Now You Tell Us

by Steve

Image courtesy of Casey.com

Anyone who has read the latest Woodward book, as well as some of the other recent books about how the administration made it’s case for war would know that George Tenet did whatever he could to make George W. Bush happy, because he thought Bush deserved the ultimate loyalty for not blaming 9/11 on the Agency in the aftermath of the attacks. Of course, that didn’t stop Cheney, Rice, or Rumsfeld from throwing Tenet and the Agency under the bus to cover their crimes, and Tenet scurried off to retirement after Bush pinned a medal on him to pave the war for Porter Goss.

With his book coming out next week, and an appearance to peddle it on “60 Minutes” set for this Sunday, it was inevitable that Tenet would use the opportunity to set the record straight on the “slam dunk” urban myth that has been propagated by Cheney.

Former CIA director George Tenet told CBS Television's "60 Minutes" that the administration leaked his comment as opposition to the war grew when no weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq.

"You don't do this. You don't throw somebody overboard just because it's a deflection. Is that honorable? It's not honorable to me," Tenet said in an interview to be broadcast on Sunday.

Jesus Christ, you moron. You were expecting honor from Bush, Cheney, and Rice?

Tenet said his comment did not refer to whether Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, but related to what information could be used to make a public case for the war.

The "slam-dunk" comment first surfaced in journalist Bob Woodward's 2004 book, "Plan of Attack," which portrayed Tenet as assuring Bush that finding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq would be a virtual certainty.

"We can put a better case together for a public case. That's what I meant," Tenet told "60 Minutes."

[snip]

Tenet -- whom Bush awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest U.S. civilian award, in December 2004 -- said he does not know exactly who leaked his comment, but that "it's the most despicable thing that ever happened to me."

George, your redemption still lies a long way off.