Clarke Praises Bush in Resignation Letter

AP/Drudge: Clarke Praises Bush in Resignation Letter

The White House, seeking to cool criticism from a former top anti-terror adviser, said Tuesday that Richard Clarke’s resignation letter praised President Bush’s “courage, determination, calm and leadership” on Sept. 11, 2001.

It has been an enormous privilege to serve you these last 24 months,” said the Jan. 20, 2003, letter from Clarke to Bush. “I will always remember the courage, determination, calm, and leadership you demonstrated on September 11th.”

The letter was stamped “the president has seen” the next day.

While this is rather embarrasing or amusing, depending on what side of the fence one is on, this really doesn’t amount to much. One could simultaneously believe that Bush should have done more to fight al Qaeda and that he showed great leadership in the aftermath of 9/11.

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James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. Rodney Dill says:

    Clarke found out he couldn’t make the resignation letter into a best seller.

  2. keith taylor says:

    Last time you wrote a letter of resignation did you tell your boss what you really thought of him?

  3. James Joyner says:

    Nope. But I didn’t say what a wonderful person the boss was, either. And I actually liked that boss.