Posted on 10/15/2001 8:12:27 PM PDT by Howlin
On Bill Clinton's desk at his Harlem office, there are nearly 100 missing flyers, sorrowful mementos of his handshaking visits to ground zero and to the family-crisis center. He can't bring himself to file them away, an aide says, so they sit there, a reminder of the horrendous loss of life -- and of his inability to either prevent it or do much to heal the wounds.
The World Trade Center attacks have catapulted the former president -- who was just starting to mellow out and revel in his post-Oval Office life as a New Yorker, senatorial spouse, and money-making private citizen -- into the unfamiliar and frustrating role of action figure in search of action.
"Clinton misses the work, sitting and making the hard decisions, having these smart people around him," says Joe Lockhart, the former White House spokesman. "It's a new experience for him, not being in the middle of it."
Interviews with nearly a dozen Clinton confidants reveal a man struggling to find a way to be useful and worrying that his peace-and-prosperity presidency will be recast as a footnote to the Bush-family dynasty. Right after the attacks, Clinton admitted to a friend that he wished, for the first time, to be back in the White House. And he couldn't resist bitterly telling an ally that if the FBI had spent as much time chasing terrorists as it had investigating his behavior, perhaps things would have played out differently.
Yet if he has any I-could-handle-this-crisis-better thoughts, he's keeping them to himself; in speeches and in numerous conversations with friends, Clinton has made a point of supporting Bush. "He knows his role is trying to provide comfort in New York City, and to add his voice in support of President Bush," says John Podesta, Clinton's former chief of staff. The feeling may not be mutual. Condoleezza Rice briefed Clinton early in the crisis, but a former aide says the exchange was "not rich in detail."
At least he can still get back-channel information. As Sidney Blumenthal, Clinton's White House spinmeister, puts it, "He and Tony Blair are good friends. And he talks to world leaders who seek him out."
While there have been rumors that Clinton and Giuliani might co-chair a commission to rebuild downtown, his aides say he seems more likely to use his bully pulpit and play national hand-holder. Nevertheless, being on the sidelines has become perhaps the toughest challenge of his career.
Janet Reno's FBI investigated him? Really? And we all thought it was that nasty Ken Starr and the VRWC that was after him. Considering x42 had his chance to go after Bin Laden, but didn't, kind of refutes his allegations that "things would have played out differently."
So in other words, in the midst of the worst domestic tragedy the United States has ever faced, Clinton can't stop thinking about himself. Nice to have it confirmed right there in black and white.
Naw, China. They want to make sure they get the right address for the montly payments.
Oh please! How about another lie? Has Clinton even been to his Harlem office since its grand opening (when his gullible neighbors threw him a party and made a big cake for him)? Are we to believe he does his own filing, too? He's been too busy taking private jets all over the world, from California to England to wherever he is now (Czechoslovakia? Who knows) to waste his time in his ex-presidential office. Some of the lies his lackeys tell for him just boggle the mind.
Thanks, you psychopathic rodent, you pitiful lawyer excuse for a humanoid.
I blame you, you despicable disbarred sociopath, your evil wife Hillary, the endlessly vile Janet Reno, and the rest of your DNC vermin for emasculating and corrupting the INS, CIA, Department of Justice, and FBI. You sold all of our nation's nuclear and missle technology to the highest bidder.
Your legacy?
War, economic hardship, death, and the blood of innocents.
I can't even think of a descriptive word expressing how strongly I despise that man. If there is any hard evidence out there which would warrant charges against him and hillary, I pray it is brought to light. I want to see both of them on trial in front of the entire nation. I hope I live to see the day they are exposed to the world for what they are.
On Bill Clinton's desk at his Harlem office, there are nearly 100 missing flyers
Oh.. flyers! I read it too fast and just (reasonably) assumed it was missing files on his desk. I wonder who put them there and when he'll ever see them.
And he couldn't resist bitterly telling an ally that if the FBI had spent as much time chasing terrorists as it had investigating his behavior, perhaps things would have played out differently.
We couldn't agree more, Bill. We're ashamed of your behavior too. Of course, we wonder if the end result of their work hunting terrorists would have hit the same dead end that your investigations did. After all, you installed your own accessory-after-the-fact to run the bureau, helping to insure you always got off scot "Freeh".
We disagree, however, that it's the FBI's fault that our great nation was out of the loop regarding intel on terrorists. You know about that, right? You signed the executive order. Hell, you even let convicted terrorists out of jail to get votes for your co-conpirator spouse!
Condoleezza Rice briefed Clinton early in the crisis, but a former aide says the exchange was "not rich in detail ... And he talks to world leaders who seek him out.
The only world leader who seeks you out is Jiang Zemin, which is one damn good reason not to trust you with sensitive information. You have a long record of compromising our national security, Clinton. You are not to be trusted!
While there have been rumors that Clinton and Giuliani might co-chair a commission to rebuild downtown, his aides say he seems more likely to use his bully pulpit and play national hand-holder.
You won't be doing anything with Guliani. As you are aware, Rudy wouldn't wipe his beehind with you.
I think I speak for a lot of us when I suggest that you've.... done enough, clinton. Stay out of the way and let the real leaders handle this. Stick to the things you do best... like walking around Times Square showing the former First Penis to every woman you see.
And, stop whining. This Great Nation will survive... in spite of you.
Yes!!
I think you nailed it!
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