One can only hope that President Bush isn’t allowed to get away with his PR push to appear to embrace the 9/11 commission’s recommendation on intelligence gathering.
Last night All Things Considered reported that he didn’t embrace “all the recommendations and that he was bowing to “political pressure.” The reporter also noted that he flip-flopped on establishing the Department of Homeland Security.
CBS last night last reported that the new intelligence czar would not have budgetary control and quotes an expert that without it, the holder of that office would be greatly handicapped. The CBS reporter also noted that Kerry was the first to embrace the commission’s recommendations.
NBC didn’t highlight the differences with the commission’s recommendations.
Fortunately, The Washington Post, despite a misleading headline and sub-head,
and the New York Times did. The Times had the best summary of the politics of Bush’s announcement.
…White House and Bush campaign officials have long said that the details matter far less than the pictures and sounds of Mr. Bush talking in any way about his campaign against terrorism, which polls show is still his strongest card against Mr. Kerry.
The Post editorialized on the announcement but again the Times editorial used more forceful language.
At a time when Americans need strong leadership and bold action, President Bush offered tired nostrums and bureaucratic half-measures yesterday. He wanted to appear to be embracing the recommendations of the 9/11 commission, but he actually rejected the panel’s most significant ideas, and thus missed a chance to confront the twin burdens he faces at this late point in his term: the need to get intelligence reform moving whether he’s re-elected or not, and the equally urgent need to repair the government’s credibility on national security.
The best summary is by Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo.
In the end, it will be up to John Kerry to make the case that Bush’s prescriptions are pabulum. He must ridicule them as too little rather than just too late.
Addendum: Even better, Washington Monthly blogger Kevin Drum encapsulates it:
Bottom line: the new director heads no agency, doesn’t have cabinet rank, doesn’t work in the White House, has no budget authority, and apparently has no reporting authority. In other words, he’s just a figurehead.