I8 The Man Who Won’t Veto

With all the evidence we have, President Bush can manifestly defend himself for his actions before 9/11. The Bush administration, like the Bush campaign, however, has a tendency to lower a cone of protection around all of its associates. The president should not preemptively spring to the defense of the FBI and the CIA. Looking into their pre-war failures is not a distraction in wartime, since the success of the war depends, in no small part, on their effectiveness. Bad apples have to be discarded, and bad habits changed.

Is the proper forum for this investigation congressional hearings, or an independent commission? Congress will investigate, whether or not there is a commission. But Congress wants an independent commission, too, while the White House wants to leave the job in the hands of Congress. Two investigations into this matter are hardly excessive, and a commission made up of serious and thoughtful people—on the model of the Rumsfeld commission on the ballistic-missile threat—could render a service. An effective head of such a body might well be former mayor, and prosecutor, Rudy Giuliani.

About the Author

Byron York

Byron York is a former White House correspondent for National Review.

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With all the evidence we have, President Bush can manifestly defend himself for his actions before 9/11. The Bush administration, like the Bush campaign, however, has a tendency to lower a cone of protection around all of its associates. The president should not preemptively spring to the defense of the FBI and the CIA. Looking into their pre-war failures is not a distraction in wartime, since the success of the war depends, in no small part, on their effectiveness. Bad apples have to be discarded, and bad habits changed.

Is the proper forum for this investigation congressional hearings, or an independent commission? Congress will investigate, whether or not there is a commission. But Congress wants an independent commission, too, while the White House wants to leave the job in the hands of Congress. Two investigations into this matter are hardly excessive, and a commission made up of serious and thoughtful people—on the model of the Rumsfeld commission on the ballistic-missile threat—could render a service. An effective head of such a body might well be former mayor, and prosecutor, Rudy Giuliani.