WASHINGTON President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney spent more than three hours behind closed doors Thursday with the Sept. 11 commission charged with finding ways to prevent a repeat of the worst terrorist attack in American history. "I answered every question they asked," Bush said.
Bush declined to disclose details of the Oval Office discussion, saying the commissioners would incorporate his and Cheney's comments in their final report, set for release about three months before the November election.
But the president, who described the meeting as "very cordial," said the commissioners were "very interested in the recommendations that they're going to lay out, and I'm interested in those as well."
"I'm glad I did it," Bush told reporters in the Rose Garden, just 35 minutes after the session ended. "I'm glad I took the time. ... I enjoyed it."
The 10 commissioners, who arrived for the unprecedented meeting bearing briefcases, books and papers, gathered around Bush and Cheney, who were seated on chairs near the fireplace in the president's office. The meeting was off-limits to all but White House counsel Alberto Gonzales and two members of his staff.
Asked if Gonzales advised him not to answer any question, Bush replied, "I was never advised by my counsel not to answer anything."
The president, who initially opposed creation of the panel investigating the attacks in 2001 that killed some 3,000 people in New York City, Virginia and Pennsylvania, vigorously defended his decision to appear jointly with the vice president. Critics have suggested the two met together to make certain there were no discrepancies in their statements.
"If we had something to hide, we wouldn't have met with them in the first place," Bush said.
"I came away feeling good about the session, because I wanted them to know, you know, how I set strategy, how we run the White House, how we deal with threats," he said. "The vice president answered a lot of their questions, answered all their questions."
In a statement issued by the panel after the meeting, commissioners thanked Bush and Cheney for their information, and said they found the president and vice president "forthcoming and candid."
Even Ben-Veniste Is Satisfied
Richard Ben-Veniste, a Democrat member of the commission, said that he was satisfied the panel had enough time to ask questions and that nothing was lost from having a joint meeting.
"It was a very cordial meeting," Ben-Veniste told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "Everyone got to ask his or her questions of the president and vice president. I'm not going to characterize the substance."
One commissioner, Jim Thompson, said the questions included everything "across the board" that had been in public hearings. "The president was asked the vast majority of the questions and he answered them," Thompson said. "There was no questions the president or vice president did not answer."
Laughter erupted in the Oval Office from time to time, Thompson told the AP.
'Tease'
"The president is a bit of a tease," he said. "There were no tense moments. I thought the president gave a five-star performance. I wish the American people could have seen it."
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/4/29/144803.shtml
Bush declined to disclose details of the Oval Office discussion, saying the commissioners would incorporate his and Cheney's comments in their final report, set for release about three months before the November election.
But the president, who described the meeting as "very cordial," said the commissioners were "very interested in the recommendations that they're going to lay out, and I'm interested in those as well."
"I'm glad I did it," Bush told reporters in the Rose Garden, just 35 minutes after the session ended. "I'm glad I took the time. ... I enjoyed it."
The 10 commissioners, who arrived for the unprecedented meeting bearing briefcases, books and papers, gathered around Bush and Cheney, who were seated on chairs near the fireplace in the president's office. The meeting was off-limits to all but White House counsel Alberto Gonzales and two members of his staff.
Asked if Gonzales advised him not to answer any question, Bush replied, "I was never advised by my counsel not to answer anything."
The president, who initially opposed creation of the panel investigating the attacks in 2001 that killed some 3,000 people in New York City, Virginia and Pennsylvania, vigorously defended his decision to appear jointly with the vice president. Critics have suggested the two met together to make certain there were no discrepancies in their statements.
"If we had something to hide, we wouldn't have met with them in the first place," Bush said.
"I came away feeling good about the session, because I wanted them to know, you know, how I set strategy, how we run the White House, how we deal with threats," he said. "The vice president answered a lot of their questions, answered all their questions."
In a statement issued by the panel after the meeting, commissioners thanked Bush and Cheney for their information, and said they found the president and vice president "forthcoming and candid."
Even Ben-Veniste Is Satisfied
Richard Ben-Veniste, a Democrat member of the commission, said that he was satisfied the panel had enough time to ask questions and that nothing was lost from having a joint meeting.
"It was a very cordial meeting," Ben-Veniste told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "Everyone got to ask his or her questions of the president and vice president. I'm not going to characterize the substance."
One commissioner, Jim Thompson, said the questions included everything "across the board" that had been in public hearings. "The president was asked the vast majority of the questions and he answered them," Thompson said. "There was no questions the president or vice president did not answer."
Laughter erupted in the Oval Office from time to time, Thompson told the AP.
'Tease'
"The president is a bit of a tease," he said. "There were no tense moments. I thought the president gave a five-star performance. I wish the American people could have seen it."
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/4/29/144803.shtml
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