WHAT IS GEORGE SO DESPERATE TO HIDE?
Why is he willing to stonewall, resist, thwart, and delay a Commission of his choosing?
Why is he dead set on keeping the TRUTH from the American Public and particularly the Victims of 9/11?
Initially an opponent of an independent commission, Bush signed legislation creating the panel on Nov. 27, 2002. He said the commission - five Republicans, five Democrats - "should carefully examine all the evidence and follow all the facts, wherever they lead."
If that is the truth MR. PRESIDENT please explain:
1) your insistence that the task be completed in a limited time
2) your failure to provide documents in a timely manner to allow the task to be completed
3) your failure to authorize funding for months in the early going.
4) your appointment of Max Cleland to the World Bank removing your main critic from the 9/11 commission.
Is it that you are a liar George?
What is it that you are so desperately trying to hide?
DEADLINE FOR COMPLETION OF 9/11 COMMISSION TASK IS THREATENED BY BUSH CAUSED DELAYS
Nov 26, 2003 WASHINGTON (AP) - Victims' relatives who pressed for an independent commission to investigate the Sept. 11 attacks say the panel risks being undercut by the government's failure to cooperate with it.
The Family Steering Committee, a group of victim advocates, marked the one-year anniversary of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States by urging an extension of its May 27 deadline for submitting findings and recommendations.
"Unfortunately, the production of a timely report no longer seems to be possible, in large part because of the delays caused by the (Bush) administration and the agencies that report to it," the group said Wednesday in a statement. Twelve people who lost spouses, children, siblings and parents in the Sept. 11 attacks formed the steering committee to monitor the work of the federal commission.
The leaders of the 10-member commission, Republican Thomas H. Kean and Democrat Lee Hamilton, said last week that they still intend to complete work by May 27. But they warned that further resistance from government agencies could threaten their ability to meet the deadline.
The panel has issued three subpoenas in the last six weeks - to the Federal Aviation Administration, the Pentagon, and New York City - saying those entities had not fully responded to document requests. The city said it will contest its subpoena, which seeks transcripts and recordings detailing the emergency response to the attack on the World Trade Center.
Also, the commission reached a deal with the White House over access to highly classified intelligence briefings that President Bush received in the weeks and months before the attacks. The panel agreed to several restrictions, including a limit on how many commissioners may examine the documents.
Meanwhile, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., is making another effort to extend the deadline to apply to the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund past Dec. 22. The senator joined Brian Jordan, a grief counselor for the victims' families, in New York on Wednesday to announce a final appeal for Congress to move the deadline back one year.
Current law prohibits further applications for the fund from being accepted past the December deadline. Schumer said Congress could still help the families of the victims. "The pain for victims' families is particularly sharp around the holidays, and the idea that Congress refuses to take this up as the deadline looms adds insult to injury," said Schumer. "But there is still a small amount of time left. Congress can still do the right thing if it wants to."
