Clinton Missed Chance at Greatness?

EIB ^ | Rush Limbaugh

[VinnyTex]

When the first sentence of a column begins, "Lucky though he was, Bill Clinton never had his shot at greatness," what exactly do you interpret that to mean? Chris Matthews wrote it, and proceeded with the following two sentences. "He could lower the jobless rate, balance the budget, console us after the Oklahoma City bombing. But he never got the opportunity George W. Bush was given this Tuesday: the historic chance to lead."

		Are you interpreting this the way I am? He seems to be lamenting the fact that Bill Clinton never had a national tragedy in which to display his magnificent leadership characteristics. As though George W. Bush is thanking God and his lucky stars that thousands of Americans are dead so that he can get a couple of favorable columns from Johnny Apple of the New York Times and Howard Fineman of Newsweek? This is just so typical of how some in the media look at news and what they think the purpose of a news event is. It's all about them! It's all about an opportunity for them to shine and look good. I guess I shouldn't even be surprised by this, but I am nevertheless disappointed. The fact that presidential greatness is measured by a president's handling of great challenges is true. But that's not the same as saying in the context of recent events that Bill Clinton was unlucky because, in essence, this carnage didn't happen on his watch and thereby give him his chance at greatness. I mean, what are we supposed to do here, be sorry that the terrorists didn't hit when Clinton was president so he'd have his chance at greatness? This is just Bush's dumb luck? Why, Clinton might finally have had a chance to win the Nobel Peace Prize had the terrorists done this nine months ago? The simple fact of the matter, Chris, is that they did do this before. They hit us in Africa. They hit us in Saudi Arabia. They hit the USS Cole. And Bill Clinton didn't do anything about it. Bill Clinton, in fact, bombed innocent people on the day that Monica Lewinsky was testifying before her grand jury. This is outrageous. This is simply unbelievable.

		Sunday night, on 60 Minutes, Lesley Stahl reported that in 1998 Bill Clinton issued a directive allowing the use of force to apprehend Osama bin Laden, and that one such effort had been tried but failed. She said that Clinton decided that there was a self-defense exception to the legal prohibition against assassination. Dan Rather, to his credit, asked Stahl why this is coming out now. She said she didn't know why, but assumed that her sources didn't want the public to think that Clinton was asleep at the wheel back then while bin Laden was going bonkers. So you've got damage control going on by Bill Clinton right now. Very interesting. The Associated Press reported last week that Clinton passed up an opportunity at the end of his administration to take another military whack at bin Laden. The Washington Timesand others have reported that in 1995 Clinton restricted the CIA's human intelligence capabilities by prohibiting the CIA's use of any spies who had dirty hands. We're not going to do business with former terrorists, in essence, is what Clinton said, which would make it impossible to infiltrate these groups. And there's more, which I point out in the audio link below. It's unfortunate that national security was never a priority in the Clinton administration. They cut the defense budget below acceptable levels, and as recently as two weeks ago, the Senate was preparing to hold back the defense appropriations bill for partisan political purposes. Think about that.

[From The Deer Stand]

Clinton had his chance to lead.... he blew it! (No pun intended).

[CheneyChick]

Clinton Missed Chance at Greatness?

Like he ever had a chance. Nope, Monica is his legacy.

[VinnyTex]

Ladies and gentlemen, I need to correct something that appeared on our website last week involving Peter Jennings of ABC News. We paraphrased a comment made by Peter Jennings, and made the mistake of putting quotation marks around the paraphrase, and I want to officially retract what it was that we said. In this specific instance, Peter Jennings had criticized President Bush for not showing up in public and addressing the nation, particularly in Washington, D.C.

		Jennings made a comment along the lines of Well, some presidents are just better at it than others, meaning addressing the people of the country as mourners-in-chief or comforters-in-chief or what have you. And then later on, practically immediately, we added on the website, in quotes, Maybe it's wise that certain presidents just not try to address the people of the country. This caused some angst at ABC News, amongst Peter Jennings and his staff, because they claim he never said it. We went and dug deep, trying to find out where we got it and thought that he had said it, and it turns out that it was said to me in an e-mail from a friend of mine. I did not see Peter Jennings say it. I had not seen any ABC coverage. They admitted the first statement, but flatly denied the second statement. Again, that statement being Maybe it's wise that certain presidents just not try to address the people of the country. It turns out our mistake was putting that in quotes.

		Those words shouldn't have been quoted. It was a paraphrase, but it was something contained in an e-mail from a friend. So we now officially retract those quotation marks. Apparently the people at ABC are telling us they got more than 12,000 e-mail hits as a result of this reference to Peter Jennings' comments on my website. So we will now officially retract that and let it be known once again that as far as we've been able to determine, we are unable to quote or unable to put in the quotes the fact that Peter Jennings ever said that second line about Bush last Tuesday. Again, it is never our intention to be wrong about anything, and when we are wrong, we quickly correct ourselves. We have been trying to dig out our source, to find out where it originated, and finally found it in an e-mail of someone who generally gets these things pretty accurate to me. But I must admit on this one that I didn't see it, and let it be known that when we think we're wrong here, we're wrong. So we'll correct this and be up front about it as to avoid any uncertain angst and unnecessary angst on the part of our colleagues at ABC who likewise are only interested in getting it right.

[snippy_about_it]

Clinton Missed Chance at Greatness?

Yep, the day he was born.

[snippy_about_it]

Clinton Missed Chance at Greatness?

Yep, the day he was born.

[Slyfox]

Clinton was handed a plum. He ate the fruit of our labor and spit the pit back out at us. He never tended to the garden he was given, but rather scorched it with CS gas and then doused it with his own bodily fluid.

[dwhite]

My son used to have a sausage dog (pure bred of course) that used to hump anyone's leg who would enter our doors.

bill clinton reminds of that pesky dog. Needless to say we got rid of that dog asap. If only we (the country) could get rid of bill clinton that easily.

Lady in GA

[SmartBlonde]

Don't let the libs get by with spinning this. I don't give a rap about the second part of the sentence. The FIRST part of the sentence is what really makes me mad - and I heard Jennings say that with my own two little ears!!!

[Kay]

What has happened to Rush Limbaugh's voice? I am the biggest ditto-head, have taped thousands of his shows, but recently his voice is TOTALLY different. Even my teenager notices every time that I turn it on.

Frankly, I can't listen to him long any more because he sounds like an he's trying to be an OPERA voice. As if his chin is touching his chest.

Do you think it is because he is on the ditto-cam and he is trying to act cool?

[Brian Allen]

National Security was [Wilfully and systemically compromised by] Clinton's "administration."

It cut the defense budget below acceptable levels.

[Only] two weeks ago the ["Democratic" controlled] Senate was preparing to hold back the defense appropriations bill for partisan political purposes.

Think about that.

[SAMWolf]

Bill Clinton NEVER had a chance for greatness.

Greatness comes from character not from external events.

An evil, self serving, narcisstic, characterless, low life like Bill Clinton couldn't assume the mantle of greatness if they tried to weld it to his body.

[RoseofTexas]

HEHEHE...Now they know how it feels!

[MistrX]

Here's my e-mail to Chris Matthews:Dear Mr. Matthews, Your column of 13 Sept. was very perceptive. I believe that, were Clinton president today, one of his first thoughts would have been "now I can display to the world my greatness." Somehow, I feel that greatness is the last thought on George Bush's mind. Which is why Bush will stand head and shoulders above Clinton in history. Sincerely,

[DeaconRed]

I think you are right. he ain't looking at Barbara. I wish he was looking at her and was dumb enough to try something, Barbara would give him a kick right where it really hurts. (OUCH!! it hurts just thinking about it!!)
Take your mouse pointer, and go from Bills eye, it goes right over barbaras' head and it goes right to Laura.
He is one sick SUMB**CH.

[Dale 1]

Poor X-42. He only got to be the president and never got a chance to lead. Poor guy!!!!

[kdf1]

Clinton could be a defense attorney for Osama bin Laden. They could tie things up in federal court until Hillary is elected with more funny money; then she could give him a pardon. Find quality jurors like the dream team did. His peers might make a pardon unneccessary. Anything for a few million dollars. Partial murder babies; support sell of military secrets. Debilitate the defense. One more treacherous act and a few more million. Clinton: Does Osama have your phone number?

[DeaconRed]

Bill has already dealt with terrorist.
He pardoned them.
Remember the Falon Gang?
I might have mis spelled it, but Freepers remember

[mombonn]

He's not looking at Barbara, he's GLARING at our President.

With or without press complicity, a year from now clintbilly will be yesterday's trash.

I have refused to read the garbage coming from the likes of matthews for the past few months. Once again, my blood pressure thanks me.

[deport]

Take a look at this picture.

[Republican Babe]

Too bad Clinton and every US president didn't get a grand opportunity to "lead"....NOW HOW MANY WARS WOULD THAT GIVE THE US? I keep thinking how glad Al Gore's supporters are that that little panty-waist isn't their President!