Statement from Joe Lockhart on Bush Campaign’s Latest Excuse for Missing Explosives

Washington, DC – Kerry-Edwards advisor Joe Lockhart issued the following statement today:

“Early this morning, we learned the Bush campaign’s latest strategy for dealing with the missing explosives in Iraq. Today, the Bush campaign booked its number one surrogate and convention keynoter, Rudy Guiliani, on America’s top rated morning show and his message was clear, simple and incredible. He said:

“‘The actual responsibility for it really would be for the troops that were there. Did they search carefully enough? Didn’t they search carefully enough?’

This is just the latest example of the excuse presidency where the buck stops any place but the Oval Office.”

Via Rapid Response Center Kerry Blog…

Kerry on Missing Explosives and Bush’s Excuses:

“This week’s revelations about the missing explosives speaks to the president’s continuing misjudgments in Iraq. According to the commanders on the ground, our forces were not ordered to secure a weapons dump in Iraq where 380 tons of explosives were stored. Now, the president’s former chief weapons inspector says it’s likely that these explosives are being used against our own troops. The president’s shifting explanations and excuses demonstrate, once again, that this president believes the buck stops anywhere but his desk.

“Bush’s Big Joke”

Sinclair Retreats on Kerry Film

More on this win for the blogosphere.

Bush “not concerned” about Bin Laden…(~2MB .wmv)

Pick Your President

Cheney thinks he never met Edwards! What a moron!

REALITY: There is more that we could do to improve security in the homeland

Bush Has Allowed Airline Security Gaps To Persist, Threatening Our Safety.Under Bush’s management, TSA has failed to develop a comprehensive strategy to identify security weaknesses at commercial airports despite spending $10.7 Billion on aviation security measures. Less than 5% of air cargo is ever screened for explosives, baggage screeners continue to use, error-prone approaches, and there’s a shortage of qualified screeners. DHS Inspector General, Clark Kent Ervin admitted that the TSA screeners and privately contracted workers perform “about the same, which is to say, equally poorly.” An internal DHS investigation revealed that “[u]ndercover investigators were able to sneak explosives and weapons past security screeners at 15 airports.” What’s more, Air Marshals fly on less than 5% of flights while Bush sought to scale back funding. [National Journal, 6/09/04; The Hill, 4/30/03; House Select Committee on Homeland Security; Dallas Morning News 9/9/04; Telegraph, 7/23/04; Union Leader, 4/23/04; AP, 6/01/04; USA Today 9/23/04]

America still Vulnerable Because Terrorist Watch Lists Are Not Fully Accessible Or Integrated. According to news accounts, the terrorist aviation list only includes those who pose a danger to aviation. The federal ‘No-fly’ list still includes only suspected terrorists ‘who pose threats to civil aviation’ – not all suspected terrorists. “It’s just plain wrong,” said 9/11 Commissioner Slade Gorton. “The potential consequences are that terrorists can still get on aircraft in the United States.” On 9/11, only a dozen names were on the ‘No-fly’ list. Now there are about 3,500 names, only a fraction of more than 300,000 on the government’s main list of terror suspects.’ Those people could be couriers, operatives, or suicide bombers. “It doesn’t matter. You have to keep them all off [the list]” said terrorism expert Roger Cressey. [MSNBC, ‘No-fly’ list still lacking, 9/23/04 – citing Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General. “DHS Challenges in Consolidating Terrorist Watch List Information.” OIG-04-31. August 2004; MSNBC, ‘No-fly’ list still lacking, 9/23/04]

KERRY PLAN: John Kerry Will Step Up Aviation Security By Improving Screening of Cargo and Passengers for Explosives. In our airports, we’ll install the equipment to check passengers for explosives and to screen cargo just like we screen baggage. Instead of the current “Known Shipper” program, which screens a tiny fraction of the cargo on passenger planes, the Kerry-Edwards plan will significantly improve the screening of cargo carried on passenger planes. Instead of the current system, which essentially allows for spot checks of the highest-risk cargo, the new system will enable the screening of cargo like we screen bags. Their plan will provide for the development of the technology needed to make such screening feasible, as well as the personnel hiring needed to achieve it. The plan will also undertake additional security improvements that experts have called for, such as tightening background checks for employees of carriers.