Republicans and Their Threat to National Security

By Brigitte L. Nacos

On December 28, 2001, 6 days after the would-be shoe bomber Richard Reid tried to blow up a U.S.-bound American Airlines flight, President Bush mentioned the incident for the first time in passing during a press conference at his Texas ranch. This is all he said,

“The shoe bomber was a case in point, where the country has been on alert. A stewardess on an American Airlines flight—where the country has been on alert. A stewardess on an American Airlines flight—or a flight attendant on an American Airlines flight was vigilant, saw something amiss, and responded. It’s an indication that the culture of America has shifted to one of alertness. And I’m grateful for the flight attendant’s response, as I’m sure the passengers on that airplane. But we’ve got to be aware that there are still enemies to the country. And our Government is responding accordingly.”

There was no criticism whatsoever by Democrats as far as the delayed timing and lack of  substance in this short remark was concerned. Contrary to Republicans during the Clinton [and Carter] administration, leading Democrats renewed their unconditional support for President Bush that they had expressed immediately after the 9/11 attacks. The following exchange between host Tim Russert, Republican Senator Don Nickles, and Democratic Senator Tom Daschle during the Meet the Press program of December 30, 2001 attests to this:

MR. RUSSERT: Do you believe Republicans would have supported President Clinton as much as Democrats have supported President Bush on a war against terrorism?

SEN. NICKLES: You bet. All of us. You know, I remember the rhetoric--of course, I was in Oklahoma City when the president made a great speech. "We're not going to allow terrorism in the United States." And he was strongly supported in that. And you bet. After the World Trade Center, after the bombings on two U.S. embassies, killed 220-some people, you bet. There'd be very strong--but it takes leadership, and now we have strong leadership. I think it's a little overdue, but I think it's been a fantastic effort to date. We just need to accelerate and keep it up. It's going to be a long haul in this fight against terrorism.

SEN. DASCHLE: Tim, I would just say, look at some of the evidence after the attacks [in response to U.S. embassies in East Africa] that President Clinton instituted in the late 1990s. He was attacked. He was criticized for those. He was accused of doing things that had nothing to do with foreign policy as he was trying to respond. So there really wasn't the kind of Republican support for the president that I wish there would have been. But, again, it's not the issue. What the issue has to be is to look forward, to try to find ways with which to work together to build the coalition that is going to be required to be successful in the future.

Compare this to the reaction to President Obama’s first, lengthy, detailed response on December 28, 2009, 3 days after the would-be underwear bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab that is worth reading for comparative purposes :

“Good morning, everybody.  I just want to take a few minutes to update the American people on the attempted terrorist attack that occurred on Christmas Day and the steps we're taking to ensure the safety and security of the country.

The investigation is ongoing and I spoke again this morning with Attorney General Eric Holder, the Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, and my Counterterrorism and Homeland Security Advisor John Brennan.  I asked them to keep -- continue monitoring the situation, to keep the American people and members of Congress informed.