Hillary vs Rudy in 9/11 Anniversary Tussle

Newsmax.com 09/11/03 Carl Limbacher

After saying she wanted to keep politics out of the second anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton reiterated charges on Tuesday that the Bush White House was involved in a 9/11 cover-up - only to be refuted moments later by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Asked about last month's report by Environmental Protection Agency Inspector General Nikki Tinsley alleging that the White House pressured the EPA to downplay air quality dangers at Ground Zero, Clinton told NBC "Today Show" host Katie Couric, "This is an issue that I have very strong feelings about."

"I'm expecting answers and action," the top Democrat demanded, using the World Trade Center pit as her backdrop. "We know that the air particularly right there at Ground Zero was harmful."

After she described respiratory problems suffered by rescue and recovery workers as "widespread," Clinton was asked if the Bush White House had misled the American people.

Again the New York Democrat said she wanted to keep the discussion focused on the 9/11 commemoration. But in the next breath the former first lady noted, "It was the inspector general of the EPA itself that made the point that we weren't given the accurate information."

"I'm going to keep pushing this," Clinton told Couric. "As you know, I've put a hold on the nominee for the new EPA administration until I do get answers and actions."

Moments later, however, Mayor Giuliani disputed Sen. Clinton's claims that the White House had reason to believe Ground Zero air was unsafe for more than a few days after the attacks.

"It's not consistent with all the other reports that we had," Giuliani told Couric co-host Matt Lauer.

"There's no question that there were problems right in the pit and that people had to wear their masks there - and should have", he explained. "And obviously not everybody did. And when they were caught they were told to do it."

"But as you got beyond it," he continued, "the reports that we got from EPA, which are now being reviewed, were consistent with all the reports that we got from the state and the city environmental agencies - and the private ones that have been commissioned by the unions and the contractors."

When a flummoxed Lauer complained that the EPA IG now disagrees with previous assurances the air was safe, Giuliani shot back, "Well, that's [her] report. I'm talking about the other seven or eight [reports] that don't say that and are pretty much consistent" with the EPA's initial assurances.

Then, in what sounded like a direct rebuke to Sen. Clinton, Giuliani added, "Before this becomes a major political issue, which in a way it kind of has, somebody should look at the substance of it - because those reports were pretty darned consistent, as I recall it, with maybe seven other agencies unconnected to the EPA."

EPA Inspector General Tinsley, whose report has been repeatedly cited by Sen. Clinton in recent weeks, is a holdover from the Clinton administration.

HENCH adds: Hillary doesn't want a new EPA IG appointed, because she worries the new one might find out about all the illegal activities the Clinton administration had the EPA perform. Bogus reports to back up liberal claims, investigation and pressure on conservative companies, etc., etc. When Hillary uses her power MOUTH, it's for ONE reason: Hillary. She couldn't give a rat's ass about workers at ground zero.