What could Clarke possibly have to gain by attacking Bush and Rice? Didn’t he have tremendous praise for them less than a year ago? Didn’t he, in his resignation letter, compliment the President on his leadership? What could make him turn into a partisan shill?
Clarke, almost certainly, has been told that he will be the new Secretary of Homeland Security if Kerry is elected. For a career civil service guy passed over by Bush for the current #2 spot, what else, besides book sales, would drive him like this?
I have no doubt this is what has happened. You can almost see it in his eyes. The brass ring is almost within his grasp, and he will say and do anything to snag it this time around.
I caught a long interview with him yesterday. He was asked point blank whether he is looking for a position with Kerry. He said no, and that he wanted to state “for the record” that if Kerry ask him, he would decline.
I’ve been suspicious about his intentions since this book came out. But the way he answered the question straight out instead of skirting it, the way Dean and Edwards have done in the same situation, made me reconsider.
Maybe book sales and a bigger notation in the history books are really his goals.
Comment by Sunsangnim — March 26, 2004 @ 2:46 pm
I think you may be right about him not wanting the job. I had a response to this thought on another blog, and that person told me that Clarke has quite the consulting business which may actually benefit him more with government contracts under a different administration.
Comment by Bunker — March 26, 2004 @ 5:31 pm