Comeback Kid Lectures Democrats

Washington Post ^ | 12-5-02 | Howard Kurtz

[Oldeconomybuyer]

We're surprised more ink isn't being spilled on the latest step into the spotlight by Bill Clinton.

If there were another report about Clinton consorting with some babe or failing to account for some White House furniture or arguing with Hillary or keeping Cristophe's customers waiting while he gets a haircut, you can be sure the punditocracy would be all over it.

But since he was giving a serious talk about the future of the Democratic Party, only the beat reporters and hard-core junkies have taken note.

It was striking watching the ex-prez on the tube. Whatever one thinks of the slick and self-destructive tendencies that led to his impeachment, here was a man who was relaxed and confident as he offered advice on how his party can dig itself out of a huge hole.

The contrast to the cautious talking points of some of the wannabes who lust for his old job couldn't have been greater.

Clinton did what he always does, spinning torrents of words into floods of sentences that drew in his audience and made them feel like part of his message. The master of threading the rhetorical needle did it again, scolding Democrats for forfeiting the national security issue – an implicit rebuke to the Hill leadership – while saying the party shouldn't react to the election debacle by becoming more liberal.

He also seemed to echo Gore's recent lament about the media, saying the Republicans "have an increasingly right-wing and bellicose conservative press" while "we have an increasingly docile establishment press." (Time to defend yourselves, establishment types.)

[snip]

[Whit]

David Brinkley was right (except for the "I'm not on the air" part):

"We all look forward with great pleasure to four years of wonderful, inspiring speeches, full of wit, poetry, music, love and affection -- plus more goddamned nonsense," Brinkley said.

Sam Donaldson broke in: "You can't say that on the air, Mr. Brinkley." "Well, I'm not on the air," Brinkley said.

The conversation continued after Jennings reminded him twice more that cameras were rolling.

Brinkley called Clinton's Tuesday night speech after winning the election "one of the worst things I've ever heard." He said the speech was "totally unnecessary."

The commentator praised his ABC colleagues for their creativity and said it was not a quality shared by the president.

"He has not a creative bone in his body," Brinkley said. "Therefore, he's a bore, and will always be a bore."

[shhrubbery!]

"He has not a creative bone in his body," Brinkley said. "Therefore, he's a bore, and will always be a bore."

How right Brinkley was, on that point at least. Thanks for reminding me of that!

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Brinkley, with barely a high school education, could match anyone's clever turn of phrase.