Bush Backs More Time for 9/11 Panel

Looks like Bush has turned around on the 9/11 comission's request for an extension:

President Bush reversed himself Wednesday and said he now
supports giving a commission investigating the 9/11 attacks more time
to produce a final report. The commission is scheduled to finish its
work on May 27. But panel members last month asked Congress for a
two-month extension, citing a need for full analysis of reams of
documents about the disaster. Bush had resisted that request for
months, saying through his spokesmen that the administration wanted the
panel to complete its work as soon as possible. Privately, White House
aides feared that delaying the commission's final report would result
in a potentially damaging assessment of the administration's handling
of pre-attack intelligence in the heat of a presidential campaign. On Wednesday, the White House relented, saying it backed moving the deadline to July 26.
But White House spokesman Scott McClellan also urged the commission to
wrap up its work 30 days after that. If Congress accepts Bush's
recommendation, the report would arrive at the end of August, just as
the presidential campaign is entering the post-Labor Day final stretch.

Why the sudden turnaround? What could Bush possibly gain
by granting an extension to the commission after he's opposed it for so
long? Guess what happens to coincide with the deadline:
Karl
Rove is obviously hoping to undermine the Democratic nominee's press
coverage by any means necessary. I know I should be inured to it by
now, but the depths that these people are willing to stoop to continues
to amaze me.

Posted by flow Frazao on February 4, 2004 at 02:28 PM | Permalink