bill & me. if i could ask clinton anything, what would it be?
I just read today that former President Bill Clinton will be speaking in Indianapolis on Wednesday evening at a NW side synagogue about the Israeli-Palestine conflict. The only remaining tickets are $200 apiece. Were it that I could afford it, I would go.
He also will be at a book-signing on Wednesday afternoon at a Barnes & Noble near me. My guess is I won't be able to get near the place. The signing begins at 3pm. I'm sure the line will be forming all day and security will be tight.
Now, I did vote for Clinton. Twice. I don't regret it either time. But don't think for one second that my vote equals a free pass. If anything, it means I leaned on him harder to do right by me. It means I demanded the absolute best and if we didn't get it as a nation, I'd demand accountability from him. The U.S.S. Cole was bombed. Embassies were bombed. All at the hands of Osama bin Laden. Now, I do not blame Clinton for 9/11 (nor do I blame Bush). But my biggest question to him right now would be why didn't we get bin Laden? The buck stops at the Oval Office, or so Harry Truman said. I'd have to go to Where's George? to find it these days.
I'm sure Clinton, if asked questions by me or anybody at the book signing, would give a very eloquent and impassioned reply. And I would no doubt take him at his word. Perhaps he was feeding me bullshit. Perhaps not. But I always got the sense that Clinton was, truly, one of the smartest, well-thought men in that office. His eggheaded nature sometimes earned him ridicule (often rightfully so). But at least it would be better than condescending, terse answers like, "they hate us for our freedom."
At least with Clinton you knew you had a hand-wringer who thought long and hard about every decision he made (except for one, really).
Call me liberal for appreciating that approach more often than not.
I call it smart. I call it measured. I call it pragmatic. "Shoot first, ask questions later" may be great West Texas wisdom in some minds, but we don't need a maverick cowboy occupying the White House. Perhaps we're now realizing that. Too bad Congress was too chickenshit to stand up to the president when it needed to most.
But getting back to my point...if I could ask Clinton anything, I promise it would be about accountability to Osama bin Laden's terrorist acts. It would be about why we didn't get him if/when we had the chance.
In short, I would demand Mr. Clinton continue to be accountable for my vote.
I wonder if those who voted for Bush ever do the same.
Sadly in today's political climate, earning the votes and winning the election have become the end-game when it really is just the beginning of the battle.
He also will be at a book-signing on Wednesday afternoon at a Barnes & Noble near me. My guess is I won't be able to get near the place. The signing begins at 3pm. I'm sure the line will be forming all day and security will be tight.
Now, I did vote for Clinton. Twice. I don't regret it either time. But don't think for one second that my vote equals a free pass. If anything, it means I leaned on him harder to do right by me. It means I demanded the absolute best and if we didn't get it as a nation, I'd demand accountability from him. The U.S.S. Cole was bombed. Embassies were bombed. All at the hands of Osama bin Laden. Now, I do not blame Clinton for 9/11 (nor do I blame Bush). But my biggest question to him right now would be why didn't we get bin Laden? The buck stops at the Oval Office, or so Harry Truman said. I'd have to go to Where's George? to find it these days.
I'm sure Clinton, if asked questions by me or anybody at the book signing, would give a very eloquent and impassioned reply. And I would no doubt take him at his word. Perhaps he was feeding me bullshit. Perhaps not. But I always got the sense that Clinton was, truly, one of the smartest, well-thought men in that office. His eggheaded nature sometimes earned him ridicule (often rightfully so). But at least it would be better than condescending, terse answers like, "they hate us for our freedom."
At least with Clinton you knew you had a hand-wringer who thought long and hard about every decision he made (except for one, really).
Call me liberal for appreciating that approach more often than not.
I call it smart. I call it measured. I call it pragmatic. "Shoot first, ask questions later" may be great West Texas wisdom in some minds, but we don't need a maverick cowboy occupying the White House. Perhaps we're now realizing that. Too bad Congress was too chickenshit to stand up to the president when it needed to most.
But getting back to my point...if I could ask Clinton anything, I promise it would be about accountability to Osama bin Laden's terrorist acts. It would be about why we didn't get him if/when we had the chance.
In short, I would demand Mr. Clinton continue to be accountable for my vote.
I wonder if those who voted for Bush ever do the same.
Sadly in today's political climate, earning the votes and winning the election have become the end-game when it really is just the beginning of the battle.
