Paving The Way?

Is this column really about John Edwards or is Ms. Estrich rolling out the Sleaze Carpet for the return of Willie the Zipper to Washington?

The biggest derailment of the Hope & Change Express has been the fact that the government will soon be polluted with Clintonites again. While some of us have always known that you can’t get rid of Bill, Hill and the Flying Monkeys who serve as their minions, many on the Right were hoping that the Sleaze Circus had been relegated to the periphery of the Democratic party.

Yes, you’re wondering why I’m turning a column about John Edwards into a blog post about the Clintons. Simple, now that they are back in the thick of things, it’s always about the Clintons. Have you people not been paying attention?

The theme of Estrich’s argument for Edwards is what set the Clinton alarms (I have them installed all over my brain) off. She trots out the wearisome “Should what a man does in his personal life affect his professional life?” line of non-reasoning.

Must we preface the return of the Democrats to the White House with moral equivocation? Couldn’t we at least wait until breakfast time on January 21st (the first time Bill lets the zipper fly) to get this garbage rolling?

The gist of the argument for Edwards:

If he has something to add — and I think he does — should he be disqualified from doing so because he is a lying lout?

Then:

Washington is full of lying louts.

“Everybody’s doing it” is an excuse a high school boy uses to get his girlfriend drunk and horny, not one that bolsters the resumé of a prospective United States Attorney General.

Quick question: will any prominent voice in the Democratic party stand up and say that marital infidelity is wrong? It shouldn’t be that difficult.

Edwards managed to up the sleaze factor several notches by cheating on a wife who is battling cancer. He out-Clintoned Clinton!

Yes, I believe people should be given second chances. I don’t, however, believe that Edwards should be given the jobs that Estrich mentions. A man who comfortably and publicly lied shouldn’t be the head of the Dept. of Justice. Likewise, a man who publicly humiliated his family shouldn’t be in charge of Health and Human Services.

Estrich also gives a nod to the “only because he got caught” idiocy too.

Her passionate argument for dismissing egregious sleaze made a wave of Clinton fatigue wash over me. You could swap Bill Clinton’s name for John Edwards in any of her moral equivalency arguments and it would be 1998 all over again. If I had the time today I’d look to see if half this wasn’t taken from an old article of hers.

Edwards made his own bed. Then he invited a woman who wasn’t his wife to sleep in it. Now he’s not going to be a Cabinet member. He’s still filthy rich from his ambulance-chasing money and his wife is still married to him. It’s going to be difficult find many tears for him, Susan.

But Bill and Hillary are coming back to the Executive Branch. You might want to keep a few versions of this column ready for the future.

Cross-posted from America Needs Me

Is Bill Clinton working for McCain/Palin?

Bizarro World welcomes you…

So I found myself watching more video of Bill Clinton tonight. On The View, no less. No, I’m not drunk.

After being less than effusive in his support of Barack Obama in an interview last week I thought he might step it up a little, especially given his surroundings. Well, Joy, Whoopi and Babs must be hitting the Xanax pretty hard tonight. Clinton had another “I like John McCain” moment on a show where you’re supposed to spit on Republicans, call Elizabeth stupid for being one then leave. That’s standard green room prep for the show.

Pay attention as it is once again all about the subtext with what he’s saying. When asked if he thinks some of his wife’s supporters are shifting to McCain/Palin because there is a woman on the ticket, Clinton says yes. He then goes into a very detailed and smooth defense of why that might be. While never saying, “You go, girls!” he doesn’t once say “You shouldn’t do that.” He pays lip service to what might be the “best interest” of the voters because Joy feeds him a line but that’s as negative as he gets. His detailed defense of these voters seems almost like a blessing. He sure as hell never asks them to stay.

When Clinton moves on to the subject of Barack Obama and John McCain, it gets more interesting. He plays the part of a dutiful, if not passionate foot soldier but nothing more. He says he’s voting for Barack Obama “Because I’m a loyal Democrat.” That’s it. Real f-ing Hallmark moment there, huh?

He then points out something that John McCain actually did to help him normalize relations with Vietnam. TO be fair, there’s not a lot of “actual” stuff to talk about with Barack Obama’s record. Nothing that you should bring up in front of the children, anyway. Clinton then tells a story about mentioning to Barbara Walters last year that McCain was the only Republican who could win.

I didn’t watch the whole show, obviously, just this clip. I’m sure he says something nice about Barack Obama somewhere else. But the fact that each time he has a chance to speak about Obama he goes out of his way to praise McCain is what’s interesting. It’s got that whole “I don’t wanna date, I just like you as a friend,” vibe to it. Obama’s standing there at the end of the date wanting so much more and getting, “You’re all right, but that John McCain, he’s somethin’ else!”

Kind of brings back memories of 2000 and all that enthusiastic support he had for Earth Day Al. Good times.

Bill Clinton Said WHAT?! at the Democratic Convention

Former President Bill Clinton, yesterday, at the Democratic Convention in Denver, CO:

For example, you’re a voter and you have “Candidate X” and “Candidate Y.” Candidate X agrees with you on everything, but you don’t think that person can deliver on anything. Candidate Y disagrees with you on half the issues, but you believe that on the other half the candidate will be able to deliver. For whom will you vote?