The 9 11 Commission Report Omissions And - Amazon Noir

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CHAPTER FOUR The Behavior of Bush and His Secret Service 0 ne question
that has been widely asked, especially since the appearance of Michael
Moore's movie Fahrenheit 9/11, is why President Bush lingered so long in
the classroom in Sarasota, Florida, after being notified about the
second strike on the World Trade Center. One would assume that the
Commission would have been especially anxious to give a satisfactory
answer to this widely asked question. This chapter asks whether it
provided such an answer. THE DAWDLER IN CHIEF The president had
reportedly, after being told about the first crash, referred to it as a
"horrible accident." Given that interpretation, it was not terribly
strange that he went ahead with the planned "photo opportunity," in
which he would be photographed and videotaped with second graders to
publicize his educational policy. But after word came that a second
plane had crashed into the WTC, it was clear that the nation was
suffering an unprecedented terrorist attack. And yet, after getting this
report at about 9:05, the president lingered so long in the classroom
that even one of his admirers referred to him as "the dawdler in
chief."l As that description illustrates, many critics of the
president's behavior focus on the point that, as commander in chief of
America's armed forces, he should have immediately moved into that role,
making calls to find out more about what was happening and making sure
that the nation's military was springing into action to prevent any more
attacks. WHY WAS THE PRESIDENT NOT WHISKED AWAY? Other critics, however,
have raised an even more serious problem: If the attacks on the World
Trade Center were what they were purported to be- a completely surprise
attack-the president and the head of his Secret Service detail would
have had to assume that Bush himself might have been one of the intended
targets. Indeed, one Secret Service agent, having seen the second attack
on Tv, reportedly said: "We're out of here."2