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.”