Posted on 07/17/2002 9:53:26 AM PDT by kattracks
(Just acknowledging this information officially would have had a chilling effect on the overheated economy. Clinton wouldn't let that happen at any cost. Now we know the cost.)
Slick Willie & Algore Rhythym have ALWAYS been out of my Country.
But thanks for the info....verrrrrry interesting.
Commentary, by John Aravosis
I have to admit that I was one of those supremely disappointed by President Clinton. While I'd counted myself a Clinton supporter, the ex-president's never-ending ability to push that support to its limits certainly took its toll. And by the end of his administration, as much as I still admired much of what the man had done in office, I was glad to see Clinton go.
Then I got a chance to meet him last week. And more importantly, so did people from nearly 200 countries.
Clinton and I were both attending the XIV International AIDS Conference in Barcelona, Spain, and I got to meet him (and a host of other current and former world leaders) in a small room before he went on stage to take part in a panel discussion with other world leaders.
And I have to tell you: In spite of his foibles, people love this guy.
From fierce foreign AIDS activists to hard-nosed American politicos, Clinton had the entire room oozing at his feet. Things got even wilder when he went on stage. The crowd of 2,000 mostly-foreigners erupted with glee every time the former American president spoke.
To some degree this isn't surprising, as people who meet Clinton always speak of the magic. His ability to focus on the person he's speaking to and make them the most important soul on earth. His down-to-earth nature. And his razor-sharp mind. But I still wasn't prepared for what I saw going on in that audience.
While many of his supporters in America have found their exuberance for the ex-president somewhat tempered as a result of the scandals, the foreign audience couldn't get enough of him.
Which raises an interesting issue regarding the war on terror, and the large "problem" of the perception of America in the eyes of the world. I do a lot of traveling, and whenever I go abroad, wherever I go, I hear the same two points whenever foreigners talk about America. They loathe our politics, and really like our people. But with Clinton, the two worlds clearly come together. The world loves the man and his politics. Which got me thinking. No matter what you think of Clinton the man or Clinton the president, in the world's eyes, this man is gold. And if people around the globe adore him so much, why not use him?
So here's my modest proposal: the Bush Administration ought to make Bill Clinton their goodwill ambassador, and use him for as many high-profile foreign missions as they can. And why not start with the Middle East.
Now I'm no fool. I know, at first blush, Bush would sooner choke on a pretzel than embrace Clinton. But that's not the point. America is in a battle for the hearts and minds of the world, much as we were during the 70-year cold war with the Soviets. And it would be irresponsible of us to miss the opportunity to use any of our assets in that war, especially for reasons of personal pique.
Like I said, I know a lot of people will scoff and howl at the prospect of any effort to rehabilitate President Clinton. But America's image could use some help nowadays, and at this point in history, at least, Clinton's got the right stuff. We ought to use it.
link to article
Can someone explain to me how this can be! Has the law not gone into effect yet, and if not, why the delay? Is the CIA dragging its feet in implementing the new law, and if so, why?
The failure of the intelligence community to detect this plot in advance was at least partially responsible for the events of 9/11 (I fully blame the terrorists, but inaction on the part of those who could have stopped it is certainly a factor).
I didn't think it was possible for me to hate Clinton more than I already did, but news like this only adds fuel to the fire and enrages me all over again. His claim that he tripled spending on intelligence is bogus if all the money was spent on bureaucratic excesses, which actually hinder real intelligence gathering out on the street and around the world. The bureaucrats simply make new rules to control agents and place more restrictions on what they can do.
The government has been telling us for decades that the solution to any problem is to throw more money at it, and that has demonstrably failed every time, so why do we still believe it?
Smaller, more efficient government is more effective at accomplishing its constitutional mandates, making the country more free and more secure.
There is such meat here for the "investigative media" Ha ha, to run with, but we won't see it because it reveals just how corrupt the Democrats are. And if the Republicans don't use this against the Democrats, and they probably won't, we won't get the Senate back. Please Marc Racicot, Dubya, take off the gloves!!!
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