With typical Lonegan hyperbole, he attacks the Congressional investigators for "tarnish
" the "image of America," calling the proceedings a "circus of irresponsibility. In fact, the only "circus of irresponsibilty" were the revelations of a Bush administration more determined to speak with "one voice" than to protect the lives of rescue workers and first responders. The heart of Lonegan's column is the following passage:
"There was no handbook on how to cope with the total destruction of two of the tallest office buildings in the world by terrorists armed with 747 jets loaded with innocent Americans. There is now; and it is written through the trial by fire experience of those called on to lead, Christie Whitman among them. America was confronted with a destructive evil never before experienced on our soil. Those responsible for making battlefield decisions were forced to do so with little or no information."
No one disputes the tragedy, the sheer devastation of 9/11. But Lonegan's emotional pandering here aims to obscure the true reality; Whitman did have the necessary information about air quality in New York and the legal tools at her disposal to lead after 9/11. More importantly, as head of the EPA she had the obligation to protect the public's health. And yet, it's becoming increasingly clear that she failed.
http://www.bluejersey.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=5119
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