The Freedom Tower

“While some in both parties and both campaigns may say otherwise, terrorism is not a partisan issue,” The Baltimore Sun reports. “The first World Trade Center attack happened during the first days of the Bill Clinton presidency but was planned during the closing months of the administration of George H.W. Bush. While the second World Trade Center attack happened less than eight months into the George W. Bush administration, it was planned during the waning months of the Clinton administration. Intelligence experts who study al-Qaida and its offshoots will tell you that these terrorists don’t care if you are liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat. If you are an American, you are the enemy.

During Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s first major interview as Senator McCain’s running mate, Charles Gibson of ABC News raised a topic that has been brought to my attention repeatedly by some Pentagon officials and some of my former Pentagon colleagues. They wonder and worry about what happens to the much-maligned “Bush Doctrine” - which basically amounts to (in conjunction with our allies) destroying these terrorists and their cells where they eat, sleep and plan - should Senator Obama win in November. These officials - a number of whom are not fond of Mr. Bush - worry that if a President Obama drastically scales back or seeks to repeal the Patriot Act, outlaws electronic eavesdropping, extends habeas corpus rights to terrorism suspects and deems aspects of the Bush Doctrine to be criminal, how long before the terrorists reconstitute themselves and hit the U.S. homeland again? It’s a legitimate concern that has been all but ignored by debate moderators, the candidates and the media.”