Yahoo! News - Bush Agrees to Let Rice Testify Publicly
WASHINGTON - President Bush agreed Tuesday to do what he had insisted for weeks he would not: allow National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice to testify publicly and under oath before an independent panel investigating the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The White House also agreed that Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney would answer questions — together, in private — before the entire commission.

The turnabout reflected administration concern that the president's strongest point with voters — his leadership in the war on terror — could be eroded if the high-publicity dispute over Rice's testimony lingered.

So this is just an election ploy George? Those poll number slip a bit on terrorism and we trot out Condi? Hmmmmm. I see.

Commissioner Bob Kerrey, a former Democratic senator from Nebraska, said the president and vice president will not be under oath.

Well of course not!