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The Forsyth County News Opinion This is a page of opinions ours, yours and others. Signed columns and cartoons are the opinions of the writers and artists and may not reflect our views. Clarke now a partisan WASHINGTON ln the 19905, hard-line national security experts outside the government regarded Richard Clarice as a rare kindred soul inside the Clinton administration. That's mainly why he alone of Bill Clinton's senior team was kept on by George W. Bush. So. how did Clarke become President Bush's scourge, taken very seriously at the White House as a threat to the re-election campaign? The answer lies with person ality rather than ideology, with personal relations rather than political strategy. Clarke is now painted as a miscreant by Republicans and as a martyr by Democrats, but he really is a super-bureaucrat accustomed to working behind closed doors who has been thrust into the pub lic arena. Downgraded and disre spected at the Bush White House, he became an anti-Bush activist with his testimony last week, which was used to attack Bush in a television ad by the leftist Moveon.org. Clarke had complained to friends about the Clinton admin istration's weakness on terrorism, and probably expected to prosper in a Republican environment. Instead, he has improbably become a leading witness for the Democratic prosecution. His past frustration with Clinton is mini mized in his book ("Against All Enemies"), which excoriates Bush. Until the past week, Clarke was best known inside Washington as one of the most skilled manipulators ever of the national security bureaucracy. He is the hero of journalist Richard Miniter's 2003 book, "Losing Bin Laden." a scathing exposure of Clinton's anti-terrorism fail ings. Clarke was described as "blunt, tough and unrelenting" in pursuing terrorist Ramzi Yousef, sought in the first World Trade Center bombing. "Imagine what he could have accomplished if Clinton had publicly endorsed his efforts.” Miniter wrote. Clarke was not only the hero but also obviously a prime source of "Losing Bin Laden." Miniter for the first time revealed, directly quoting Clarke, the meeting of "principals" (Cabinet-level offi cials) on Oct. 12, 2000. after the terrorist attack on the USS Cole. The vote was 7 to 1 against an attack on Osama bin Laden. Only Clarke wanted action. In his own book. Clarke quickly brushes off the Cole meeting that he described in detail to Miniter. Instead of com plaining about Clinton's failure to come to grips with al Qaeda and bin Laden, Clarke recites what sounds like Democratic talking points. He even interprets On your payroll GUY COUNCIL Mayor, H. Ford Gravitt RO. Box 3177, Cumming, GA 30028; (770) 887-4342 Mayor Pro-Tern, Lewis Ledbetter 205 Mountain Brook Dr., Cumming, GA 30040; (770) 887-3019 Ralph Perry 1420 Pilgrim Rd., Cumming, GA 30040; (770) 887-7474 Quincy Holton 103 Hickory Ridge Dr., Cumming, GA 30040; (770) 887-5279 Rrrpgft Sexton 705 Pine Lake Dr., Cumming, GA 30040; (770) 887-4332 John Pugh 10813th St, Cumming, GA 30040; (770) 887-3342 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Chortle I tn ighinghotiOT, 1 3550 Rosewcke Dr., Cumming, GA 30040 (770) 886-7937; office, (770) 886-2810 David “AJ.” Pritchett, Post 2 4840 Chesterfield Court, Suwanee, GA 30024 (404) 392-6983; office, (770) 886-2809 John A. “Jack” Conway, Post 3 6130 Polo Club Dr., Cumming, GA 30040 (770) 886-9226; (770) 886-2807 9810 Kings Rd., Gainesville, GA 30506 office, (770) 886-2806 EddteTayior,Posts 4195 Morningside Dr., Cumming, GA 30041 (770)886-2802 Robert ’l® Novak U.S. intervention in Bosnia as having "defeated al Qaeda," adding that Clinton "had seen earlier than anyone that terrorism would be the major new threat facing America." Clarke's experience with the Bush administration appeared to heighten his appreciation of Clinton. Whereas he had briefed Clinton, Bush was briefed by CIA Director George Tenet. Clarke found himself at "deputies" rather than "princi pals" meetings. The final indigni ty was his rejection by Secretary Tom Ridge for a high-ranking Homeland Security post. While Clarke had worked closely with Clinton National Security Adviser Sandy Berger in bureaucratic maneuvers to fur ther Clarke's anti-terrorist agen da, Condoleezza Rice as Berger’s successor was not engaged. Clarke clearly had difficulty in relating to Rice, describing her to close associates as "shallow." Beyond Rice, friends say, Clarke felt uncomfortable with the conservatives brought in by George W. Bush as he had not felt with George H.W. Bush's or certainly Clinton’s team. The White House team is not hos pitable to outsiders, and Clarke was surely an outsider. Clarke since he left the gov ernment is described by friends as becoming much closer to Rand Beers, who succeeded him as chief terrorist official in the Bush administration. Beers shocked Washington last June when he quit his high-ranking post in the Bush administration to become Sen. John Kerry ’s for eign policy adviser. Since then, Clarke and Beers have been col laborating. That Beers is a regis tered Democrat and Clarke says he is a registered (but never an active) Republican is inconse quential. Clarke's only political contributions in 2002 and 2004 were to two former colleagues on the Clinton National Security Council staff who are running for Congress as Democrats. While Clarke testified under oath last week that he would not join a Kerry administration, he is now, in effect, part of the Kerry campaign. His book's publication was timed to coin cide with his testimony, and his transformed posture is one of political partisan. Robert Novak is a nationally syndicated columnist and a tel evision commentator. J? C Lt IT* ' / Assembly p w Ahh...l love how a new budget makes everything seem all rosy!" Bush counterattack on Clarke backfiring WASHINGTON Accor ding to the White House game plan, this was supposed to be the week that we were asking. "Can Richard Clarke hang on?" Instead, I know more peo ple who are asking. "Can Condoleezza Rice hang on?" It is not that the White House counterattack on Clarke has been an utter fail ure or that it did not raise some questions about him. But rarely has the White House tried to kick somebody so savagely and ended up stubbing its own toe so hard. Clarke, a former top counter-terrorism adviser to George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, has made serious charges against the Bush administration in a new book. He says that Bush did not take terrorism seriously enough before Sept. 11, 2001, and that by launching a war in Iraq, Bush managed to strengthen rather than weaken Al Qaeda. One of the most dramatic scenes in the book, which Clarke talked about on televi sion, involves a meeting on Sept. 12, 2001, where Bush drags Clarke into a small room and tries to shift the focus of U.S. retaliation to Iraq, even though Clarke has made clear to him that Al Qaeda, and not Iraq, had just flown airplanes into our build ings. The White House was caught by surprise by Clarke's book, even though the book had been over at the White House for months. Clarke fol lowed the rules by shipping his book to the National Security Council last November so it could make sure he had not revealed any NAnQNALLEGSLATQRS <U.S. Sen. Zeil Miller Russell Senate Office Building, Room C-3 Washington, D.C. 20510 (202) 224-3643; Fax: (202) 228-2090 U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss > 1019 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 (202)224-3521 < U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal, 10th District 2437 Raybum House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515 Gainesville: RO. Box 1015, Gainesville, GA 30503 Gainesville, (770) 5352592; Washington: (202) 225 5211; Fax: (202) 2258272 U.S. Rep. John Linder, 7th District > 1727 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC. 20515-1011 Washington: (202) 2254272; Fax: (202) 2254696 STATELEGISLATORS < Sen. David Shafer, 48th District 109 State Capitol Atlanta, GA 30334 (404)651-7738 Sen. Casey Cagle, 491 h District > 421 State Capitol, Atlanta, GA 30334 Telephone: (404) 6566578; (fax) (404) 651-6768 < Sen. Dan Moody, 27th District (770) 495-3127; Office (404) 463-8055 * i i Roger Simon national secrets. But did the National Security Council, a White House agency, alert anybody else at the White House? Apparently not. So the White House was caught flat-footed and kicked back hard: Clarke was an embittered publicity-seeker trying to make a quick buck, we were told. And the meet ing he said took place Sept. 12, 2001? There was no record of it at the White House. That particular denial last ed almost a week. Today, the White House admits the meet ing took place. I was sick at home all last week, and so I got to lie on a couch and watch every minute of the Sept. 11 commission hearings on TV. in which Clarke and others testified in public and under oath. Clarke's simple apology at the beginning of his testimony was both wrenching and seemingly sincere. "Your government failed you." Clarke said to the fami lies of those who were killed on Sept. 11. "Those entrusted with protecting you failed you, and I failed you. We tried hard, but that doesn't matter, because we failed. And for that failure, I would ask once all the facts are out for your understanding and your forgiveness.” It was a simple statement, and when I heard it, I thought, "Somebody ought to have ■ > jH m *•' In FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS -Thur»d«y, April 1,2004 apologized before now." But just to show how much the White House attack machine did not get it, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist not only blasted Clarke for his apology, but mischaracterized what Clarke had said. "In his appearance before the 9-11 commission," Frist said on the floor of the U.S. Senate, "Mr. Clarke's theatri cal apology on behalf of the nation was not his right, his privilege or his responsibility. In my view, it was not an act of humility, but an act of supreme arrogance and manipulation. Mr. Clarke can and will answer for his own conduct, but that is all." But that is all Clarke was saying. He never apologized "on behalf of the nation." That was Frist creating a straw man in order to knock it down. The administration ran into other problems in its efforts to stomp on Clarke: According to an article in The Washington Post. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice's rebuttals to Clarke "contradicted other adminis tration officials and her own previous statements." Oh, no! This is not what the White House wanted! Richard Clarke was supposed to be the guy who contradict ed himself, not Condoleezza Rice! And right in the middle of things. President Bush went to one of those awful press dinners that are considered very big deals in this town and did what he is supposed to do try to be funny. He showed a slide show in which he poked fun at himself for trying to find weapons of mass destruction in the Oval Office. Sen. Renee Unterman, 45th District > (770) 466-1507; Office (404) 463-1368 < Rep. Tom Knox, 14th District Legislative Office Building, Room 504 W' ■ 18 Capitol Square, Atlanta, GA 30334 (404) 656-0188, or (770) 887-0400, law office Rep. Jan Jones, 38th District > 412 Legislative Office Building, Atlanta GA 30334 (404) 656-0137 < Rep. Jack Murphy, 14th District Legislative office Building, Room 612, Atlanta GA 30334 (404) 656-0325; (770) 781-9319, home BQARDQFEIX&ADON Ann Crow 96 Barker Rd., Cumming, GA 30040 (770) 887-9640; acrow@forsyth.kl2.ga.us Pou l Kroogor 9810 Kings Rd., Gainesville, GA 30506 (770) 889-9971; pkreager@foreyth.kl2.ga.us Nancy Roche 7840 Chestnut Hi Rd., Cumming, GA 30041 (770) 889-0229; nroche@forsyth.kl2.ga.us Rebecca K. Dowafl 2030 Commonwealth Place, Cumming, GA 30041 (770) 844-0830; rdowefl@foreylh.kl2ga.us Chairman Jeffrey Stephens RO. Bex 169, Cumming, GA 30028 (770) 889-1470; jstephens@foreyth.kl2.ga.us > PAGE 9A Some people were offend ed by this. Personally, I thought no offense was meartt and Bush's joke was within the bounds of good taste. ' ' *' So when his secretary of defense, Donald Rumsfeid, was asked at a press confer ence whether the joke wjis appropriate, did he make the same defense I just made? No! He refused to defend the president at all. ‘*‘L< "I am just not in a position to be judgmental about that." Rumsfeld said. , r> 1 As the week ended, Clarke was selling tons of books and Rice was trying to explain why she could go on every TV show in the world to attack Clarke, but would not do what Clarke had done: Raise her right hand and swear under oath that what she was saying was the truth. Think it couldn't get worse? On "Sixty Minutes" Sunday, Ed Bradley asked Rice: "Will the families of those people who were killed hear an apology from you? Do you think that would be appropriate?" Rice refused. She did say she was "deeply sorry" for the "loss" that people endured, but concluded: "The best thing that we can do for the memory of the victims, the best thing that we can do for the future of this country, is to focus on those who did this to US " , ‘J But part of what Clarke is shining a light on and part of what the Sept. 11 commission is investigating is not just who did this to us, but who,let them do it. Roger Simon is a national ly syndicated columnist. He can be e-mailed at Writeßoger @aol.com. ' ■ «.