Posted on 12/31/2001 1:43:29 PM PST by LiberteeBell
Pity poor Bill Clinton. While the rest of the country is worried about the war on terrorism, he's agonizing over -- surprise! -- his own legacy.
Seems that Clinton gathered a bunch of former aides and Cabinet secretaries to his New York office last week out of concern that his accomplishments as president have slipped from memory. They agreed to organize a corps of supporters to talk up his achievements and keep his profile from disappearing.
``We have to remind people of what we did on the economy, what we did with the crime bill, what we did with terrorism,'' one Clinton adviser told the New York Times. ``They're trying to pin the bin Laden thing on us.''
It's not unreasonable to muster one pang of sympathy -- just one -- for the ex-president. Even in the best of Clinton days (before the Lewinsky escapade), his strengths -- such as balancing the budget to help point the economy upward -- went unrecognized by his frothing opponents.
But Clinton's time as president is over. His latest scheme showcases perhaps Clinton's fatal flaw -- his boundless, blinding love of himself.
Better he should take a cue from the last Southern Democratic president, Jimmy Carter. In the two decades since he left office, Carter established a foundation in Atlanta promoting peace and democracy worldwide. If he isn't building houses for Habitat for Humanity, he's monitoring elections in Guyana or Indonesia.
Clinton could do the same, devoting himself to one of the issues he embraced during his presidency -- perhaps racial reconciliation or national service. Aside from improving the world, Carter's post-presidential service has transformed his image from failed president to wise elder statesman. If Clinton looked beyond himself for a change, he might be able to do the same.
Well you may think so, and I think so too, but apparently, Bill doesn't.
And any issue related to the national debt has to be viewed in perspective -- for many Republicans, enormous budget deficits were simply the "cost" of winning the Cold War.
Let's face it: Clinton owes his career to Ronald Reagan, for the U.S. would never have tolerated such a hollow, sociopathic character as president during the Cold War.
Supreme Court:"Like every other citizen who properly invokes that jurisdiction, respondent has a right to an orderly disposition of her claims. "
CLINTON v. JONES
Exactly three years before Clinton's image meeting the US House of Representatives impeached your pathetic sexual hero for his acts against the Constitutional foundation of our government.
Those of us who aren't Liberals are glad that the House of Representatives have set a warning before any President who, the next time the Supreme Court says "respondent has a right to an orderly disposition of her claims", might similarly act to defy the Judiciary.
No, they spent all that time because they had respect for the rule of law. The fact is, Bill Clinton was impeached for lying under oath in an attempt to have a sexual harassment suit dismissed and urging others to lie under oath to have a sexual harassment suit dismissed.
Prior to the impeachment votes, one of Clinton's senate allies, Robert Byrd of West Virginia, admitted on Meet the Press that he thought Clinton was guilty of these crimes -- but in a cynical political calculation, he wouldn't vote to convict. And Byrd was not alone, a former Clinton law student -- hardly a Clinton "enemy" -- held the president in contempt of court for lying under oath. And, it should be noted for history, that Clinton eventually settled with both Paula Jones and independent counsel Robert Ray rather than face prosecution (civil or criminal) for his crimes.
These are not the figments of Clinton haters' imaginations. These are facts. And it is part of the legacy that Clinton will never be able to outrun.
That may be why he's hated in YOUR world, but here on FreeRepublic he's hated because of:
Kobar Towers
WTC 1993
Changing Somalia from humanitarian to Nation Building
The embassy bombings
The bombing of the USS Cole
Which led to.....WTC 9-11
Had anything been done on these things 9-11 would never have happened. Some of us could see that back when it was happening. Some of us hated the fact that our military men were drug naked through the streets of Mogadishu.
I don't know what to say to you beyond what's been said by others except that clinton was/is a criminal; if you or I had done a fraction of what he had done we would have been tried, convicted and thrown in the Big House for a very long time. At a minimum, (being a former gubmint employee) I would have lost my job and congress would not have a vote in the matter.
If you need a few more facts, check out AlamoGirl's Downside Legacy. A real eye-opener for those who refuse to see.
I have a life, thankyouverymuch, but I WILL NOT FORGET what the clintons did to this country or what they did to contribute to the events of 9-11 if for no other reason than to keep someone of his ilk or Hitlery from EVER being elected again.
He is not answering to detractors, he is defending the indefensible and recreating his sorely tarnished legacy and he thinks the public will once again be fooled.
I heard of an incident that put the Secret Service in a quandary;it seems the first lady,in a fit of anger started pummeling the first felatee.It was rumored that he was unable to counterattack and the SS had to run into the Oval Office and break it up.Paul Harris when he was with WCXR in Wash Dc had the story,dont know if it was ever confirmed.But his sleaze so disgraced the Oval Office that I wouldnt put it past him to get beaten up by a shrill Hillary.
We blame Bubba for not doing anything to prevent it.
We understand the distinction even though you don't apparently.
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