In Defense of Clinton

Most of us are quick to criticize and castigate Clinton for his remark about Bush and Nigergate.
In Clinton's defense, I say this:

He is a politician set apart. His grace and dignity (even during his most sleazy moments) is what most
of us admired...no matter how vitrionic, mean-spirited, and disgraceful his detractors became, he
was always able to remain above the fray. He never once stooped to the lowness of his enemies.
He never named-called, or lied on them or said anything publicly to dishonor them.
He was twice elected President...an achievement that most former Presidents cannot claim. He was
twice elected because good people decided that they hated the evil they saw among the Clinton-
haters.

It is Clinton's dignity, grace, and respect for others that has made him loved and admired and
respected around the world...something few Republicans can claim.

He was right to tell us to move on from Nigergate. He was right to say that it is understandable how
(though not necessarily forgiveable) that Bush could have mispoke. Having been President and
having had to rely on the US intelligence system and advisors for information and support for
positions (that sometimes got him into trouble with us), I am sure that he understands that someone
as ignorant (and maybe even evil) as Bush could have been misled and even forced to present and
try to maintain a lie. Nevertheless, Clinton was right in saying that the Dems had better focus on
something more than this lie (because there are so many other BIG lies that need our attention).
If we get lost in the hope that the nation will hold this Niger lie against Bush, we are truly screwed.
Once the lie and the lying was exposed it has planted a seed of mistrust that only OUR over-attention
will remove. We will become the object of the angst and not Bush and the lie. Noone likes to have
his or her face rubbed into their own shortcomings and ingnorance.

A wiser scribe than I said this:

"Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the Lord
will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him." Proverbs 24:17-18

Right now, I am pleased that the lie and the liars were exposed but I am not gloating.

high praise, indeed.

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First of all what the hell is a mis-statement? Bush lied to the American public. Holding him accountable for that lie is not gloating...it is what it is....and applys to every President...including William Jefferson Clinton. Republicans held Mr. Clinton accountable for his lie...one of rather minor import in the scheme of things....and his lie as well as the Republicans persistant insistance of his culpability for telling it, brought down the Democratic Party. I would say then, that Mr. Clintons assertions, as well as your own, do not stand up to the smell test.

Secondly, what the hell is a Nigergate? I would suggest you call the circumstances surrounding the lies foisted upon the world concerning Iraqi attempts to secure Nigerian Uranium and their subsequent use as Americas rationalization for the murder of innocent human beings, what they are.....a scandal.

Lastly, our enemy has not fallen and with his stumble our hearts do not rejoice. On the contrary, our hearts are sickened with the unwarrented deaths, both American and Iraqi this "stumble" has brought and continues to bring upon us. I would suggest that God might be a bit more upset with our murder of innocents based upon a lie, than he/it/her would our holding the lier responsible for his actions. To suggest otherwise is ludicrous. The retribution Mr. Bush will feel will come from God and will be wrought through our hand.


Rapid Creek

As I have been saying for the past couple of weeks. If bush goes down because of Iraq-gate, four of the dem presidential candidates who voted for the resolution go down with him. PERIOD.

It seems to me they can not be faulted for voting for the resolution on the basis of what they thought was the truth and later proved to be a lie!

of leadership if they did indeed go along with them. If they're that clueless, they don't have what it takes to lead this country.

If your that friggin stupid, your not fit to lead. You are infact a blind follower, most certainly lacking, as the current situation dictates, the qualities necessary for the leader of the "free" world.

RC

but if there's something we should NOT move on from, it's LYING TO GET US INTO AN ILLEGAL WAR. I agree that we need to move on past those 16 words - on to EVERY F***ING LIE DUBYA HAS EVER TOLD.

let us have the smarts and the dignity of Clinton - enough will come out when the candidates go for the big push.

on edit - WELCOME to DU!!!

...BC didn't have a long track record of being "soft" on investigating the Bushes (father and son). When he came to office in 1993, getting to the bottom of Iran-Contra, BCCI, Iraqgate, the Bush campaign digging through his own federal records fishing for mud to sling, and a whole slew of Reagan-Bush-era scandals just "wasn't on (his) radar screen." When achivists and investigators sued to prevent the Bushies from deleting wholesale the White House e-mail records from the Reagan and Bush years, the Clinton administration sided with the Bushes! (fortunately, they lost that case.)

Fat lot of credit that got him with the Republicans, eh?

BC may be the best Democratic politician in half a century, but when it came time to go for Rethug jugular, his tutu could be as pink as any other DLCer's.

the lengths you people go through to defend political opportunist right-wing ASSHOLES just because they have a "D" next to their name is too funny!!

:thumbsdown:

funny, but sad

These were unacceptable comments from a man who should know better than any of us just how the RW would be acting if this lie had been uttered by a Dem. Clinton's statements have done nothing but undermine the momentum the Dems had. He should learn to live as an ex-president out of the media spotlight or learn to get the media's attention in a productive and useful way.

BTW- it's not "gloating" to show that Shrub lied to get us into a war. If we don't hold our leaders accountable then we may as well be living in that dictatorship that Shrub wished for soon after his appointment.

On all points.

It isn't up to Clinton to "graciously" excuse Bush - this country was not intended by the founders to have a secret government, nor was it intended to have a dictator. I want accountability.

They spent untold millions trying to find out who Clinton unzipped for, yet I can't get an investigation into the events that led to thousands of civilians and hundreds of US soldiers dying, our deficit skyrocketing and TRUE homeland security (port security, emegency personnel, etc.) going unfunded, and an almost total loss of standing in the international community?

If you can't help us, after you had so much trouble keeping your pants zippered with a poor choice of sex partners/would be sex partners, when you KNEW every single solitary move you made was being scrutinized, then at least keep your mouth zippered now, Clinton.

:-)

will go smoother for Dems if the repubs can't hurl the "Partisan Rancor!" card into the mix. The rethugs I've heard comment on what Clinton said not only rehabililtate Clinton and give Dems the high ground, but are followed by a remarked upon willingness to pursue the investigations. Their agreement rather than attempts to block or discredit investigations will be a benefit. Did anyone hear Clinton say, Move on regardless of what we find out?

Politics IS partisan! If it weren't, we wouldn't have parties.

If fear of being called partisan for ferreting out lies which have resulted in the deaths of untold thousands, outweighs your conviction to do so, you perhaps, need to re-examine your humanity.

And no, I didn't hear Clinton say, "move on regardless of what we find out". I did hear him say "we should move on". Sans any stipulation to the contrary, "moving on" means walking past an effort to find anything out. Perhaps if he had said "ok this lie is obvious, let's move on to the next one" I might agree with you...but that is not what he said, now is it?

You assume moving on past a lier's lies is the way to shed light on what he has done? Thank God Democrats didn't espouse such shit during the reign of Mr. Nixon or we would have had a dictator for the past 35 years instead of the past 3.

Why is it you condemn those who seek to expose the truth as taking the low ground? Your logic escapes me. I don't give a rats ass about Bill Clinton. He isn't the president any more. He hasn't been for the past three years. Clinton's redemption is a moot point....as the Republicans who give him hollow praise, well know. Your interest in his vindication is used by them as a tool against you...it's a shame you can't can't figure this out. He, considered his pecker to be more important than the people who voted for him. Mr. Clinton made himself a pariah and those who seek to vindicate him do the same. I have no interest in picking up the stink of either.

RC

Maybe I wasn't clear. The point I tried to make is that anything that facillitates the investigation of the lies (from which you mistakenly presumed I'm willing to "move on") is a plus.

I don't care how Clinton looks to anyone. I believe Bush is a liar and must be stopped. I am highly partisan but the lies need to be proven to the point of some consensus. The investigation must move through a repub govt because don't look now but they have control.

the criticism, outside the gut reactions which too show the damage done to the cause of getting this Bush fraud out, is valid too. All in all it is the same posture of the Democratic leadership, above the fray, taking the high road, that will pay off IF we still have a democracy left to recover. IF the media ever stops being bleating sheep dumb whether they are doing lies or half truths.

Bush's blunders and crimes ARE intertwined fatally like a weed in all our institutions and myths. It depends on how you want to deal with this. Traditionally you either rip it out or leave it be and let the strength later prevail. I don't think the depth of this crisis makes either one a winner. Weed control experts?

No leader is going to solve this one for us. No weakneed naive or bought
fourth estate is either. We have to keep growing the grass roots as we have been until we DROWN the crap once and for all.