WP/Milbank: Joint Appearance Stirs Speculation

[kskiska]

Some Say Bush, Cheney Want One Story

Chairman Thomas H. Kean, asked at a news conference a few weeks ago about the White House's requirement that President Bush and Vice President Cheney appear together before his commission on the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, quipped: "Well, we recognize that Mr. Bush may help Mr. Cheney with some of the answers."

Kean's remark sparked laughter among the assembled reporters because it turned upside down the assumption of the question, and of much of official Washington: that the White House requested the joint appearance, scheduled for April 29, so Cheney could coach Bush on his answers. While Bush has declined to explain the rationale for the joint meeting, Democrats charge that Cheney would be a "ventriloquist," and even a number of independent observers say it appears that the two men are trying to keep their stories straight.

Bush, asked twice at his recent news conference why he and Cheney required a joint appearance, declined to discuss the decision, saying, "It's a good chance for both of us to answer questions that the 9/11 commission is looking forward to asking us, and I'm looking forward to answering them."

(snip)

"On September 11, the president and vice president were in different locations when these horrific attacks took place, but they were in contact with each other throughout the day," said White House press secretary Scott McClellan. "It makes sense, from that standpoint, to pull together as much as possible."

But analysts said that explanation has not dispelled suspicions that the two men are trying to keep their accounts consistent. "I've tried to think of a better explanation, and I can't," said Norman J. Ornstein, a congressional scholar with the American Enterprise Institute. "There's little doubt if the president had a better explanation he would have addressed the issue."

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39787-2004Apr24.html

[BlueEyedSon]

1. "ventriloquist"

Gotta love that a journalist used that word!

[kskiska]

2. It gets even better…

America Coming Together, an anti-Bush election fund, offered a less clinical analysis. "Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy?" the group asked in a news release about the Bush-Cheney appearance.

[NJCher]

3. that was pretty funny on Kean's part

Cher

[TacticalPeek]

4. Hahaha!

snip

"Something like this may have happened sometime, somewhere; I just haven't heard about it," said John W. Nields Jr., who was chief counsel to the House Iran-contra committee.

Bruce Fein, who served in the Justice Department during the Reagan administration and on the Republican staff of the congressional Iran-contra investigation, said such an arrangement has both constitutional and investigative flaws. "A joint appearance sabotages the idea of a unitary executive -- the 'buck stops here' attitude of Harry Truman -- by enabling Bush to shift blame or accountability to Cheney when politically expedient." In investigations such as Iran-contra, Fein said, "customary legal rules require sequestration of witnesses in depositions and at trial to avoid tailoring the truth to avoid inconsistencies."

snip

Fein sticks to principle and common sense, pretty much.

Well, bushco has flipfloped like crazy lately, maybe these two could be shamed into appearing separately. Even their RW base must squirm with shame at their cowardice. They're not only chickenhawks. They're just plain chicken.

[grasswire]

5. Bruce Fein...

...is an insider at the Federalist Society, home base of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy to unseat Bill Clinton. He got a lot of face time during the impeachment. I don't trust the pipsqueak, but I do appreciate the fact that he's willing to go on record criticizing Bushco.

[kodi]

6. ...never tried a case in his life.

some constitutional scholar.

[TacticalPeek]

7. He irked me plenty over Whitewater etc, but any thumb in Bush's eye I say.

Like Larry Clayman, all blows are invited.

(Long as I don't have to take long walks with him.)

[opihimoimoi]

8. WAM, didn't the Commission request separate interviews?

and these two guys said "NO, We be coming together"

What kind of Leadership is that?

[daleo]

9. Bush and Cheney are trying to avoid "the prisoner's dilemma"

Simple game theory - if each one knows what the other one said there can be no dilemma

[TacticalPeek]

10. Cheney has the dilemma thing covered cold.

He's crazy as a vampire bat on bella donna.

But he needs the duet because of "the Bush dilemma".


:)

[kskiska]

11. They could put them in isolation booths

with headphones like the $64,000 Question.

[Zhade]

12. Okay, why is the AEI semi-slamming b*shCo?

That makes no sense. And this ain't about them "having a change of heart" or any such nonsense.

Are we witnessing the birth of yet another limited hangout?

[scarface2004]

13. then clinton and lewinsky should have

testified together...it s only fair!!!!!!!!!

[okieinpain]

14. i thought that if the two of them appeared in the same place, it

would put national security in jeopardy.

[maddezmom]

15. Kean is making jokes about the appearance is telling

he knows it's a joke, the commission knows it's a joke, and most of us at DU know it's a joke...problem is repubs see nothing wrong with it. :( They've had enough time to get their story straight...and yet cheney can't trust bush* not to eff it up.