Political Quotes

“I would call everyone's attention to the fact that the 9/11 Commission was not the first commission to point out the need for more power in the person who is in charge of our intelligence. Just about every commission that has looked at intelligence reform has come to this conclusion. Beginning in 1947, the period right after World War II gave birth to the modern intelligence community. Ever since then, this has been a problem. There was a grand compromise that was made at that time and that compromise set us on this path. The situation, though, has gotten worse and worse as time has gone on. And as some of my colleagues have pointed out, we have reached the point where, when George Tenet knew and understood, as frankly few people in this country did, about the threat from Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida and declared war, he looked around and frankly did not have the troops. And the reason he did not have the troops was he did not control the budget. He did not have the power. He had the responsibility, but he did not have the power.”