BuzzMachine

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

Who elected the 9/11 Commission?

6 comments on Who elected the 9/11 Commission?

Who elected the 9/11 Commission?

: The New York Post echoed my concern about the swallowed-whole recommendations (read: dictates) of the 9/11 Commission. Our leaders should be taking these watered-down-by-consensus suggestions and having the vision and courage to create the reforms that will truly protect us. Instead, Kerry and Bush and legislators aplenty are falling over themselves to do as they’re told by the commission. And then they’ll think they’ll have done their job to protect us. And they’ll be wrong. Says the Post editorial:

Members of the 9/11 Commission are rapidly becoming the dinner guests who won’t leave.

On Tuesday, Co-Chairmen Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton were on Capitol Hill, insisting that Congress pass the panel’s recommendations in toto, despite legitimate reservations from some Pentagon officials.

Let’s cut to the chase: The panel’s members completed the job they were asked to do. They need to vanish.

6 responses to “Who elected the 9/11 Commission?”

  1. Kim Avatar
    Kim

    John Kerry complained that the Bush administration wasn’t moving quickly enough to reform America’s intelligence agencies. He moved the ball into Bush’s court. Instead of waiting until after the election Bush has nominated Goss. Pelosi back in June said “Whoever replaces Tenet needs to be independent of political pressure. Goss has shown that ability as chairman of the House Intelligence panel.” Now she says “You must keep the politics out of intelligence, I’m not sure that has been done here. A person should not be the director of central intelligence who’s acted in a very political way when we’re dealing with the safety of the American people.” This is because “Goss outraged congressional Democrats in June when during a debate on the House floor he displayed a placard criticizing Kerry for favoring cuts to the intelligence budget in the past.” The panel is partisan and this is about politics it will keep the 9/11 panel on tour throughout the nomination hearing.

  2. John Ettorre Avatar
    John Ettorre

    Jeff,
    Your right-wing tendencies are increasingly in evidence. The answer is pretty simple: the commission has broad credibility, and the Bush Administration doesn’t. Only a fool or an idealogue would fail to understand that. Which are you?

  3. Sissy Willis Avatar
    Sissy Willis

    To paraphrase the previous commenter, your left-wing tendenciees are increasingly in evidence. Kerry is pushing the whole package for transparent political reasons, but Bush isn’t.

  4. Larry J Avatar
    Larry J

    I think Johnny Hart nailed it with this comic.
    I’d love to see a list of great achievements that came from commissions. If commissions are such wonderful things, perhaps we can abolish the Legislative and Executive branches and just set up a bunch of commissions to run everything. Sure. That’s the ticket.

  5. Andy Avatar
    Andy

    The Commission has overstayed its welcome. The Democrats find them a convenient beard for their attacks on Bush.
    The Commission began as an attack on Bush. It was hijacked and taken public to excoriate Bush. It’s report was basically neutral because they discovered that the public had no taste for Bashing but wanted facts. It remains a Bush Bashing entity…. Nancy Pelosi would not support it unless it had some measure of political advantage. She fnd the Commission recommendations a convenient platform. She knows that Congress will need to do the work of creating legislation. She finds it convenient to wish the President to call Congress BACK INTO SESSION so that the Republicans will be forced to leave their re-election efforts.
    She having an EXTREMELY safe seat and millions of Demo-bucks to spend on her campaign can make some political hay trying to politically kneecap the Republicans.
    The Commission, like good pigs at the trough, continue to enjoy the money and prestige. A return to obscurity is hard. TV lights are addictive to the political class.

  6. William Finkel Avatar
    William Finkel

    Well you’re surely in some respectable company with the NY Post editorial board.
    Well done