Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Constitution: White House spin unnecessary OUR OPINIONS Staff Friday, September 28, 2001

Whether a stretch of the truth or an outright deception, it is disappointing to learn that White House officials apparently misled the public about threats against President Bush and Air Force One on Sept. 11.

You may recall that the president did not return immediately to Washington after the attacks. The next day, Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer told reporters that a caller, "using code words" indicating inside knowledge of security procedures, had phoned in a threat, saying, "Air Force One is a target." Fleischer also indicated that the airliner that hit the Pentagon had been aiming for the White House before changing course.

It now appears that those assertions were not entirely true. The Associated Press reports that administration officials acknowledge there is no record of such a call. The officials now say that White House staffers apparently misunderstood reports from a security detail. Meanwhile, the claim that Flight 77 diverted from a collision course with the White House has been discredited by flight data.

A misinterpretation in the white heat of the events of Sept. 11 is understandable. But Bush's people had plenty of time to verify the threat claim before disseminating stories about it in news conferences and interviews on Sept. 13.

Instead, they apparently went ahead with misleading statements designed to save face for their boss. Remember that before Sept. 11, Bush and his political handlers were struggling mightily to portray him as a commanding presence, even as his poll ratings slipped and the momentum for his agenda was dissipating. Perhaps they feared the perception of a president unwilling or afraid to return to Washington during a national emergency.

Their fears weren't entirely unfounded. Even conservative columnist William Safire lamented in The New York Times that Bush had not overruled his security agents and returned to a base near Washington to speak reassuringly to a shocked nation.

But it was easy enough for most Americans to understand that in the chaos of Sept. 11, prudence suggested the president should keep his distance. That makes it all the more unfortunate that, in a time of national crisis that demanded a government at its most trustworthy, Bush's handlers chose to dissemble needlessly.

The political landscape is different today, of course. Americans of all stripes have rallied around the president since the attack, and Bush has demonstrated his mettle under pressure. With this newfound political strength to lean on, the White House should now be secure enough to offer the American people an apology.

-- Anonymous, September 28, 2001