Pacific Views

At today's White House press briefing.

Yesterday, the head of the independent commission that's investigating the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US said that those attacks were preventable, and that some of the people who failed to prevent them were still working in the government. Today, Dubya's press secretary was asked about those remarks. Maybe we're just suspicious, but it looks to us like those questions made Scott McClellan a wee bit uncomfortable. (We're far from being the only one to notice this discomfort: Susan at Suburban Guerilla likened McClellan's performance to that of a tapdancing pig.)

Q Scott, the Chairman of the 9/11 Commission, Governor Kean was quoted today as saying that 9/11 was preventable, that some officials in the government failed to prevent it, and that some of those people who failed are still in positions of authority. Any reaction to that?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, first of all, I would remind you of something that the President has repeatedly said, the best way to prevent something like September 11th from ever happening again is to take the fight to the terrorists. And that is exactly the kind of decisive action that this President is taking to protect the American people. And as to the specific news report, I did see that, as well. I saw the Chairman's comments, and I would just say that I don't think I quite walked away with the same impression that you did.

Q How so? How so? How do you mean that?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think that there were some comments made, and then the report may have gone a step further. I'm not going to speak for Chairman Kean, but you might want to ask him.

Q Well, I have talked to his office, and they're saying that he was quoted accurately. But he did say, apparently there's no question about it, he did say it was preventable. He did say, when asked specifically, are there people who failed to prevent it who are still in authority, his answer was, yes, and we'll find out who those people are.

MR. McCLELLAN: I haven't seen any further comment from him. But when I looked at his comments, I didn't quite take that same impression. But I would reiterate that the President strongly supports the work of the commission. If there is something that we can learn that can help prevent a terrorist attack like September 11th from happening, we want to know about it. And that is why at the direction of the President, we are working very closely with the commission to help them complete their important work. Both the chairman and co-chairman have publicly applauded the assistance of the White House in helping the commission. So that's where things are. But the commission is continuing to do its work.

Q What's the status of the commission's access to the intelligence briefings that it was seeking? Has that process begun now? Have they --

MR. McCLELLAN: Oh, yes. That process began shortly after all the agreements were reached.

Q What impression did you get from what Kean said?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, again, I don't want to speak for Chairman Kean, but I just didn't quite walk away with that same impression that Ken described.

Q Has the commission officially notified the White House of these claims, or are you learning of it just from this --

MR. McCLELLAN: Of which claims?

Q That there were problems and that there are people in place who possibly could have prevented September 11th?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, one, the commission is continuing to do its work. And it's important that they complete their work. And that's why we're working closely with them, to help them complete their important work. I don't want to do anything that would get in the way of them completing their work. I mean, I think I'll let them describe, in terms of where they are in conducting their work and completing their work.

Q In the cooperation that the White House has shown with the commission, have any of your people found any similar evidence to match what Governor Kean has suggested?

MR. McCLELLAN: Which part of what he suggested?

Q That there were problems that could have possibly been prevented.

MR. McCLELLAN: As we have previously said, there is nothing that we have seen that leads us to believe that September 11th could have been prevented. We previously said that. That still stands.