9/11 widows win support for commission

WASHINGTON -- A group of women who lost their husbands in the collapse of the World Trade Center are beginning to change some minds about the need for an independent commission to investigate the Sept. 11 attacks. Their next target: President Bush ( news - web sites).

For months, the president and other administration officials have argued against an independent commission. This week, however, senior White House officials met with three widows spearheading a lobbying campaign.

''They said they have a lot of thinking to do,'' said Kristen Breitweiser, one of the widows who attended the meeting.

White House officials say that a commission isn't the right way to investigate the terrorist attacks. But Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., who accompanied the women to the meeting with Jay Lefkowitz, chief of the president's domestic policy council, said he's ''much more hopeful'' than he was previously.

Smith, who represents many Sept. 11 victims' families, last week helped Rep. Tim Roemer, D-Ind., engineer a surprise House vote in favor of an independent panel to investigate the attacks. He credits the unexpected victory to lobbying by family members, who helped to persuade 25 Republicans to support the bill. ''It's hard to look them in the eyes and not get it,'' Smith said.