A Combative Clinton Defends Record on Fighting Terrorism

by Michael Grunwald - September 24th, 2006 - Washington Post

Former President Faults Neocons for Inaction on Bin Laden

Former president Bill Clinton angrily defended his administration's counterterrorism record during a Fox News interview to be aired today, while accusing "President Bush's neocons" and other Republicans of ignoring Osama bin Laden until the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Clinton had planned to discuss his climate change initiative during his appearance on "Fox News Sunday," but he turned combative after host Chris Wallace asked why he hadn't "put bin Laden and al-Qaeda out of business." Clinton shot back that "all the conservative Republicans" who now criticize him for inattention to bin Laden used to criticize him for over-attention to bin Laden.

Do you remember the last time Bill Clinton got angry and wagged his finger at the American people? It was when he said "I did not have sex with that woman, Miss Lewinsky."

I challenge anyone to provide a link to even one neo-conservative who ever criticized President Clinton for doing too much about terrorism, the rising problem of islamofascism or Bin Laden. It was Bin Laden himself who insisted that Clinton's gutlessness in Somalia was the reason they decided to escalate the war and attempt what became 9/11. The criticism from neo-cons was that unless Clinton was going to allow our troops to fight, they should be withdrawn. Why was fighting not an option? Is Clinton ever going to answer that specific insult to his legacy besides avoiding it as he does here?

As far as his claim that the Bush administration did not hold meetings on Bin Laden for 9 months, it was reported that the President, Vice President, Powell, Rice and Tenet held a meeting 2 days after 9/11 to discuss Bin Laden and that was only 7 months and 2 weeks after Bush took office. Typical Clinton not getting things right. However when he was accused of having an affair with Gennifer Flowers and the time frame was off by a couple of months he claimed the accusation was a "total lie" as if he never had the affair.

Many of the people in positions of power in the Bush Administration on 9/11 were still Clinton holdovers including his buddy Clarke. Why did they not go public until much later with this claim that "they had a plan"? It was not until the obvious negative impact on the war against islamofascism of the Jamie Gorelick "wall" between the FBI and the CIA that they started attacking the Bush administration. Standard Clinton strategy. When you are wrong, attack. He learned this from the slimy James Carville.

What I want to know is what was on those papers that Clinton's boy, Sandy Berger, stole from the national archives and destroyed?

People don't lose it when you confront them with false information. They lose it when what you confront them with the truth. Watching Clinton lose his cool was like watching the maniac Howard Dean when he blew it.

Clinton blew his cool. I have not stopped grinning yet!