This morning on Fox News, the pundit roundtable discussed new charges leveled by former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge that politics played a role in the issuance of terror alerts in the Bush administration. Nicolle Wallace, who served as the Communications Director for the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign and later served as the White House communications director, complained that Ridge was making a “wussy” allegation:

We were having a very political discussion [in the 2004 campaign] about terrorism. … But that is quite different from what he very, I think in a kind wussy way, alleges. I mean, this is not a very precise attack. This is — he pondered and wondered if perhaps politics went into it. You know, it’s very fishy to me.

Tad Devine, a senior strategist on the 2004 John Kerry presidential campaign, responded, “I don’t think he’s wussy to expose this. I think he’s shown a lot of courage, and I’m glad he did it.” Watch it:

Wallace’s criticism echoes that of former Bush speechwriter David Frum. “That is the most tentative possible way of advancing an accusation,” Frum said of Ridge’s accusation. Last week, a spokesman for John Ashcroft said, “Now would be a good time for Mr. Ridge to use his emergency duct tape.”

In his forthcoming book, former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge reveals being pressured by Attorney General John Ashcroft and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to raise the terror alert right before the 2004 presidential election. Ridge wrote:

I wondered, “Is this about security or politics?” Post-election analysis demonstrated a significant increase in the president’s approval rating in the days after the raising of the threat level. … I consider the episode to be not only a dramatic moment in Washington’s recent history, but another illustration of the intersection of politics, fear, credibility and security.

The New York Times’ Peter Baker notes that Ridge’s new claim is a reversal from his previous statements:

Until now, he has denied politics played a role in threat levels. Asked by Eric Lichtblau of The New York Times if politics ever influenced decisions on threat warnings, he volunteered to take a lie-detector test. “Wire me up,” Mr. Ridge said, according to Mr. Lichtblau’s book, “Bush’s Law.” “Not a chance. Politics played no part.”

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette pours through Tom Ridge’s new book and offers the relevant passages where the former Homeland Security chief discusses the Bush administration’s desire to increase the terror threat level for political reasons. Ridge reveals that Attorney General John Ashcroft and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld argued in favor of raising the threat level by noting the correlation it had with Bush’s approval rating:

Osama bin Laden had released a videotape with one more ominous sounding but unspecific threat against the United States. Neither Mr. Ridge nor any of the department’s security experts thought the message warranted any change in the nation’s alert status.

“…at this point there was nothing to indicate a specific threat and no reason to cause undue public alarm,” he writes.

But that view met resistance in a tense conference call with members of the intelligence community and several other Cabinet officers including Attorney General John Ashcroft and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

“A vigorous, some might say dramatic, discussion ensured. Ashcroft strongly urged an increase in the threat level and was supported by Rumsfeld.”

Noting the correlation found between increases in the threat level and the president’s approval rating, Mr. Ridge writes, “I wondered, ‘Is this about security or politics?’”

(HT: Marc Ambinder)

Former Bush Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge is releasing a book on September 1 titled, “The Test of Our Times: America Under Siege…and How We Can Be Safe Again.” U.S. News’ Paul Bedard reports that, in the book, Ridge reveals that he considered resigning because he was urged to issue a politically-motivated security alert on the eve of Bush’s re-election:

Among the headlines promoted by publisher Thomas Dunne Books: Ridge was never invited to sit in on National Security Council meetings; was “blindsided” by the FBI in morning Oval Office meetings because the agency withheld critical information from him; found his urgings to block Michael Brown from being named head of the emergency agency blamed for the Hurricane Katrina disaster ignored; and was pushed to raise the security alert on the eve of President Bush’s re-election, something he saw as politically motivated and worth resigning over.

Playing politics with terror was a relatively frequent occurrence in the Bush administration. In August 2004, the AP reported that even “some senior Republicans” privately questioned Ridge’s timing of a terror alert that came just three days after the Democratic National Convention. According to the AP report, “One top GOP operative, who works closely with Bush’s political team, said the White House appeared to overplay its hand, and voters may smell politics behind the warning.”

Earlier this month, Dick Cheney made headlines after telling CBS that he would rather have Rush Limbaugh in the GOP than Colin Powell. “Well, if I had to choose — in terms of being a Republican — I’d go with Rush Limbaugh, I think,” he said. Today on Fox News Sunday, Karl Rove said he agrees with Cheney:

Q: Dick Cheney said if it’s a battle between, or a choice between Rush Limbaugh and Colin Powell, he sides with Limbaugh. You?

ROVE: Uh, yes, if I had to pick between the two. But you know what? Neither one of those are candidates. Neither one of those are going to be people who are offering themselves for office. This is a false debate that Washington loves.

Watch it:

Former Bush Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge took a shot at Limbaugh today, telling CNN that Limbaugh can be “shrill” and uses language in a way “that offends very many.” “[W]ords mean things and how you use words is very important,” Ridge said. “But personally, if he would listen to me and I doubt if he would, the notion is express yourself but let’s respect others opinions and let’s not be divisive.”

In an interview with CNN set to air on Sunday, former Bush Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said that he disagreed with Vice President Cheney’s claim that President Obama is making the country less secure. “Yeah, I disagree with Dick Cheney,” said Ridge. He added that although he disagreed with much of what President Obama said in his speech on national security yesterday, he also took issue with Cheney’s response. “It’s just the whole notion of a Republican vice president giving a speech after the incumbent Democratic president,” he said. “It’s gotta go beyond the politics of either party.” Watch it:

Bush’s former Secretary of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge, is considering a run for the Republican Senate nomination in his home state of Pennsylvania. Roll Call reports “Ridge’s moderate politics and national profile would make him a more viable candidate in the general election” against Arlen Specter, who recently switched to the Democratic Party because he feared that he would not be able to win the Republican primary. Several Democrats, including Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) and Pennsylvania Board of Education chair Joe Torsella, are considering competing against Specter in a primary. Specter has lined up the support of Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA) and President Obama.