Biden Nods as Breitweiser Suggests Tenet, FBI Agents Merit Death as Much as Moussaoui

Imagine you're a US Senator. A citizen has just suggested that a former CIA Director and named FBI agents merit the death penalty as much as convicted terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui. Do you:

A. condemn such an outrageous comment?
B. move on to another topic?
C. congratulate the citizen for making "an absolutely accurate point"?

If you're Joe Biden [D-DE], the answer, incredibly, is 'C'.

Here's how it went down. In a 'Hardball' devoted to reactions to today's jury decision giving life in prison to Moussaoui, both Rudy Giuliani and Biden had expressed regret that Moussaoui hadn't been given the death penalty, in light of the fact that he knew of but failed to disclose the 9/11 plot.

When 9/11 widow - and harsh Bush administration critic - Kristin Breitweiser appeared, she had this to say:

"I would appreciate someone asking either Senator Biden or former Mayor Giuliani, if their standard for death is withholding information from the FBI that could have have prevented the 9/11 attacks, how then are we excusing FBI agents Maltbie and Frasca who were accused or allegedly accused in the Moussaoui penalty phase itself of being criminally negligent with regard to giving a FISA warrant?  How would you explain George Tenet who withheld information about two of the 9/11 hijackers for 18 months from the FBI, information that certainly would have gone a long way into preventing those attacks? And I'd like to know where we are drawing the line here, what is the threshold, and why are we not holding those types of people in our own government accountable?"

Chris Matthews offered Biden a perfect 'out': "Senator, is there a criminal intent there, or do you see a distinction between the behavior of public officials and Zacarias Moussaoui, who's just been sentenced to life?"

Biden spurned the life-line that Matthews tendered. Apparently intent on pandering to the most virulent of the Bush-administration hating left, Biden enthused "I think the juror, er, the family member, makes an absolutely accurate point about people not being held accountable." He went on to draw a distinction between criminal negligence and criminal intent, though it was not clear whether he was referring to the US officials or Moussaoui, since he added "I'm not second-guessing the jury here."

Bear Biden's performance in mind when, during the course of the 2008 Dem primaries, the MSM describes him as a 'moderate.'

Finkelstein lives in the liberal haven of Ithaca, NY, where he hosts the award-winning public-access TV show 'Right Angle'. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net