1115.org

So now we know that in addition to being easily the worst National Security Adviser in history, Condoleezza Rice is also a bald-faced liar.

Rice went to great length to lawyer her way around an answer as to why she wouldn’t testify before the 9-11 Commission. This administration sure hates lawyers and lawyerly language unless it happens to save them from exposing themselves as the frauds that they are.

This time she is hiding behind an already broken precedent of National Security Advisers not testifying before Congress.

From 60 Minutes:

Nothing would be better, from my point of view, than to be able to testify. I would really like to do that. But there is an important principle here Ed, it is a longstanding principle that sitting national security advisers do not testify before the Congress.

Unless Rice is also shockingly stupid, she knows that the 9-11 Commission isn’t Congress. If she doesn’t know this, then I suggest a remedial civics lesson. Not only is the Commission not Congress, but since the act that created it was signed by the President, there are no grounds for a separation-of-powers conflict. On top of that, separation-of-powers only applies when Congress is forcing a subject to testify, which the 9-11 Commission isn’t doing.

In the last week, Rice has appeared on every network and all of the cable news channels. What is the specific problem with talking to the Commission?

From the New York Times

Ms. Rice “has appeared everywhere except my local Starbucks,” Richard Ben-Veniste, a member of the commission, said in an interview. “For the White House to continue to refuse to make her available simply does not make sense.”

All it would take would be Rice and the President setting up a meeting. The American people (and most importantly the families of the victims) deserve to see Rice (whose salary they pay) testify.

Doing so under oath would be nice as she has now proven that the truth means little to her. The future perjury charge would be a welcome consolation.

A week ago, I would have bet long money on this story going away at the hands of the administration’s slime machine surrogates. I still think that, but they haven’t done a very efficient job of it so far.

*Man I wish Greedo was still around here to defend Rice. I think he had a crush on her.

**This is in very poor taste and therefore not recommended at all.