August 6, 2001

August 6, 2001: Bush gets briefing titled "Bin Laden Determined to Strike Inside US."

August 7, 2001: Bush goes on vacation for a month.

I think the biggest thing to come from Rice's testimony may be the mention of this document.

The existence of it has always been known, of course. Heck it was mentioned in the first post I ever made on this blog ("Terrorism: A Timeline" - check the archives).

But the major media are notoriously lazy, and don't do any investigative work anymore.

But the August 6th briefing is now a centerpiece of what is already a big story: Rice's testimony.

And that is exactly the sort of thing that makes the media start TALKING about it, and makes it (suddenly, after 2 1/2 years) "news."

Political junkies have LONG known about this document.

But now the REST of America does.

And Americans have suddenly been made aware that George W. Bush, amid mounting concerns about terrorist attack, took August 2001 off.

And isn't it nice? After two-and-a-half years of trying to blame Clinton for the attacks, suddenly everybody is aware that Clinton did more than Bush, and the Bushies are changing their tune from "It's Clinton's fault" to "ummmm...we don't think ANYBODY could have stopped it."