How Bill Frist got Condoleezza Rice to Testify

Following up on Bill Frist's call on the Senate floor for making public Richard Clarke's 2-year old, secret testimony to Congress, alleging it is at odds with his current statements: Democrats who have seen the secret testimony (as well as Clarke) say it is consistent with his current statments. But the body responsible for changing the Secret status of information is not Congress, but the White House. Frist didn't check with the administration if they would grant such a request.

So Frist had put them on the spot: either deny making the testimony public and make it look like a cover-up, or take the extraordinary measure of using their power to make secret information public in order to attack an administration critic.

More seriously, doing the latter in response to a Congressional request would be unprecedented -- that is, it would set precedent, so that in the future when Congress wants something secret made public, the White House would have to comply.

Frist's call to make Clarke's testimony received a big boost from Clarke himself, who on Tim Russert's Sunday morning show, said Yes, Absolutely, let's make that testimony public. Spotlight to Whitehouse: which remained silent on the issue.

In response to Frist and Clarke, the administration had to make a move which would appear to be full disclosure of the facts surrounding Clarke's accusations, but which would support their arguments, undermine Clarke's credibility, and not erode Executive power.

Viola, Dr. Rice testifies publicly under oath in front of Congress.