Conservatives Irked Over Bush-Clinton Lovefest

Newsmax ^ | 6/15/04

[areafiftyone]

President Bush certainly didn't score any points with his conservative base on Monday when he praised Bill Clinton to the hilt during the unveiling of the impeached president's White House portrait.

"President Bush was more laudatory and more passionate about Bill Clinton than he was about President Reagan [during Friday's memorial service]," contended nationally syndicated radio host Michael Savage Monday night.

When Bush spoke about Reagan, said Savage, "we got empty homilies. We got less than empty homilies - we got a Mr. Rogers job."

But at the Clinton portrait ceremony, Savage said, "Today we actually got a passionate President Bush. He was almost animated to be around Bill Clinton. The guy looked happy."

Though the Bush-Clinton lovefest left many of the president's fans fuming, Mr. Clinton's obvious enjoyment of Bush's kind words also raised eyebrows inside Sen. John Kerry presidential campaign, which only 24-hours earlier had been assured that Clinton would come out swinging this week against the White House.

"Maybe [Bush and Clinton] have a mutual interest in a Democrat not winning this November," said MSNBC host Chris Matthews, noting that a Kerry loss would pave the way for Mrs. Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign.

[ZULU]

Yeah.

What did they expect Bush to say anyway??

"Now here's a picture of a lying attorney who cheated on his wife, and his country, was impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors and screwed up American foreign policy while he was fornicating in the White House. A sociopathic Svengali who raped and cheated his way up the political ladder."

WE can say those things. Bush can't. He's President. He has more class than to insult the man by stating the obvious.

History will be far less kind to Bill Clinton than have been his sychophantic puppets in the contemporary press. Compared to Ronald Reagan, the Clinton Presidency will be but an abbreviated and sordid footnote in the history of America.

[raptor29]

All last week we saw President Reagan lauded for his goodness, his kindness even to his opposition, and in particular, a very upbeat, positive and complimentary speech at the opening of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library. But Bush is supposed to dismiss all that and be nasty to an ex-President (even Clinton) at an official White House function? What folly.

[DouglasKC]

WRONG - President Bush didn't score any points with Michael Savage and his ILK!!!! Bush was a class act all the way. To insult or put down Clinton would have been absolutely wrong in front of all those people.

I agree. He could do no wrong being absolutley kind and polite. If the Clintons attempt to denigrate him now in the campaign they are going to look small, petty and mean after George said all that good stuff.

[Constitution Day]

LEAK: Original Text of Bush Remarks About Clinton*

*satire

[section9]

You think that the Kerry people don't know what's up here? Bush and Clinton have an interest in Bush's triumph this year. Clinton could have waited until next year to get his book published. No sir. He worked like a banshee to get it done by the summer. Hillary's book dominated last summer, his will dominate the runup to the Convention.

Not only that. Remember how Bill dominated the 2000 Democratic Convention? Only on the last night was Al Gore able to turn the attention to him and save his bacon. John Kerry can't give the kind of passionate speech that Gore could. Bill knows it.

Bill has not come to praise John Kerry, but to bury him.

Besides, what does Bush gain by being a pill? His point to the Clinton family is that he knows that Clinton beat his father fair and square in 1992 and that it's nothing personal. Clinton understands this, as well. They're like a couple of Dons who get together for a sit down now and again. Bush, you will recall, said nothing during the Impeachment struggle. He didn't want a dog in that fight. Clinton remembers that, and understands Bush's value towards the furtherance of his wife's, and his own, ambitions. Besides, there are a lot of swing voters in this country who do not hate the Toons. Bush knows this.

What Bush needs to do after he wins is groom someone to take on Hillary. It ain't Jeb, that's for sure. This whole election is akin to a mob hit. Unfortunately, John Kerry plays the role of Moe Green.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[JoJo Gunn]

I'm beginning to feel the same way about NewsMax.

It comes across as some sort of "filler" service, and not a very good one at that.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Saw that earlier LOL

[TX Bluebonnet]

It was great. It was not a political event, but a social one. Their daughter was there. I think everyone is getting a little tired of the constant sniping. I thought that was one of the lessons of the Reagan memories. Golden Rule, etc. I loved one story where a speechwriter offered to make a snide remark and Reagan said that would be the wrong thing to do. The right thing would be to embarrass them by being nice (thus showing them up as being crass).

If a Dem is President when the Bushes portraits are unveiled, he has set a high standard.

[CatoRenasci]

Bush was simply being polite, a good host with the easy sort of gracious good manners that you don't notice.

[Protagoras]

To insult or put down Clinton would have been absolutely wrong in front of all those people.

Insult or put down? Who thought that was appropriate? Who advocated that?

He could have been polite and even generous with slobbering all over these two scumbags. He said they were great parents! I thought I would puke.

He is either an idiot or he lied. He ain't no idiot, so he did it for votes. Shameful to say something you don't mean for votes.

[SQUID]

Agreed, very good move.

[Protagoras]

Bush was simply being polite,

Nonsense, I guess you didn't see it.

[bvw]

It's a lesson in how to speak to evil people, especially popular ones. Clinton will come to remember it for what it was -- it will come to sting, become permanently engraved in his memories for the fierce rebuke that it was, and do so unavoidably. Like a drip-drip of water bothers the rock.

[Chad Fairbanks]

You just don't get it, do you. Of course, I'm not at all surprised really...

Sigh...

[FrankR]

First of all, the title "Conservatives Irked Over Bush-Clinton Lovefest" seems to be centered around one "conservative"...Michael Savage.

Of course, the liberal press wrote this story to make it look like the conservatives were caving in over the event.

Not true. Michael Savage does NOT all conservatives make.

Again, equating liberals to adolescents, remember how kids always tell parents that "everybody is doing it" or "everybody has one", to get what they want? Well, welcome to the 9th grade everyone...the press is still stuck there.

[Pompah]

True. Michael Savage slipped over the edge quite some time ago. Result. :

Full Tilt Bozo.

[lilylangtree]

Privately, I bet Mr. Pres wanted to spit in Clintoon's eye and take a knife to the portrait. And Laura probably took an immediate shower with lye soap to scrub off all those cooties that climbed on her from physically being so near to the Clintoonians.

[freeperfromnj]

He had no choice but to say something nice. In my opinion he didn't really give him any grand compliments on his presidency or accomplishments. He talked more about his slickmeister personality: incredible energy and great personal appeal; Clinton's enthusiasm and optimism; great compassion for people in need......all the stuff his fans fell for.

[saveliberty]

History will be far less kind to Bill Clinton than have been his sychophantic puppets in the contemporary press.

I disagree. I used to teach. I quit because teaching is prohibited as is learning.

Education is a painful process: to become well educated, a person has to question and challenge the premises that he or she holds dear and hold them up to scrutiny. And he or she has to hold those who have supported wrongdoing accountable. There is no learning if it the elitist way or the highway.

Listening or reading their shriek fest is kind of like listening to someone who reads the cartoon edition of the NYT. Words like doodoo kaka poopoo are believed to be viable reflections of erudition and analytical thought. How laughable!

[USNFighting31st]

Bush is not going to come out swinging, after a week honoring Ronald Reagan.
It says more about Bush, than it does about Clinton. That he can stay above politics, though he could of toned it down a little.
What bothers me most, is the media attention. I have lived through 10 Presidents, and I don't remember seeing any portrait unveiling on the news. They happen, but they are not news.