the main point of all of our discussion and soul searching should be to figure out how to deal with terrorism. there is blame for clinton and bush. i am definately not a bushite but it seems to me that if we can't put aside partisan baloney to try to come together to solve this problem our world is going to become a very dangerous and unpleasant one and the god's truth is that we ALL have to live in it.

people in washington are having a hard time eschewing politics to face this problem. the smear campaigns are the worst i've ever seen in years of studying politics and the level of discourse is at an all time low. everyone that had anything to do with relevant gov't agencies to 9/11 should STEP FORWARD voluntarily and testify UNDER OATH to the comission. that includes rice (now bowing to pressure) bush, cheney (no time limits and all members present) clinton, gore, and the rest. to avoid this is a truly traitorous act. if we can't put the trail together now, with hindsight, and see how we failed so that we might make corrections we're in big trouble. playing politics with this issue is unconscionable and disgusting.

the facts show that what we are doing is not working. there have been more terrorist acts worldwide since 9/11 that before. we are hearing about splinter groups that didn't exist or were very small before that are now growing. saying "find 'em and kill 'em" is a lot easier said than done. that attitude is just not good enough. clarke's criticism boils down to"clinton was interested but didn't do enough and bush wasn't even interested until 9/11". why can't the bushies just say " yes, you're right we didn't do enough", acknowledge that the clitonites didn't either and stop the character assassination, close that subject and get to work on the real problem, fer chrissakes?? the world has to come together if the problem is to be solved and we need an administration that can, and is willing, to work with others to attain this goal. i don't know if kerry can do that but i know, based on his record, that bush hasn't. until there is some indication that he can i'm in favor of new people and a new approach.