Ten instances over nearly four years. Critical moments when the Bush administration was either under siege, or when its political opponents were gaining strength. Ten instances of terror threats that conveniently appeared just when they would benefit the president the most.
Coincidence? Ridge admitted in May 2005 that the administration raised the terror alert level even though there wasn't enough evidence to do so. And Olbermann's list leaves out other instances when the terror alert level was changed – such as in January and February 2002, when the first stories of the Enron scandal started to appear, or last August's "liquid bomb" threat that snarled air travel for weeks.
So when you hear President Bush repeatedly invoking the name of al-Qaida, and read stories about "credible" information about future terror plots, remember this timeline and remember the people in the White House who turned fear into a political tool.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
