New job takes Cleland off 9/11 panel

[DakotaDemocrat]

"Former Sen. Max Cleland, a Democrat, has been nominated by President Bush to serve on the board of the Export-Import Bank."

<snip>

"The statutes governing the panel, formally known as The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, bar anyone who holds a federal job like being on the Ex-Im Board."

http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20031123-091108-4750r.htm

Can Sen Cleland decline this nomination so he can stay on the panel? Why did Bush select Cleland? Hmmm....

[DakotaDemocrat]

1. At least he didn't get the Wellstone treatment...n/t

:tinfoilhat:

[Drifter]

2. Yet ...

If you can beat them ... reassign them.

CHeers
Drifter

[goforit]

16. Not yet at least. Never count you chickens before they hatch.

This is clearly some sort of set up as always.

[htuttle]

3. Might be a setup, too

Aside from getting him off the 9/11 panel, the Export-Import bank is the entity that has insured all of the privatization contracts in Iraq. Once a future legitimate government takes over and nullifies all those illegal contracts, it will be the Export-Import bank that is responsible for paying off the balance of these privatization contracts to the contractors...using US tax money, of course.

How convenient to put a Democrat in charge of that mess now that the contracts are signed and the damage inevitable...

[Minstrel Boy]

4. good god....

"As a result he will have to leave the commission investigating the Sept. 11 terror attacks."

I can hardly fucking type, I'm so outraged.

[mac56]

5. Washington Times, folks.

This may not be set in stone yet.

[Minstrel Boy]

6. Why Bush wants Cleland gone

Cleland's remarks re: the White House "compromise" on access to briefing documents:

"If this decision stands, I, as a member of the commission, cannot look any American in the eye, especially family members of victims, and say the commission had full access. This investigation is now compromised." http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=17254

[CaptainClark23]

8. so if Cleland WANTED to bail

because he knew the commission was a sham...they had to find some way of making his resignation palatable, and obscure the reason WHY he wanted out.

So they make him an offer he can't refuse.

He's off the commission, and there's a plausible explanation as to why.

The question is, will he keep quiet now?

I hope not.

[lightbulb]

12. I don't know how any of them sleep at night

Everyone on the commission knows damn well by now that the whole thing is a sham. The ability to look the other way when convenient is a time honored skill of all politicians, but to do so in a case like this requires a gaping void where one's soul belongs.

[blm]

15. He's not keeping quiet at all. He's campaigning for Kerry and

ripping Bush a new one in every VFW hall around the country.

He heads up Veterans For Kerry

[Frodo]

11. The REAL reason he did it

Maybe Cleland won't run for Senate again this way? He probably would have had the best change of "holding" Miller's seat for us (OK, "retaking" Miller's seat).

[DemBones DemBones]

17. Max said he would not run for Zell's seat. n/t

[SpiralHawk]

7. Sniff...sniff...sniff

Something smells fishy here. If BushCo is involved, and 9/11 is too, then it must be COVERUPGATE

[LSparkle]

9. Hope he turns it down

especially since the Washington Times seems to think it's a done deal.

[mac56]

13. Once again, I'll have to see it someplace besides the Moonie Times

before I believe it. Meantime, no sale.

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. Cleland probably has the goods on the RNC regarding the rigged

election that cost him his seat.

[otohara]

14. Bush Selected Cleland, because he knew Georgia would be stolen

and his voice on 9/11 panel would be diminished because he is no longer a Senator. Just a bitter loser. (which Bob Novak has already refer to him as) Nothing like feeling out of the loop to drive a person away!

[Lorien]

18. Further insights here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=106&topic_id=4209

Along with ways to take action re; 9/11 commission.

[Beam Me Up]

19. Could be: "The Gold or the Lead"

You know--"either move up to a nice comfortable life for you and your family or, you know, these days you just never know what could happen."

BFEE = Criminal Thugs.