Sparring Partners: Clinton v. Bush

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By Jake Tapper, ABC World News with Charles Gibson

September 26, 2006

CHARLES GIBSON The battle over terrorism and national security has also become a political scrap between the Clintons, both Mr. and Mrs. and the Bush administration, over who deserves more blame for not preventing the 9/11 attacks. In recent days, the words have become more bitter, more personal. Here's ABC's senior national correspondent, Jake Tapper.

GRAPHICS: SPARRING PARTNERS

JAKE TAPPER (ABC NEWS)

(Voiceover) Today, Senator Hillary Clinton argued that before 9/11, President Clinton took al Qaeda more seriously than President Bush did.

SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON (DEMOCRAT)

And I'm certain that if my husband and his national security team had been shown a classified report entitled "Bin Laden Determined To Attack Inside The United States," he would have taken it more seriously, than history suggests it was taken by our current president.

JAKE TAPPER (ABC NEWS)

(Voiceover) Her comments came after her husband's contentious interview, in which he defended his record in trying to kill bin Laden and attacked Bush's record.

FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON (UNITED STATES)

They had eight months to try. They did not try. I tried.

JAKE TAPPER (ABC NEWS)

(Voiceover) This morning, the Bush administration hit back. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, called Clinton's allegations, 'flatly false." Saying Bush was, 'at least as aggressive as Clinton against al Qaeda." The 9/11 Commission Report describes Bush's efforts to pursue al Qaeda, but unlike Clinton, Bush made no military efforts until after 9/11. The President told the Commissioners, before 9/11, he had not seen good options for special military operations against bin Laden. Rice also claimed that Clinton did not leave them a comprehensive strategy to fight al Qaeda.

JAKE TAPPER (ABC NEWS)

(Off-camera) That is contradicted by the 9/11 Commission Report, which describes Rice receiving, in January 2001, a comprehensive paper titled, 'Strategy For Eliminating The Threat From The Jihadist Networks Of Al Qaeda."

JAKE TAPPER (ABC NEWS)

(Voiceover) Members of the 9/11 Commission today, said the blame game isn't making the country any safer.

TIM ROEMER (9/11 COMMISSIONER)

I wished that we'd spend half as much time trying to get bin Laden, rather than spend all our time blaming Bush or Clinton.

JAKE TAPPER (ABC NEWS)

(Voiceover) Republicans have won the last two elections on national security issues. The question is, can Democrats, fighting back so aggressively, break that streak? Or does it just bring attention to what's been a losing issue for them? Jake Tapper, ABC News, Washington.

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