Keywords For Ari Fleischer: 911, Hypocrisy, Lies, Secrecy

(Lies, 911) 05/2002

FACT: According to the Associated Press, Ari claimed that, "information was passed to the airlines and airports more than once last summer." However, the Fox News revealed, "no warnings indicated that a Sept. 11 scenario was credible or possible," "we’re not aware of any warnings or notifications of any specific threats," and "we were not notified by the federal government," according to spokespersons from United Airlines, Delta Airlines, and the Massachusetts Port Authority.

(Hypocrisy) 05/2002

FACT: First of all the White House puts pressure on congressional Democrats to "back off" any investigations of the events leading up to September 11. Now that everyone knows that the administration knew something before 911, the administration is pretending to consider an investigation. According to Ari, the White House doesn't want "a fishing expedition" that becomes "an endless waste of taxpayer money in an open-ended congressional investigation." 

COMMENT: I don't have to remind anyone reading this (but I will) that the GOP endlessly wasted taxpayers money on an open-ended congressional investigation into a blow-job. God forbid that they would actually dedicate some resources for an investigation into the most outrageous, lethal attack on American soil in the history of the nation.

(Lies, Hypocrisy) 

FACT: Ari was asked how George W. Bush's support for a new airline passenger surcharge could possibly be in line with Ari's previously held position that revenues is exactly the same as increasing taxes. "I never defined it that way," he said, and, "I defy you to find that statement because it has not been made." At the next press briefing reporters presented Ari with the transcript of the September 6th briefing, in which he said, and I quote, "If you raise money, it's a tax hike." 

(Lies, Secrecy) 

FACT: Most people would have given Bush the benefit of the doubt when he was shipped off to Nebraska by the Secret Service. The president was in danger and should be protected. According to Ari Fleischer, however, Air Force One received a phone call containing "code words" which indicated that it was a target. In fact, there was no such phone call. Ari later backed down - White House staffers had "apparently misunderstood comments made by their security detail." You originally could have read Ari's remarks for yourself at the White House website, but they have since been deleted from the transcript The White House claimed the deletion of the outrageous lie was a "transcription error", an "error" that they refuse to fix. Fortunately, the AP has it correctly. 

(Lies) 

FACT: In defense of Dick Cheney's refusal to hand over energy documents, Fleischer said, "the very document that protects our liberties more than anything else, the Constitution, was of course drafted in total secrecy.'' In fact, delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 were publicly identified. 

(Lies, Enron, Corporate Interests)

FACT: When questioned about Ken Lay's access to the president. "The President thinks that access should be across the board…And that's why the Sierra Club, for example, as you know, met repeatedly with the energy task force." In reality, the Sierra Club wasn't allowed to meet with anyone from the White House until after the energy policy was written and released, and even then, they were prevented from meeting with the full energy task force.