Need help with Freeper - Did Clinton testify alone

[CityDem]

One of my co-workers (hard core freeper) claims that Clinton's testimony before the 9/11 commission was not under oath and that Bruce Lindsey and Sandy Berger were with Clinton. He is claiming that Clinton is more responsible for 9/11 than Bush, so why should Clinton be able to bring aides to the meeting. I cannot find any news story that reports that Berger and Lindsey attended the meeting with Clinton. Can someone shed some light on this. I need some ammo in my battle with my Freeper co-worker.

[rucky]

1. Make that idiot do the work

the freeper already won, because you're here asking us for help.

[sangh0]

8. Yep. I give an "F" in Arguing with a Freeper 101

The cardinal rule is to NEVER assume they are right. Make the prove everything.

[bobbyboucher]

2. Clinton was alone, so was Gore,

I don't know about under oath, but definitely transcribed.

[Richardo]

3. Your co-worker of course has no idea what he's talking about...

...but you knew that.

Clinton WAS under oath. And recorded on tape. As for whether Berger and Lindsay were there, tell him you find no evidence of that; and demand to know what HIS evidence is that they WERE.

[Tellurian]

4. Yes, Gore and Clinton testified alone and were recorded.

[powergirl]

5. SOME CALLER ON THE LAURA INGRAHAM SHOW THIS MORNING SUGGESTED THAT

The caller - some "listener" said that Clinton testified with Sandy Berger. Not true, I don't have an article. But Sandy did testify pubically and under oath. Clinton testified alone and wasn't playing tag team with the answers. He probably had some staffers/security/legal team, etc. But no one helped with the questions. Just tell that Freeper that the only place to "document" that Clinton did not testify alone was a lone caller on the Laura Ingraham show. Also, let him know that Clinton wanted to testify publically and under oath - but he didn't want to embarass dumbass.

[krack]

6. They were there

I'll actually help you.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101040426-612309,00.html

[Richardo]

9. There you go. "I'll stay as long as any of you want." - W. J. Clinton

What a difference a coup makes. :eyes:

[hexola]

13. It's vague...Welcome to DU!

Clinton brought along Sandy Berger, his affable National Security Adviser, and Bruce Lindsey, his longtime friend and White House consigliere.

"Brought along" does not mean that they were present during the testimony...it's implied.

They might have sat in the lobby...

[Bridget Burke]

7. First--ask him this question:

Did Clinton set the conditions for his appearance? We know that Bush.n.Cheney went to quite a bit of trouble to arrange their "special" performance.

Why didn't Clinton testify in public? And "testify" means "under oath". Did he refuse a request? Or was his private discussion set up so Bush would not look quite so bad. Clinton has testified about far more embarrassing subjects. And he (and Gore) are both intelligent, knowledgeable men who can be quite eloquent.

Finally, even if aides were present, they were not being questioned. Separate questioning of witnesses is a pretty basic investigational technique. And Clinton was taped--there will be a transcript.

[CityDem]

11. Meeting was not taped

Per the Time article (previous post), the meeting was not taped and Lindsey and Sandy Berger were both present. The article did not report if Clinton was under oath.

It's a disservice to history that Clinton's four hours of testimony on April 8 went unrecorded—and that the commission has offered the same cloak of secrecy to Bush—but sources close to the panel briefed TIME on the session. One commissioner described the atmosphere in the SKIF as "clearly not hostile." Clinton brought along Sandy Berger, his affable National Security Adviser, and Bruce Lindsey, his longtime friend and White House consigliere.

on edit: corrected grammar

[RapidCreek]

14. There is a difference between "being present" and "testifying with"

Sandy Berger and Lindsey did not "Testify With" Clinton. Bush and Cheney will be Testifying With each other. Actually...they won't be testifying at all....none of them have....as they were not and will not be under oath. They are chatting with....not testifying before the commission.

RC

[LiberalFighter]

16. Where did you get Berger and Lindsey present with Clinton?

Berger testified publicly 24 Mar 2004


White House gives 9/11 panel access to Clinton documents The Bush administration granted the Sept. 11 commission access to the documents Friday after Bruce Lindsey, who was legal adviser to former President Clinton, said officials didn't turn over all of Clinton's records to the panel.

The only item that includes Bruce Lindsey and Sandy Berger with President Clinton was this:

The Clinton associate, who spoke on condition of anonymity with the Times, said the former president had taken a break from the manuscript of his memoir, due out this summer, to prepare for the session with the help of his former national security advisor, Samuel R Berger, who testified earlier, and with his longtime legal adviser, Bruce Lindsey.

They were not with Clinton when he testified. They were with Clinton to help him prepare.

[UTUSN]

10. LIMBOsevic Was Pushing the BERGER-LINDSAY Line Today

Said he got it from NewsMax. But it *is* in the Time Mag link given by the poster above. But he and President GORE testified SEPARATELY - from each other, is the point.

[hughee99]

12. I doubt

Gore would have been any help anyway. Clinton was better off testifying with Berger and Lindsey. If Clinton had any trouble remembering the little details from all those years ago, those guys would know more about it than Al would. As for your co-worker, sadly, he was correct. The Freepers aren't ALWAYS making things up, they just don't draw the correct conclusions.

[Katie]

15. Kerry had to embarrass bush to give the commission more time

"If the president of the United States can find the time to go to a rodeo, he can find the time to do more than one hour in front of a commission that is investigating what happened to America's intelligence and why we are not stronger today," Kerry said.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/03/09/911.commission/

Not only that, bush has stonewalled this commission in everyway he could for the past 2 years. He loves to exploit 9/11 but he runs the other way when it comes to investigating it. Dennis Hassert was about to shut this commission down, until McCain& Liberman got an extension for it, by adding it to another bill, to ensure its passage.

Clinton testified for four hours, without Gore. Gore testified alone. There is a transcript of both testimonies. There wont be one of bush/cheney. Why not?

[VolcanoJen]

17. I doubt Clinton was under oath, and I do not doubt Berger was with him.

Moot, moot point.

Clinton didn't fight the 9/11 Commission every step of the damned way. He relented, and agreed to testify, without Al Gore. Clinton was no Sock Puppet when he testified.

Also, it bears repeating that 9/11 did not happen under Bill Clinton's watch. The testimony (you can't really call it that, unfortunately) of Bush/Cheney is far, far more relevant to the proceedings than that of a former President and his Vice-President (who also appeared alone before the commission).

Before the Richard Clarke revelations, Bush had planned to give the two ranking members of the 9/11 Commission private testimony. After the Richard Clarke book, a deal was cut with the 9/11 Commission, which allowed Condoleeza Rice to testify publicly, and under oath, while requiring Bush to testify privately, and not under oath. The most important concession given here was that of Bush and Cheney agreeing to testify TOGETHER, before the entire Commission. Seperately, No Dice. TOGETHER. And it's all because of Richard Clarke, and Condi, and the ensuing media storm.

Whatever. If your freepy friend wants desperately to believe that George W. Bush is the ballsiest, most gun-slingin', toughest rootin'-tootin' President to ever walk the hallowed halls of the White House, so be it. The truth is the truth, and George W. Bush looked like an enormous wimp today. Pussy, even, for lack of a more politically-correct word.