Nothing To Hide
From Reuters:
Bush and Cheney agreed under pressure from victims' families and the commission to answer its questions, but only on condition that they appear together and in private, with no tape recording of the session. They were not under oath.
Come on, even Nixon made tapes in the White House!
Best Case Scenario
One or more of the commissioners bring in tape recorders and whip them out before the questions start. This session is already a farce. A president who can't answer unscripted questions on his own. A vice-president who seems to be corrupt to the core. If they kick out the commission, which they surely would, they simply walk outside to the press and explain the situation.
Q Why did you bring in tape recorders when the deal had been for no tapings?
Gorelick: We felt that this historic event was too important to go unrecorded, no matter what the wishes of the White House are. This commission is for the people of the United States. They deserve answers.
Q Is this a move by the democrats to politicize the commission?
Kean: No. Here is my tape recorder.
Yeah, pipe dream, I know... Pointless indeed.
Update
More from Reuters:
"If we had something to hide we wouldn't have met with them in the first place. We answered all their question. I came away good about the session because I wanted them to know how I set strategy, how we run the White House, how we deal with threats," Bush said.
Which is why it wasn't under oath, taped, or recorded in anyway other than by "note takers." They also clearly have nothing to hide because not only did they oppose the creation of the 9-11 Commission, the fought tooth and nail to not have important administration members testify. What a disgrace.
