Bush prepares for appearance before panel investigating 9/11
LOS ANGELES TIMES
WASHINGTON -- President Bush plans to do most of the talking when he and Vice President Cheney meet behind closed doors Thursday with the commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks, White House officials said Tuesday.
Bush has been preparing for the appearance by reviewing files from the months before the attacks, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. The president also has consulted with national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, White House Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card Jr. and others.
The meeting will not be recorded or transcribed, the White House said.
Complaints
The White House insistence that Bush and Cheney appear together has prompted complaints from members of the commission, exposed the White House to criticism from Democrats and served as fodder for late-night television comics.
"It matters to me only because it reduces the amount of time we will have. It cuts it in half," said commission member Bob Kerrey, a former Democratic senator from Nebraska.
At a contentious news briefing Tuesday, McClellan rejected suggestions that by appearing together, Bush and Cheney are exposing themselves to criticism and even ridicule.
"That's not the way you should be looking at this," McClellan said. "This is about helping the commission piece together all the information they have already been provided access to, and helping them complete their important work."
Analysts said the administration appears to have decided that it would rather face exposure to sniping over the joint appearance than risk providing conflicting answers before a commission that has already raised questions about the Bush administration's record on terrorism.
Late-night comics have had a field day. Tonight Show host Jay Leno recently joked that "to make sure Bush is really answering [the commission is] going to make Cheney drink a glass of water while he talks."