Peggy Noonan: The Anti-Ikes

Opinion Journal ^ | 02/24/03 | Peggy Noonan

[Pokey78]

Two ex-presidents could learn from Eisenhower and the Bay of Pigs.

Two of our former presidents, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, have been talking a lot about their views and feelings on Iraq. It would be nice if they took to speaking less and thinking more. They could start with an event in the latter years of Dwight David Eisenhower, a former president who knew how to do the job.

[Jorge]

Carter and Clinton never seem to learn from history...and are not satisfied that their policies have been dismal failures, but seem determined to disgrace themselves more.

Their contempt for Bush and attempts to undermine him are way too obvious. I pray their efforts backfire.

[PGalt]

Carter and Clinton are much worse than anti-Ikes.

[Calvin Locke]

IMO, the key phrase is But the most important backing Kennedy needed was that of his immediate predecessor,....

Bush could pander to the Carter-Clinton crowd, or should I say try to pander. It just is not worth it:

Carter turned out to be even a worse politician out of office than when he was in. The only way he can get noticed
and receive more than basic human respect is to be anti-American, especially when it's in the best interests
of the country and its citizens. If he is really a peace at any price-nik, he would have declined the naming of an
attack submarine after him.

Clinton is such a scatological combination of greed, envy, and lust, that he can't wait to mess up Bush
just because he can, regardless of the his "convictions", or the needs of the country.

My point being that neither Carter/Clinton have the best interests of the country at heart, so consulting them will
only empower them to give "Useful Idiot" style aid and comfort to the enemy.

[yoe]

Our President, George Bush, has shown more integrity and class than the boorish Bill Clinton and the air headedness of Jimmy Carter. They both shame their country, with Clinton I can understand that as he has never put America first, but for Carter well, you have to wonder about the little man – intelligence is not his strong suit.

E-mail the White House today and let our President know you stand with him. Then write or call the Clintons and tell them how shabbily they treat America and Americans. Let Carter know he has crossed the line for ex-presidents also. Jimmy Carter championing human rights throughout the world should remember his country; Mother Teresa he’s not! Party before Principal cheap shots from these two and Mrs. Clinton are hurting the nation, no doubt about it.

The Honorable Jimmy Carter
The Carter Center
One Copenhill
453 Freedom Parkway
Atlanta, GA 30307
tel: (1) 404-331-3900

The Honorable William J. Clinton
55 W. 125th Street, 14th Floor
New York NY 10027
tel: (1) 212-348-8882
fax: (1) 212-348-9245

Do write or call today!

[The Raven]

Wow, Wow. This is great

Thanks for the ping

[George W. Bush]

From Eisenhower a verbal smack. "That is exactly the opposite of what would really happen. The Soviets follow their own plans, when they see any sign of weakness they show their strength." JFK said he'd been advised not to show America's hand. Eisenhower hit back: American support, training, materiel and leadership would immediately be obvious to everyone. "How could you expect the world to believe that we had nothing to do with it?" He told Kennedy when America resorts to arms, "it must be a success."

Ike's advice to the prima donna Kennedy may have actually saved us from a nuclear fait accompli or worse in Cuba in '62.

I still like Ike, possibly the greatest president of his century.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

Peggy Noonan will deliver the 20th Annual Frank L. Marcon Lecture at DeSales University in Allentown, PA. The lecture will be at 7:30 p.m. Tues., April 22, at the Billera sport and Fitness Center at DeSales. The lecture is FREE and open to the public, but tickets are required. Call 610-282-4704 for tickets. Noonan will sign copies of her books after the lecture.

[PJ-Comix]

I posted a duplicate thread of this same article. I did a search on "Anti-Ikes" but nothing came up. I wonder why.

[snopercod]

Good read. Thanks.

[ricpic]

Clinton and Carter lack THE quality that marks a human being as civilized: Graciousness.

[hobbes1]

Once again, as in facing impeachment, Clinton, when compared to Nixon, comes up lacking.

[bkwells]

Great Read! Thanks for the ping snippy!

[jigsaw]

Clinton and Carter will both be destroyed by history.

It's all about "me." It's all about "now."

-- It's all about immaturity on a grand scale.

History will destroy them. Their descendants have little to look forward to.

[roses of sharon]

I have a dumb quesion:

Is this article in the WSJ newspaper? Or just their website?

[shezza]

Peggy Ping!

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

I still like Ike, possibly the greatest president of his century.

I was an Eisenhower fan when I was too young to vote. He was a paragon of strength on foreign policy compared to any Democrat you can name.

But in listening on C-Span to a panel of Eisenhower cabinet officers a few years ago I came to realize that Herbert Brownell--Eisenhower's campaign manager, Attorney General, and "smartest man I know"--was RINO through and through. And that Eisenhower's appointments to the Supreme Court, including Earl Warren and William Brennan, were no accidents.

And--no accident, considering the above--Eisenhower did nothing much to build the Republican Party, and even held back from giving Nixon his blessing in the 1960 race--possibly the margin of victory which created the Kennedy Administration and thus the Bay of Pigs.

No, I think Eisenhower superior to all Democrats in my lifetime--even unto FDR in my infancy--but to elevate him above RWR is too much. And since Reagan himself admired Calvin Coolidge (sp), I'd have to wonder, among 20th Century presidents, about how Eisenhower compared to him.

[BartMan1]

ping for Noonan....

[bvw]

"Lucky for JFK he had Eisenhower. Lucky he didn't have them."

Times are as they are. What if's are Disneyland daydreaming.

Fact is, JFK didn't heed Ike's advice -- that when the US shows it's hand of force, it MUST then succeed. Kennedy began the half-step in, half-step out war action in Viet Nam that turned it into a meat grinder and a loss. The wacko "send them a signal" mindset.

To play the daydreamer here -- what would have happened had Ike been as forceful against Kennedy as he had been against Truman? Ike's pressure -- among others -- kept Truman honest and playing a solid hand. Had Ike have been as open to critiquing Kennedy as Carter is of Bush, Ike's own stature might have fallen, but we may either avoided Viet Nam completely or won it in a few years.

[Gritty]

This is one reason why the President's Day holiday is such a sick joke.

In years past, we had Lincoln's Birthday and George Washington's Birthday. We honored each of these great Presidents individually. Schoolchildren spent time learning about them and their accomplishments. The focus was on them.

Now, turds like Clinton and Carter are lumped right in. Instead of honoring the great men of our country, we also celebrate the feckless, incompetent and immoral right along with the best.

In these days of "self-esteem" and "PC", I suppose we are now eating the fruits of our own leveling foolishness. Instead of honoring our best and setting them forth as an example to emulate, we instead dishonor their legacy by lumping them in with the worst!

We have managed to serve up our finest wine, generously mixed with horse p!ss.

[happygrl]

Pulling back the curtain of history. Shame, shame Carter and Clinton; you are pathetic in light of the class acts which preceded you.