Prometheus 6

PUBLIC OPINION – MOST BELIEVE WH IS HIDING INFO OR LYING: A CBS News poll taken after Rice's testimony shows that more than three out of four Americans believe the Bush Administration is either hiding something or lying about September 11. Similarly, a Newsweek poll found that 60% of Americans say the Bush Administration "underestimated the terrorist threat and focused too much on other security issues like missile defense and Iraq prior to September 11." Just 23% say the Bush Administration took the threat seriously.

DISHONESTY – STILL SAYING HE REQUESTED THE BRIEFING: The President yesterday insisted that he personally requested the August 6 intelligence briefing because he was so concerned about terrorism, saying "I asked the intelligence agency to analyze the data to tell me whether or not we faced a threat internally...That's what the PDB request was." But according to the CIA, the briefing "was not requested by President Bush." As commissioner Richard Ben-Veniste disclosed, "the CIA informed the panel that the author of the briefing does not recall such a request from Bush and that the idea to compile the briefing came from within the CIA."

NOTE: from a psychological perspective it's possible all parties are being honest in their recollections. I would give weight to those whose recollections changed with the frequency.