Published in Home News & Tribune - Central Jersey on 01/4/06

Barbara Skokan claims that "when Clinton and Gore were in power they did their best to weaken our country's defenses." Ms. Skokan is clearly unaware that Bill Clinton nearly doubled our country's counterterrorism budget while in office.

Mr. Clinton also established a Counterterrorism Security Group that reported directly to the White House.

Under Clinton's Counterterrorism Security Group, several planned al-Qaida attacks on U.S. soil were prevented, and al-Qaida sleeper cells within our borders were eliminated.

Because these terrorists were foiled, their actions did not make the front pages; the media were too busy focusing on Clinton's private life.

Compare Clinton's actions with those of President Bush, who before Sept. 11, 2001, refused to meet with his own counterterrorism adviser. The Bush administration actually thought Clinton was overly obsessed with al-Qaida.

And we all know Bush did not respond to the infamous presidential daily briefing of Aug. 6, 2001, titled, "Bin Laden determined to strike in U.S."

I was not a supporter of Clinton during his years in office. But five years of Bush's incompetence has helped me to appreciate Clinton's considerable accomplishments.