Posted on 02/17/2008 10:55:26 AM PST by kingattax
Hillary Clinton is far from being an afterthought in the Democratic presidential contest, but she is fading fast. It would be easy, but inaccurate, to assert that she has no one to blame but herself. At least some of the blame for her downward trajectory must be placed at the feet of her husband.
Bill Clinton turned into an attack dog in New Hampshire and played the race card in South Carolina, but it's more than that. Conventional wisdom held that she needed him around to win, but having him around probably reminded Democratic voters of the Clintons' unsavory side, which has led some to seek a clean break from the past by way of Barack Obama.
There was another time when Democrats wanted to forget the Clintons. It was a slow fade.
In his farewell address to the nation in 2001, President Clinton extolled the virtues of his accomplishments and instructed the incoming president to stay the course.
Before Bill and Hillary jetted to their new New York home following George W. Bush's inauguration, he told supporters and former administration officials at a crowded Andrews Air Force Base hangar, "We are not going anywhere!"
At the time, Democrats hoped he would retain his rightful place as spokesperson for the loyal opposition by taking a page out of the British parliamentary system - Clinton as a shadow president?
The thought at the time was that he who would be free of the White House's trappings and scandals and could help propel the Democrats back to power as the majority party in Congress. But, when presented with a fresh start, Clinton made no use of it. The same clouds of scandal and controversy, which cast shadows over HIS entire presidency set in at the beginning of his post-presidency.
Clinton garnered unwanted publicity for a greedy duo of mini-scandals first, by lifting several thousands of dollars of White House furniture and his pursuance of a high-priced office in a palatial New York City high-rise.
Then there was his pardon of fugitive-financier Marc Rich, who had been on the run for evading millions of dollars in taxes and doing business with the Iranian government while it held American hostages?
There was an indissoluble link between the pardon and the millions of dollars given to the Clintons by Rich's ex-wife, Denise, through campaign contributions, donations to the presidential library and even personal gifts. Despite his assurances at the time to the contrary, the pardon had all the appearances of a quid pro quo.
Clinton was on his own, calling friendly reporters and opinion-makers trying to explain his pardon. Democrats, who had defended all of Clinton's intolerable actions in office, openly castigated the former president.
Daily, Democratic members of Congress made the rounds on the 24-hour cable news channels to express their disgust for Clintons' departing actions. Even The New York Times reported at the time that the Clinton/Rich scandal had a dramatic impact on the Democratic Party's fund-raising efforts. Various donors, who were being hit up at the time for campaign cash, cited the "cash for pardons" scandal as a key factor in their decision not to give. Shortly after he left office Democrats just wanted Clinton to go away, because - they'd had enough.
Just last week, Hillary all but guaranteed that her husband wouldn't be the source of scandal in her White House if she was elected president. How could she be so confident? She can't control him when he's out on the campaign trail.
Democrats have had to come to terms with what putting the Clintons back into the White House might mean for their party. Apparently more of them are seeking the same clean break some Democrats sought in 2001.
Even if Shrillary loses the nomination, she’ll start running again the day after the inauguration, no matter who wins. She’ll be especially obnoxious if she lost to a ‘Pub, and slightly less so if she loses to Obama.
They are just awful people.
They remind me of a fungus, like athlete’s foot.
I will forget them after I ignore the signs at their graves that read: “No spitting, urinating or dancing”.
The flip side of the Clinton legacy is that Hillary would have been hard-pressed to have won a Congressional seat in a heavily-Democratic district on her own, if she hadn't been the wife of Bill Clinton, let alone be regarded as a serious contender for the Presidency of the United States. President of NOW or President of the National Lawyers' Guild, maybe.
This is why they will fight to the death up to the convention. All their cronies will become unemployable hacks who will not even have any value as prosecutorial witnesses.
It's my thinking that that's where Tony, Hughy, Roger, Livingstone, and countless other Clintonista risks are parked already. They are all hiding out away from the press and media on some isolated island somewhere.
WHY CAN’T THEY JUST GO AWAY!!!
Wow; you said a trainload there with great economy of words. They are the ultimate carpetbaggers and scalawags.
I am with you that the Clintons will continue to run and to do ANYTHING to get back into the WH. If they fail, their crimes will be used to publically destroy.
I enjoyed Rush’s last caller this week that plainly stated “Hillary Clinton is a criminal”. Rush let the whole thing stand.
Damned if she does, and damned if she doesn't. After all, what claim does hillary have to the White House other than having been married to bill clinton? Otherwise, I can think of thousands of people with more "experience" than she has.
A third-party run by Hillary Clinton would be fun. For his good deed in 1992 she could reward Ross Perot with the vice-presidential slot on the ticket.
Clinton was in total disgrace. And who rehabilitated him? GHW Bush and GW Bush.
One could only hope the Clintons will go away for good, however I doubt it’s in their blood.
The mistake the Clintons made is assuming the MSM would line up and assist them in trashing their opponent, like it did when their opponent was a Republican. The Clintons are so arrogant they thought they had invented media partisanship. Like Leon Trotsky, it’s their turn to sacrifice for the cause.
They are just awful people.
________________________
Yes, they are.
Someone needs to get all three of these Senators to resign their Senate seats while they are out campaigning instead of WORKING...
I still can’t believe that Bill and Hillary never served serious jail time. They have broken so many laws, and offed so many people, yetwalk freely. My ultimate political fantasy is to see those two in orange jumpsuits, wearing handcuffs and being frogmarched to a prison suite.
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