WaPo columnist David Ignatius proffered some advice for the President during during the Richard Clarke testimony before the 9/11 commission.


He did it by asking what a real “war president” would have done faced with Clarke:


“Ilike to think that this hypothetical leader would have found a way to rise above the fray and unite the country: He would have embraced the commission’s work, forthrightly admitted his own mistakes, sent his national security adviser to testify publicly — and insisted that the security of the United States was too important to be buried in election-year squabbles.”


This is the worst advice since raise-taxes-and-be-a-statesman. (Following this advice did more than anything to make GHWB a one-term president.)



Indeed it was in part the White House response to Clarke that helped the public see him for what he is, a self-promoting bureaucrat eager to promote a book and–oh yes–bring down a president.


In the next eight months, the liberal media will be offering the White House a lot of “helpful” advice. Like Ingatius, these bad advice bears will often speak more in sorrow than in anger.


They will want only what is best for Bush and his administration (forthrightly admit your mistakes!).


Whether the advice is tendered by Eleanor Clift, Richard Cohen or Ignatius, whether it urges the administration to admit its mistakes, refrain from negative advertising, or hold a hundred debates, it will have one common thread: It’s disasterous.


With media friends like these…


Inkwell will be looking for examples of bad advice from the bad advice bears from now on through the election.


We invite readers to send us examples by clicking the letters button on the IWF homepage.