I had always suspected Condoleezza Rice was an arrogant person.\u00a0 It was not only what she said (and failed to say) on her many Sunday talk show appearances during the Bush years. It was also her insistent, remorseless defense of her actions (and non-actions) with respect to the famous August 2001 memo “Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S.” as well as the ease with which she could use hundreds of words to say nothing, or to shift blame to others, or to nobody.\u00a0 What was clear was that Rice could not tolerate being questioned.<\/p>\n
Her April 2004 testimony<\/a> to the 9\/11 Commission was typical (watch<\/a> if you prefer):<\/p>\n At long last Rice answered the question Ben-Veniste<\/a> asked, but not before she was ready, and not before she delivered her mea non culpa<\/em>.\u00a0 FBI on the case?\u00a0 Check.\u00a0 Next question?<\/p>\n You may ask, why dredge up Condoleezza Rice now?\u00a0 Well, today I stumbled upon a short interview with her in the New York Times, “Nobody Puts Condoleezza Rice in a Corner<\/a>.”\u00a0 Here’s an excerpt:<\/p>\n I learn more and grow more from my mistakes than from my successes.\u00a0 Rice seems to think that mistakes have nothing to tell her.\u00a0 Maybe the problem is she isn’t listening.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I had always suspected Condoleezza Rice was an arrogant person.\u00a0 It was not only what she said (and failed to say) on her many Sunday talk show appearances during the Bush years. It was also her insistent, remorseless defense of … Continue reading BEN-VENISTE:\u00a0 You acknowledged to us that Richard Clarke told you that al Qaeda cells were in the United States.\u00a0 Did you tell the President, at any time prior to August 6, of the existence of al Qaeda cells in the United States?<\/em><\/h5>\n
RICE: First, let me just make certain…<\/em><\/h5>\n
BEN-VENISTE: If you could just answer that question, because I only have a very limited…<\/em><\/h5>\n
RICE: I understand, Commissioner, but it’s important…<\/em><\/h5>\n
BEN-VENISTE: Did you tell the president…<\/em><\/h5>\n
RICE: … that I also address…\u00a0 It’s also important that, Commissioner, that I address the other issues that you have raised.\u00a0 So I will do it quickly, but if you’ll just give me a moment.<\/em><\/h5>\n
BEN-VENISTE:\u00a0 Well, my only question to you is whether you…<\/em><\/h5>\n
RICE: I understand, Commissioner, but I will…<\/em><\/h5>\n
BEN-VENISTE: … told the president.<\/em><\/h5>\n
RICE: If you’ll just give me a moment, I will address fully the questions that you’ve asked.<\/em><\/h5>\n
First of all, yes, the August 6 PDB was in response to questions of the president — and that since he asked that this be done. It was not a particular threat report.\u00a0 And there was historical information in there about various aspects of al Qaeda’s operations.<\/em><\/h5>\n
Dick Clarke had told me, I think in a memorandum — I remember it as being only a line or two — that there were al Qaeda cells in the United States.\u00a0 Now, the question is, what did we need to do about that?\u00a0 And I also understood that that was what the FBI was doing, that the FBI was pursuing these al Qaeda cells. I believe in the August 6 memorandum it says that there were 70 full field investigations under way of these cells. And there was no recommendation that we do something about this; the FBI was pursuing it.<\/em><\/h5>\n
I really don’t remember, Commissioner, whether I discussed this with the president.<\/em><\/h5>\n
BEN-VENISTE: Thank you.<\/em><\/h5>\n
Q: I\u2019ve read that people consider you almost incapable of admitting a mistake. What do you consider to be the biggest of your career?<\/em><\/h5>\n
RICE: You know, I\u2019ve done pretty well. I don\u2019t spend a lot of time dwelling on the past that way.<\/em><\/h5>\n
Q: You can\u2019t think of just one?<\/em><\/h5>\n
RICE: I\u2019m certain I can find many. It\u2019s just not a very fruitful exercise.<\/em><\/h5>\n
I did some things well and some things not so well.\u00a0 If you\u2019re a public figure, there are always going to be a few people who don\u2019t like what you did.\u00a0 I\u2019m just really glad I don\u2019t have to listen to them.<\/em><\/h5>\n