The Clinton Stain

Capitol Hill Blue ^ | 1/11/03 | Jay Ambrose

[Jakarta ex-pat]

The prospects looked really gloomy for Gray Davis in the California recall election, but then Bill Clinton started giving him advice and making speeches on his behalf. The cloudiness changed to sunshine. The voters saw the light. This governor who was so far behind spurted ahead and, and ...

Wait a second. Let me double-check my notes. Oops, sorry. Davis lost big while a politically inexperienced actor glided home.

My notes don't stop there. In fact, they tell me that about the last thing candidates should pray for is to have Brother Bill show up with sermons favoring their victory. Ask some of those who got the help and tasted defeat, such as Kathleen Kennedy Townsend in the gubernatorial race in Maryland.

If you did think the Clinton touch was political gold, it's possible you subscribe to the legend that goes something like this: This brilliant, humane leader from Arkansas has political skills unseen since the death of FDR and engendered peace and prosperity during two presidential terms despite the unscrupulous assaults of his implacable enemies. All of that is about as true as Gray Davis being carried on Clinton's back to victory on California's election day.

I don't make that observation as a Clinton hater. Now that some of us have noticed the Bush haters out there, there are those responding that the phenomenon is excusable because, after all, there were Clinton haters, and it's apparently their philosophy that two wrongs make a right.

There were indeed Clinton haters, but I actually liked Clinton. I met him a couple of times and found him charming, and while I considered it more than a little disturbing that he committed perjury while president, I never argued for his removal from office. I even think he had some virtues as president. After some early setbacks, he didn't try to do too much, and at least on some issues (certainly not all), that strikes me as an appropriate role for the federal government: quiescence.

For those interested in the truth about Clinton, as opposed to those happy to emote whatever verdict their ideology dictates, I recommend reading Rich Lowry's book, "Legacy: Paying the Price for the Clinton Years." Lowry, it happens, is editor of the National Review, which is a conservative magazine. You may suppose the book consequently will be a right-wing rant. The truth is, the book is balanced, almost disappointingly so for those of us who occasionally enjoy a right-wing rant. The tone is downright scholarly even as we learn what a failure Clinton finally was.

I can touch on just a few of the book's points here. A chief one debunks the fiction that Clinton was responsible for the roaring economy of the '90s. He himself had made the economy seem worse than it was during his first run for president, and then was a beneficiary of Reagan-era tax cuts and the efficiency moves of American corporations. The deficit closed not because of his policies or those of Republicans in Congress, but because a growing economy was producing so much revenue.

Clinton should not get credit for slowing crime rates. That was accomplished by such factors as courts sending more bad guys to prison, thereby getting them off the streets where they could do their violent thing, and improving police performance. Welfare reform, Lowry reminds us, was forced on Clinton by Republicans in Congress.

Terrorism? Clinton's style, in the face of challenge, was retreat; the Somalia withdraw is one example. It is at least conceivable the United States could have gotten hold of Osama bin Laden had his administration been more alert and aggressive.

Does any of this matter in more than an academic sense at this point?

Absolutely. Clinton is still involving himself in politics and national and international issues, and the way one understands his administration will inform the way one understands the current administration. You don't have to hate Clinton to get it that his administration actually let this country down in important ways, and that we may be paying the price for a long, long time.

[kdmhcdcfld]

Looks like Clinton's stain is on more than just Monica's dress...

[friendly]

May the evil Clintons long reign as the absolute iron-fisted rulers of the DNC and the rat party!!

[HangThemHigh]

Reminds me of the time when George Wallace was running for governor of Alabama. The KKK offered to come out for him or against, whichever he thought would help more. At least the KKK understood their place in the grand scheme of things.

[alwaysconservative]

Great article! The former occupant of the WH does not need to be demonized, he just needs to be recognized for the irrelevant failure he was, pathetically struggling to find his legacy amidst a juvenile, ego-driven spree of pretending how smart he was. Derision, not fear, is the more effective weapon against him.

[YaYa123]

Common sense, logic, and honest recollection of fact:
The most powerful weapons to use against both Clintons.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

What did we do, what sin did we commit to deserve the Clintons ?

[witnesstothefall]

I prefer the title: The Stain, Clinton.

The Stain spends his remaining days chasing after reporters insisting his delusions of greatness be recited before a disbelieving public, again and again and again.

[Don Corleone]

What did we do, what sin did we commit to deserve the Clintons ?

We elect Democrats!!! and RINO'S

[gooleyman]

I even think he had some virtues as president.

I notice the author didn't mention any "virtues" in detail. I submit he didn't know of any because there were NONE.

-----

After some early setbacks, he didn't try to do too much...

HE COULDN'T DO TOO MUCH AFTER HIS BIGGEST SETBACK...THE REPUBLICANS KICKED THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE DEMOCRATS A$$E$ OUT OF THE LEADERSHIP AND PUT A CLAMP ON ANYTHING HE WANTED TO DO!!!. That was my happiest day of Billy Jeff's stained era. It still warms my heart when I thing of Rush playing "I feel good" over and over to start his radio show the day after that election. My buddy and I turned the radio up real loud so the liberals in the office couldn't help but hear it. That's why the economy continued to grow. He couldn't do anything. And that's a good thing.

-----

Clinton should not get credit for slowing crime rates. That was accomplished by such factors as courts sending more bad guys to prison, thereby getting them off the streets...

NO...He took them to the White House with him. That's what got them off the streets.

-----

...his administration actually let this country down in important ways, and that we may be paying the price for a long, long time.

Sadly this it true, but hopefully his stain has turned enough people against the DemocRATS such that they stay out of power for a long time to come. I don't like him (Clinton) one bit, but I hope he's around for a long time to campaign for his favorite candidates. I never thought I would wish him a long life, but he's actually a Conservative's best friend right now.

[GWB00]

Reminds me of the time when George Wallace was running for governor of Alabama. The KKK offered to come out for him or against, whichever he thought would help more.

So what did Wallace do? Maybe Clinton can learn from this experience?

Oh, I forget we are talking about Bill Clinton, the KKK were not a bunch of narcissists.

[RipSawyer]

"What did we do, what sin did we commit to deserve the Clintons ?"


How much did we deserve them? Let me count the ways! We made it unhip to talk politics. We failed to teach our children the true history of this country as we allowed Socialists with no understanding of the real world to take over our schools. We allowed feminists to make true masculinity a sin. We allowed the finest citizens of this nation to be demonized while we made instant celebrities of people who, in the past, would have been demonized. We raised up the worst of the ghetto and made them wealthy "entertainers" and allowed hard work and dedication to improving family life to be labelled as "unhip". We paid high cable rates to watch television shows that we would never have watched for free in the days when we still had some sense. Oh, hell, I have to stop now and go do some work.

[Thom Pain]

"What did we do, what sin did we commit to deserve the Clintons ?"

WE, as a nation, chose to remain ignorant and un-involved in public policy. And we foolishly let Dan, Peter and Tom tell us what we think. As a group, we are naive and stoopid!

[RipSawyer]

"As a group, we are naive and stoopid!"

Yeah, what you said!

[Reo]

"What did we do, what sin did we commit to deserve the Clintons ?"

"We" didn't,Eric. But the Dems did, and now they are reaping what they sowed. Their payoff is their ever-shrinking minority status, increasing frustration, and living in a state of visceral hate for their opposition. Every miserable bit of it is well deserved.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I have predicted that some time in the next 12 to 18 months, another awful story about the Clintons will filter out from under a rock somewhere. It might be another sexual escapade or another tale of Red Chinese intrigue, but what ever it is, the press will rush through it and editorialists will write the usual tut-tut's, saying we've heard all this before.
Its just a matter of time.

[Tacis]

Normal folks should NEVER, NEVER discount Willie! It is Willie's stain that causes the sleazes to hate Bush.

The filthy and corrupt Willie followers, those who lied for him and backed him and then found that all those nasty things they said he did, he actually did, will ALWAYS try to vindicate themselves, not by raising Willie from the sewage (they can't; Starr's report will always document his crimes), but by trying to drag any good guy or Republican down into the muck. This was allow them to claim that while Willie may have been a disgrace, this guy is just as bad.

Willie is the bag of flaming dog s**t that someone puts on your front porce to be stampped out. You'll never forget that and ALWAYS try to get even and encourage that the same device be used on others. The next dem Congress will impeach its Republican President, not because of what the President did but because dems are genetically filthy and corrupt. That is what motivates them and that is why Willie will always be able to bring out the faithful. Fortunately, there are much fewer of them and, today, a lot more of us good guys.

[Bon mots]

Previously the presidency meant strain and duress.
For BJ Clinton, it was mostly about a stain on a dress.

Oh, and a litany of other high crimes and misemeanors...

[Bon mots]

misemeanors = misdemeanors

[Paulus Invictus]

A whole lot of Pubbies around here voted for that idiot Perot, and look what it got them! One of the Perot campaign organizers was a guy I played tennis with. I told him at the start that splitting the Pubbie vote was a vote for Klintoon. He didn't believe me. He does now.