Posted on 08/24/2005 10:26:54 AM PDT by Sam Hill
Surely you remember the media furor that occurred after the parents of a Medal Of Honor soldier blamed Bill Clinton for his death? I don't either.
In reality, the reports about this were few and far between. One of the rare accounts came from a foreign newspaper, the London Sunday Times:
May 29, 1994Dead Hero's Father Tears into Clinton
It was the moment President Bill Clinton wanted to restore his tattered reputation with the military before his departure for the D-Day celebrations in Europe this week, James Adams reports.
He had just presented posthumous Congressional Medals of Honour, America's highest military decoration, to the widows of two soldiers for valour in Somalia. After inviting the families for a moment of quiet reflection in the Oval Office, the president approached Herbert Shughart, the father of one of the two soldiers, and offered his hand.
To his astonishment the handshake was declined. ''You are not fit to be president of the United States,'' said Shughart Senior. ''The blame for my son's death rests with the White House and with you. You are not fit to command.''
The president reeled and the unprecedented onslaught continued for some minutes. According to witnesses it was a ''highly charged emotional moment'' which resulted in Clinton trying to explain to Shughart,Sr. why the events of that day last October were not his fault.
Shughart and his colleague, both sergeants, were killed trying to rescue fellow rangers from a vicious fire-fight in which 18 died and 75 were wounded. A later Pentagon investigation revealed that the troops had been refused the right equipment and there was no political or military plan to justify the Americ an presence in Somalia. Although the president has tried to escape the blame, he is largely credited with the failure of the whole American effort to bring peace to Somalia. According to witnesses to the Oval Office scene, the Shughart family remained unconvinced by the president's arguments.
''The medal doesn't help anything, other than that we are grateful that Randy will be remembered in such an honourable way,'' said Lois Shughart, the soldier's mother.
This incident is also recounted in Lt. Col. Tom McKenney's book, The Clinton Chronicles:
Eventually, after Clinton had sat on the paper work for eight weeks, two of the slain soldiers, Master Sergeant Gary Gordon and Sergeant First Class Randall Shughart, were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. As usual in such cases, the medals were presented to the next of kin.
Following the May 23 presentation at the White House, the families of the two men were invited into the Oval Office for a private visit with Clinton. Inside the office, the father of Sergeant Shughart refused to shake Clinton's hand, then look him in the face and calmly told him that he was responsible for his son's death, that it was for no purpose, that he was not fit to be President, and not fit to be Commander in Chief.
Clinton was visibly shocked, amazed, and momentarily speechless. It is revealing that he was surprised that the man should feel that way. Clinton really doesn't think the way most people do, seeming to lack a sense of personal responsibility. After a brief, awkward silence, Clinton caught his breath. Becoming angry, he turned to the mother of the dead soldier and said, "What's he jumping on me for? I didn't kill the kid!"
The Shugharts should feel lucky, I guess. At least Clinton didn't have them arrested or sic the IRS on them, as he did with his others who refused to shake his hand, such as Patricia and Glenn Mendoza.
"Whats he jumping on me for? I didnt kill the kid!"
Mr. Sensitive.
fyi
I remember these incidents and how Clinton handled them with retribution in the case of the Chicago couple. That's what I've been saying all along, Clinton would have had Cindy jailed. He certainly wouldn't have had a private meeting with her -- her bra size is too small.
"Put some ice on that..."
I'm sure his upper lip was trembling.
If anyone disagreed with slick willie, he sicced the IRS on them or had them arrested by the SS, right there on the beach.
Get her a blue dress, black beret maybe.
Clinton wouldn't have to do anything, because he wouldn't have had the balls to take serious action in the face of 9/11.
BILL CLINTON'S CINDY SHEEHANS (courtesy Sean Hannity)
THE LEFT'S RECKLESS TET-OFFENSIVE-GAMBIT REPLAY:
the left's jihad against America is killing our troops, aiding + abetting the terrorists and imperiling all Americans2
"I remember these incidents and how Clinton handled them with retribution in the case of the Chicago couple."
Yes. He did it to several peeople who criticized him in public. Had the Secret Service pounce on them. Often they were handcuffed, sometimes strip-searched. Often they spent hours, sometimes days in jail. And sometimes they even got audited in the bargain.
The Mendozas are just one example.
Or others,such as Rev. Rob Schenck or Bill Kelley.
For more details, http://members.aol.com/basfawlty/shake_bc.htm
I never knew any of this. Clinton was so insulated from criticism that it would be laughable if it weren't so sad.
Why hasn't this been shared with some of our "Conservative" commentators and friends? Would they even use it to defend Bush at this point?
...thanks I was going to ask if anyone had the newsclip
Doogle
The Klintoon War Room gang (Begala, the Hildebeest, Carville, etc.) and all the media shills would have long since dispatched a comparable person protesting Bubba. Every unflattering tidbit and bit of dirt that Anthony Pellicano could find would have been trumpeted from the lamestream media rooftops 24/7, and the IRS audit would already be in process. Also, the lives of any pets belonging to a Bubba protestor might be in danger.
What would clintoon do about Cindy, probably come on to her, screw her and give her an ice pack afterwards.
He'd call for a private meeting and drop his pants.
That's a great piece.
I especially love how differently Clinton treated Kelley (who dared to ask him about taxes) and the AIDS activist, "Luke Sissyfag."
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