Chris Matthews debunks the myth to Todd Harris:
Matthews suggested one answer, which Harris latched onto. "The Bush administration kept the country safe," said the guest.
"Except the one big day," the host shot back.
"YouTube is watching," he told Harris. "You're the Republican consultant. One of the best in the country. Tell me what the Republican party has done for this country in the last ten to 20 years."
Harris stayed silent.
"Thank you," Matthews said to his recurring GOP guest as he closed the segment. "We'll have you back with the answer."
There has never been another terrorist attack as dramatic and with as many casualties as the attacks of September 11. Even if we ignore the other less significant attacks during the Bush years, like the Beltway Snipers and anthrax, how can these people just waive 9/11 with all of its enormity.
I'm having a similar debate on Twitter right now. Wingnuts simply refuse to accept that Bush/Cheney didn't really "keep us safe." The evidence is incontrovertible. The wingnut I'm debating posted a freep link to a list of terrorist attacks against U.S. targets and it showed that there were more attacks under Saint Reagan than under Clinton.
If you want a full account of the myth and a thorough debunking, I wrote a chapter about it in my book.