Today's Quote: More from Bill

I stole this from the Doonesbury website.

"If [Barack Obama] wins this nomination, I'm going to do what I can to help him become president...After all the mean things they said about me, I can't believe I'm saying this."
-- Bill Clinton

Tired of Clinton

No, I'm not talking about Senator Hillary Clinton. I'm talking about the ex-president himself. Maybe it's just me, but is anyone else following the presidential primaries getting fed-up from hearing from Bill Clinton all the time? Every time he opens his mouth to distort Senator Obama's positions or say Hillary will solve the health care mess, my response is, "Who cares what you think?"

Honestly, I want this election to be about the future, not the 1990s. And while I don't think that argument should be what disqualifies Hillary Clinton from consideration, it doesn't make me want to go out and vote for her. I don't want to relive the '90s. The former president's constant presence in the campaign seems to be making the argument that they are simply going for a 3rd Clinton term.

According to the Washington Post, however, it seems many people disagree, Democrats in particular. Chris Cillizza convincingly argues that Bill Clinton overwhelmingly remains the most popular Democrat. This makes sense; what other high profile Democrat has been able to spend any where near as much time in the national spotlight for the last twenty years? Many people, me included, look back wistfully to the Clinton years when we reflect on the last 7 years of the Bush administration.

But was Bill Clinton really the knight in shining armor? Yes, by comparison, he was a world of difference from what we have now. Still, for argument's sake, let's consider the following from Clinton's presidency:

• He did raise taxes slightly on the rich early in his term. Later, he apologized for that and said he regretted it.
• He signed the so-called "welfare reform" act simply to position himself well for the 1996 reelection campaign.
• His environmental policy was a do-nothing approach for most of his 8 years, except for signing a bunch of executive orders in his final days. Many of these were simply and quickly reversed by the Bush administration.
• He opposed the establishment of the International Criminal Court.
  
• He signed the Defense of Marriage Act, putting discrimination into federal law.
• He was wishy washy and allowed millions to be sunk into the development of the National Missile Defense program.
  
• While he didn't invade Iraq, he did oversee nearly a decade of inhuman sanctions on Iraqis that destroyed it's economy and prevented things like medicines, textbooks, and water filters into the country. His administration also did a lot of bombing of Iraq.
• He bombed a pharmaceutical plant in Sudan that, despite arguments at the time, had no link to terrorist activity. The bombing occurred at a suspicious time during the Lewinsky scandal.
• And no, this did not merit an impeachment, but one may consider the guy as a bit slimy. He has an inappropriate relationship with a young employee and then lies to his family and the nation about it.

Yes, he did well too. His administration managed the economy pretty well and balanced the budget. He appointed good judges and signed the Brady Bill. His administration was not marked by continuous incompetence and lies about important things. And yes, I'd much, much, prefer him today to George W. Bush. But the Clinton administration still wasn't "all that."

I've never understood why many Republicans so strongly detest Bill Clinton. I've never really understood why many Democrats so strongly worship Bill Clinton. We shouldn't look at the past through rose-tinted glasses. Bill Clinton was an incredibly gifted and slick politician from the "centrist" Democratic Leadership Council. He frequently "triangulated" and abandoned his own party. He was ineffective in important areas. He has and continues to show a propensity to bend the truth.

I wish he would go back to taking a back seat. I won't hold my breath.

Quote of the Moment: Clinton (Bill)

ABC reporter Jake Tapper quotes Bill Clinton being interviewed by Charlie Rose, talking about Barack Obama. Clinton said regarding Obama's supporters:

"[as thinking] we're willing to risk it ... we're prepared to roll the dice."

Tapper recalls a similar quote in 1992 from George Bush campaign adviser, Robert Black: "This is not a time to gamble with our future. Electing Bill Clinton president would be rolling the dice."

Tapper is a decent journalist who has been with ABC for a while. I much preferred when he wrote for Salon.com. He's a much better writer than a television reporter. It's nice he has a blog at least (along with everyone else under the sun).