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George Bush: The Unauthorized Biography - Get a Free Blog

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system where we hear some leak in some newspaper that behind closed doors somebody<br />

has said something, and thus a lot of people run for cover?<br />

I have confidence in Gates. And if somebody wants to accuse him of something, the<br />

Senate is absolutely right in getting that determination made and asking for the evidence,<br />

but they ought not to have it obscured by some testimony that's been going on for four<br />

years. <strong>The</strong>y ought not to accept a rumor. <strong>The</strong>y ought not to panic and run like a covey of<br />

quail because somebody has made an allegation against a man whose work I trust and<br />

who, as I understand it, hasn't been fingered by what's coming out of this process.<br />

And so, I'm glad this has come up again because I think what we're entitled to in this<br />

country is fairplay, innocence until guilty. And yes, the Senate has an obligation, but let's<br />

call these witnesses that are supposed to know something bad. Isn't Bob Gates entitled to<br />

that? I mean, why let them run for cover and say let's hang it out all over next summer?<br />

Now, if Gates wants to do that, that's fine. But if somebody asked me about it, I'd say,<br />

hey, get the men up there that are making these --<br />

Q: We don't understand--<br />

<strong>Bush</strong>: Excuse me -- get the men up there that are making these allegations. Isn't that the<br />

American system of justice? What is it when we hear something leaked to a newspaper<br />

and we all run for cover because we're -- not me, because I know Bob Gates and I have<br />

total confidence in the man's integrity and honor. And if the Senate wants -- and the<br />

Senate, I think, now owes it to him to promptly call his accusers or those who they think -<br />

- who we understand from newspaper articles are supposedly making accusations against<br />

him. And don't let them stay under cover, "well, we can't do that because we have this<br />

other ongoing testimony" or some behind- closed-doors, what do they call these -indictment<br />

proceedings going on. That's not the American way.<br />

We sent this nomination up some time ago. And if everybody's going to get flustered and<br />

panic because of some allegation by some -- where we don't even know that the person is<br />

accusing him of anything -- all I'm saying is fairplay. <strong>The</strong> American --<br />

Q: Do you think--<br />

<strong>Bush</strong>: May I finish? <strong>The</strong> American people understand fairplay. And I just hope the Senate<br />

will keep this in mind. I have no argument with Senator Boren, Senator Murkowski<br />

wanting to get to the bottom of it. But this idea that it will be served by leaving it out all<br />

summer -- you know and I know there will be questions every single day -- what about<br />

this allegation? What about that? All I'm saying is, from everything I've seen, yes, let's<br />

get to the bottom of it, but lets' bring forward these people that are supposedly fingering<br />

him. Let's bring forward and let them stand there under oath before the Senate, as I think<br />

the Senate intends to do. But why wait? Why not -- this nomination has been there a long<br />

time, and now we're hearing that there's some process going on behind-closed-doors<br />

someplace by some witness who hasn't fingered Gates, but that's enough to hold this up.

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