Posted on 10/15/2001 8:12:27 PM PDT by Howlin
On Bill Clinton's desk at his Harlem office, there are nearly 100 missing flyers, sorrowful mementos of his handshaking visits to ground zero and to the family-crisis center. He can't bring himself to file them away, an aide says, so they sit there, a reminder of the horrendous loss of life -- and of his inability to either prevent it or do much to heal the wounds.
The World Trade Center attacks have catapulted the former president -- who was just starting to mellow out and revel in his post-Oval Office life as a New Yorker, senatorial spouse, and money-making private citizen -- into the unfamiliar and frustrating role of action figure in search of action.
"Clinton misses the work, sitting and making the hard decisions, having these smart people around him," says Joe Lockhart, the former White House spokesman. "It's a new experience for him, not being in the middle of it."
Interviews with nearly a dozen Clinton confidants reveal a man struggling to find a way to be useful and worrying that his peace-and-prosperity presidency will be recast as a footnote to the Bush-family dynasty. Right after the attacks, Clinton admitted to a friend that he wished, for the first time, to be back in the White House. And he couldn't resist bitterly telling an ally that if the FBI had spent as much time chasing terrorists as it had investigating his behavior, perhaps things would have played out differently.
Yet if he has any I-could-handle-this-crisis-better thoughts, he's keeping them to himself; in speeches and in numerous conversations with friends, Clinton has made a point of supporting Bush. "He knows his role is trying to provide comfort in New York City, and to add his voice in support of President Bush," says John Podesta, Clinton's former chief of staff. The feeling may not be mutual. Condoleezza Rice briefed Clinton early in the crisis, but a former aide says the exchange was "not rich in detail."
At least he can still get back-channel information. As Sidney Blumenthal, Clinton's White House spinmeister, puts it, "He and Tony Blair are good friends. And he talks to world leaders who seek him out."
While there have been rumors that Clinton and Giuliani might co-chair a commission to rebuild downtown, his aides say he seems more likely to use his bully pulpit and play national hand-holder. Nevertheless, being on the sidelines has become perhaps the toughest challenge of his career.
For sure...I don't think many folks want to hold that hand of his. Who knows where its been???
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Oh Pull-Ease ! ! !
IF he could've kept his hands to himself and his brain (hey it could be there) engaged on his real job...
IF he could've kept the leash and duct tape on Hitlery, well.......
IF he could've kept his mouth shut and only took a breath when it absolutely necesary....
IF he could've kept his pants on for more than 15 minutes a week, at lot of wasted time AND money could've been better used....
....but.....that's just my opinion.....
I wonder....what might the Democraptic -err- Democratic -err- Oxford Graduate's Underground would say about this....?
Yeah, and it's all on OUR dime.
Do they have a clubhouse? A secret handshake? What a bunch of weasels.
If you can't find his book, remember that (its contents and provenance notwithstanding) it's filed under "Nonfiction".
Bill and Hillary's being complete loosers will follow then the rest of their miserable , treasonous,communist lives.
Wouldn't it be easier just to photocopy the whole book onto bright yellow paper?
If BC had spent as much time chasing anything as he spent chasing young women, everything would have played out differently.
Narcisstic a$$hole!
I love not having him around!!
i believe it about their site. 'CLINTON FOREVER' $crew them all!
GW had better read and take note. I have applauded Blair's support but I do not want Clinton advice being given to our president through Blair.
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