Posted on 01/01/2002 10:35:26 AM PST by Jean S
On January 20, 2001, George W. Bush was sworn in as the 43rd President of the United States and Bill Clinton's world came crashing down around him. No more power, no more constant media attention, no more political influence, no more….relevance. Now, one year later, President Bush enjoys 90% approval ratings and Bill Clinton is seething. He could only dream of such overwhelming support from anyone other than nineteen year old interns. Add to this a recent Gallup poll which has 24% percent of Americans blaming Clinton for the sagging economy (compared to just 7% blaming Bush) and the fact that many have begun to question whether the Clinton Administration did all it could to stop Osama bin Laden's terrorist network.
The result is a man who sees his true place in history coming into focus, and he doesn't like what he sees. So, in typical Clinton fashion, he recently powered up the war room, now housed in his Harlem office, and bunkered down with foot soldiers like Gene Sperling, John Podesta, and Bruce Lindsey. He preached, reportedly for two hours, on how they need to do more to ensure that his legacy not become The Man Who Let bin Laden's Reign of Terror Continue.
James Carville no doubt has his fax machine working overtime issuing the talking points that we will be hearing on all the Sunday morning and cable talk shows in the next few weeks.
| "Clinton was a great president" (They're hoping maybe if they say it enough, people will begin to believe it.) "Clinton wanted to wage war on terrorism, but he didn't have the luxury of having the country behind him." (If only…) "We didn't know then what we now know." (Translation: we didn't know that our failure to address this issue would cost 3,000 American lives.) "He did target bin Laden, but just missed him by [minutes], [hours], [days]." (Take your pick.) "Look at all the other things he did…" ("He may not have done anything to stop bin Laden, but he passed the Family Leave Act!") |
During the meeting Clinton supposedly also lamented that Democrats in Congress were not doing enough to polish his image. Apparently they seem too preoccupied with other issues for Bill's taste. Even during a war, it's still all about him.
For all of his bigness - big promises, big speeches, big scandals - Bill Clinton is really a small man whose problems, in his mind, were always the fault of someone else. His impeachment was Ken Starr's fault. Whitewater was the fault of overzealous Republicans. A conspiracy was always to blame, but never Bill himself. And this pattern of blaming others continues today.
Clinton's Assistant Secretary of State for counter-terrorism issues, Michael Sheehan told The Washington Post, "It has to be said that it was the collective judgment of the American people, not the Clinton administration, that the impact of terrorism was at a level that was acceptable."
Once again, Clinton lays the blame at the feet of someone else; this time, the American people. How pathetic. Newsflash, Bill. Presidents are supposed to lead - look at the people and lead. Not look to the people, stick their finger in the wind and ask, "What should I do now?" But because of his all-consuming obsession with polls, he failed to make his case to the American people to do what was right (taking out Osama bin Laden) and instead did what was popular (little or no military intervention). And the result was that the al Qaeda network's reign of terror was accepted by the Clinton Administration and allowed to continue.
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain responded the same way to the Nazis in 1930s Europe as President Clinton did to terrorists in 1990s America. As long as military intervention remained unpopular with the British citizens, Chamberlain was satisfied with letting Hitler do as he pleased. No military intervention, just big words ("I believe it is peace for our time." Once again, maybe if we say it enough, it will come true). But Chamberlain's failure to contain Hitler, even if it meant using military force, soon led to World War II and it was left to Winston Churchill to right Chamberlain's wrongs. Sixty years later, Bill Clinton's failure to contain bin Laden, even after repeated terrorists attacks on Americans here and abroad, allowed the attacks of September 11th to take place and now it is left to George W. Bush to act where Clinton did not.
One of the wonderful things about history is the perspective that time gives you on an era. During an event, participants are too close to the action to have proper perspective. But once time passes, and the outcome is known, historians are able to study events in a different light. And history is beginning to weigh Bill Clinton's place and his true legacy is coming into focus. I truly believe that 50 years from now Americans will look at the Clinton era and wonder how he could have ever been elected once much less twice. And that is why he is still trying, one year out of office, to build his legacy. But no matter how he hard he tries, history will remember Bill Clinton for what he was - a failed president. The Master of Spin will not be able to spin his legacy into anything other than impeachment, abusing the powers of his office, sex, and failure to respond to the terrorist attacks. But this reality won't stop Bill Clinton from trying and that is why his campaign goes on. It's sad and pathetic any way you cut it.
I thought the same thing too. That act, IMO, was a big mistake by Bush I.
I would have chosen another word, other than "luxury," to describe the rage the people in this country felt after over 3,000 were murdered, how about you?
Where, exactly, does Clinton say that is in their job description?
I hate to break it to ya, but HE WAS IMPEACHED!!! It was just the lily-livered Senate who would not remove him from office. This info seems to have been lost somewhere along the way. Maybe because the media never brings it up.
And ... although at the time of impeachment 75% of the people did not think he should be removed from office ... almost 1 year later, the number was reversed, and 75% now believed he should have been removed.
This little point only further agrees with the article - that ... over time the truth does come out and there is nothing Bill Clinton can do about it - his time for doing something about it has already passed!
The thing I'm concerned about is how this new campaign is going to reflect on Hillary! If she's running (and we know she is), this little campaign is not for Bubba it's for Hillary.
Hate? I dunno...."despise" comes to my mind.....
Spin, spun, spinning spun.....the entire gamut of the phony Clintons' con game to remake themselves......
They're hollow to the core. They constantly have to reinvent themselves. It'll never ends with these connivers.
I loved this statement in reply to the new campaign - "but he didn't have the luxury of having the country behind him".
This thing has her greasy fingerprints all over it.
MM
I'm with you. Liberals rate right up there with ambulance chasers.
COMRADE DAGOSAVITCH
COMMUNIST AGENT
OCCUPIED USSA
ZEIG HEIL^5
"Nothing in Politics happens accidentally".........
If we listen to them enough,we can see the Conspiracy.
Free the Sheeple
COMRADE DAGOSAVITCH
COMMUNIST AGENT
OCCUPIED USSA
ZEIGHEIL^5
....and what a memorable couple they make.....couple of what I'm too much of a lady to say.....
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