macleod Avatar
    hugh macleod

    If Kerry gets elected, years from now they’ll be saying, “he only became president in order to further his political career.” Heh.

  2. Walter Wallis Avatar
    Walter Wallis

    The one thing the report should have said, that the firewall between foreign and domestic intelligence was established to avoid exposure of the communist support for the democrats, was not said. It was not said because its architect sat on the committee.

  3. Mike Avatar
    Mike

    18 more months? Why? They’ve done their job, now go away. They have no more purpose now. Now it is up to Congress and the President to decide what to do with their recommendations. And then it is up to us to decide if they are doing it corretly by either voting them in or out.

  4. Michael Zimmer Avatar
    Michael Zimmer

    “Sorry, but that smells like conflict of interest to me: Start a commission, propose a job, get the job, stay in power.”
    This sounds familiar – sorta like forming a committee to help find a friend a running mate, heading up said committee, and then recommending yourself.

  5. Easycure Avatar
    Easycure

    The Kerry campaign is dead in the water.
    After their “feel good” convention, they are going to go back to the moonbat “anti-Bush” rhetoric that is the only thing the party has to offer.
    I’m still stunned, Jeff, that you are still considering them worthy of your vote.

  6. David Avatar
    David

    >I’m still stunned, Jeff, that you are still considering them worthy of your vote.
    I’m still stunned EasyC that you would believe Jarvis when he says that. He just wants to keep up his pretense of being a “moderate” Democrat Hater.

  7. Kim Avatar
    Kim

    What is the commission going to do in the next 18 months that they haven’t done already? Do we want this partisan posturing commission involved in the decision making of the WoT? I agree, it sounds like he wants a back door to the Executive Branch.

  8. Jeff Jarvis Avatar
    Jeff Jarvis

    Well, David, you certainly are a fine, fine advertisement for the party of inclusion.

  9. Trump Avatar
    Trump

    By the way Jeff, you should really answer this already (it’s from another thread, but it spiraled off on tangents, so here it is):
    Jeff, answer the question when you get a chance: Why are you – as a hawk on terror- voting for Kerry, given his dreadful selections of advisors in Berger and Wilson (who would most likely have held positions in Kerry’s govt in the event of election if they hadn’t been exposed)
    Jeff, please tell us why you feel Kerry would do a better job on Terror? Is it because Howie Stern told you so?

  10. freddie poo Avatar
    freddie poo

    If it were up to the President, there would have been no commission and no report that took sufficient time to generate! Manfyh of us no longer trust the president. You want the ideas thought out (yhour snide remark about Kerry), then let the commissison be around to discuss too.

  11. Tim Gannon Avatar
    Tim Gannon

    The scary thing is that 3 weeks ago Sandy Berger would have been the favorite for the new intelligence czar position.

  12. shark Avatar
    shark

    If it were up to the President, there would have been no commission
    Given the leaked Democrat memos regarding how they wanted to use a commission to politically hurt Bush, it was reasonable. And given the behavior of Ben-Veniste and Gorelick, more than justified.
    I’m just amazed that they managed to put out a report that was actually not a disaster. Looks like the grownups won out.

  13. TXBueller Avatar
    TXBueller

    “This sounds familiar – sorta like forming a committee to help find a friend a running mate, heading up said committee, and then recommending yourself.”
    Nice job at revisionist histroy their Mr. Zimmer. Actually, Dick Cheney was given a list of potential nominees which inluded himself. Bush made the final decision with the help of Cheney’s research. Cheney recomended no one.

  14. Michael Zimmer Avatar
    Michael Zimmer

    “Actually, Dick Cheney was given a list of potential nominees which inluded himself.”
    Well, you learn something new everyday. I stand corrected. (still an amusing comparison, though)

  15. Yehudit Avatar
    Yehudit

    “Jeff, answer the question when you get a chance: Why are you – as a hawk on terror- voting for Kerry, given his dreadful selections of advisors in Berger and Wilson (who would most likely have held positions in Kerry’s govt in the event of election if they hadn’t been exposed)”
    I also asked this several times. Jeff has never answered it.

  16. anne.elk Avatar
    anne.elk

    Judith,
    Jeff is voting for Kerry because:
    a) Jeff is in denial about his inner Rethuglican
    b) Jeff is afraid to be outed about being a Rethuglican
    c) Jeff is scared of his inner Rethuglican
    d) Jeff still wants his Daddy to love him, and his Daddy was a life long Democrat.
    e) Jeff is lying to us
    f) Jeff enjoys the “buzz” and traffic of his being the democrat that hates democrats
    g) Jeff wants to make blogging profitable for himself and so needs the traffic that he plays to
    h) Jeff wants his Mommy to love him, and his mommy always told him to love and respect others
    i) Jeff is purposefully being a hold-out as a bargaining chip over uncle Karl
    j) Jeff is muddled and an indecisive flip-flopper, all of which he projects onto Kerry
    k) Jeff wants God to love him, and he knows that God is a yellow dog Democrat.
    What do you think?

  17. Catherine Avatar
    Catherine

    Jeff – when Kerry says these things, it affirms my belief that he would not have responded with firm action after 9/11. He would have a classic Clinton response of talking tough, and then doing nothing other than lobbing a few missles followed by a commission to decide on how to respond. That’s why both Clinton and Kerry love the UN. It’s a place of “ideas,” that are not backed up with action.
    John Kerry doesn’t have the guts to take a stand on anything. Show me ONE issue where the guy is consistent in both words and deeds. ONE.