9/11 Commission Seeks 16th Minute of Fame

By Matt Hurley for the TIB Network:

Source

The commission is set to expire Aug. 21, but Chairman Thomas H. Kean, a former Republican governor of New Jersey, said in an interview last week that panel members hope to obtain private funding to sustain their lobbying campaign at least through the election. They want to pressure Bush, Kerry and Congress to cement their recommendations into law this year.

Kean and the nine other commissioners plan to appear before at least 10 congressional committees; hold public meetings in several cities, including some in election battleground states; and maintain their regular presence on television news programs. "We want to be part of the debate," Kean said.

Isn't it possible that these guys just like the limelight they've received? Shouldn't we question these folks and their conclusions? Blind faith that a politically charged commission submitted the proper recommendations is asking a lot of the American people.

I want to know why Kean wants to be a part of the debate. And I want the commission's recommendations to be implemented only if they are the right thing to do. The commission has no authority to insist that their recommendations are enacted, they are afterall, just recommendations. And not everybody thinks that a massive reorganization of our intelligence capabilities will make us any safer:

Allan J. Lichtman, a political historian and presidential scholar at American University, said calls for a far-reaching, immediate overhaul of the nation's massive intelligence apparatus is "most unwise."

"It's not as if adopting this tomorrow will make us safer," Lichtman said. "In the short run, it may make us less safe because of the chaos." Lichtman said it was a mistake for Kerry to bless the commission's work without more thought given to future consequences. "It shows a lack of consideration of the facts," he said.

And it would appear that several Republicans and a few Democrats agree with that assessment.

On the political front, John Kerry endorsed the recommendations two days after the report was released. The Bush administration is currently working to implement 36 of the 41 recommendations and are carefully studying the report in order to understand and improve upon the recommendations.

The 9/11 Commission and its report aren't going away any time soon. Whether or not that is a good thing is up to you to decide.

John Kerry Delenda Est!