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Perino -- who claimed no terrorist attacks happened under Bush -- accuses Dems of "act[ing] as if 9-11 never happened"

February 02, 2010 1:09 pm ET — 11 Comments

During the February 1 edition of Fox Business Network's Cavuto, Fox News contributor Dana Perino, while discussing budget deficits and revenue, complained that Democrats "act as if 9-11 never happened." In November 2009, Perino herself claimed, "We did not have a terrorist attack on our country during President Bush's term."

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Perino on February 1:  Democrats "act as if 9-11 never happened"

Appearing on Cavuto immediately after Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-SC), who said that the Clinton administration left a "surplus that the Bush administration decided to just wither away," Perino remarked that "I think most American people would listen to the previous guest and just tune out. Absolutely, tune out. It is the same talking point after talking point.  They act as if 9-11 never happened."  From Cavuto:    

PERINO:  And we're either going to pay for it in more taxes or you're going to pay for it in less investment, you're going to pay for it in less jobs. That might be a sacrifice that we should all be willing to make if that is what we decide to do as a country, but this -- I think most American people would listen to the previous guest [Rep. Clyburn] and just tune out. Absolutely, tune out. It is just the same talking point after talking point.

They act as if 9-11 never happened.

CAVUTO: Well, you know, Dana --  

PERINO:  I'm actually just --

CAVUTO:  My point was with 9-11, and with the Internet implosion and what happened when that just crashed because that was a lot of revenue for the government and states and cities and it was all gone when the thing was cut in half, but that was then and this is now and I know people conveniently forget that. And I don't. I remember quite well.

[...]

CAVUTO: Well, I'm just saying for those who bash your old boss and since the president feels obligated to go back in history and remind folks what he inherited, I hope they remember as well what that president had to deal with the early days because I don't think any one would have seen the dimensions of the market implosion, particularly the technology implosion and then this little thing called 9-11. I think we tend to forget some pretty big events.

PERINO: We do forget big events.

Perino in November 2009:  "We did not have a terrorist attack on our country during President Bush's term"

During the November 24, 2009, edition of Fox News' Hannity, Perino claimed:  "We did not have a terrorist attack on our country during President Bush's term."  Following her remarks, Perino wrote on her Twitter account:  "I obviously meant no terror attack on U.S. post 9/11 during Bush 2nd term."

Similarly, on the December 27, 2009, edition of CNN's State of the Union, CNN contributor Mary Matalin falsely claimed that Bush "inherited the most tragic attack on our own soil in our nation's history." In fact, the September 11, 2001, attacks occurred eight months into Bush's presidency and more than a month after he had received a Presidential Daily Briefing titled, "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S."  On Good Morning America, Rudy Giuliani falsely claimed that "[w]e had no domestic attacks under Bush. We've had one under Obama." 

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    • Author by southerngal (February 02, 2010 1:25 pm ET)
      11 1
      Such baloney. Can't these Bush defenders just be honest about him? Rewriting history as if the fiscal recklessness and all the spending he favored was because of 9/11 and the market implosion. Nothing but excuses and lies. And Cavuto and Perrino know it. Listening to these people lecture anyone, or say this or that person has forgotten 9/11, make me ill.
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    • Author by rusty hinges (February 02, 2010 1:41 pm ET)
      4 1
      And the repubs continue to act as if little bush's regime never happened.
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    • Author by NiceguyEddie (February 02, 2010 3:09 pm ET)
        1
      You know... if I was as good looking as she was, I might looking in the mirror every bit as much as she appears to. But I still wouldn't let it creep into my rhetoric like that!

      --------------------------------------------------------
      Well played, MMFA!
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    • Author by ProgLib (February 02, 2010 3:14 pm ET)
      2  
      Are these people stupid or just blindly ignorant? How can somebody have the audacity to claim that an attack did not occur during Bush's term? We all know one occurred under Obama, but don't tell me that a bigger, and more life changing one, didn't under Bush. That is a complete show of disrespect to the victim's of 9/11 and their families.

      The amazing thing is how much denial the far-right and wingnut sympathizers put themselves through just to save the reputation of their party, ideology, etc. ... do they think millions of people don't hear these preposterous remarks? Don't they realize the evolution of technology and being able to tape and record every possible thing? Yet, they continue to lie, their lies are documented and they still do it. They must enjoy it messing with our heads, or something.
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    • Author by clams casino (February 02, 2010 3:22 pm ET)
      4  
      Even if she meant to say "second term," isn't that a bit like bragging that Lincoln didn't get shot in his first term?
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    • Author by farans195 (February 02, 2010 4:02 pm ET)
      3 1
      Nice Tits Dana! Anyone ever notice how FOX makes SURE to get the boob shot in when a woman is talking.
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    • Author by Don Hussein Fabuloso (February 02, 2010 9:22 pm ET)
      1  
      Is Perino jet-lagged or exhausted ? Drunk possibly ? She used to lie so smoothly and efficiently, but she sounds very disjointed here.

      Maybe the years of apologizing and spinning are just taking their toll. She did manage to work in that accusation of the other side using nothing but talking points, in the middle of her talking points, that's always good for some points.
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    • Author by jediknight65 (February 03, 2010 11:44 am ET)
      1  
      someone needs to turn the tape over in the voice box of Bush Barbie.
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