The appalling Lack of Sense & Sensibilities of BushCo.

Say what you will about Bill Clinton--all his personal failings, this and that --but, as a president, he was very competent. I have to tell you, I was never a big fan of big Bubba. His politics and ideological views often were miles apart from my preferences. He was not an easy going, friendly person, and he was often rude to his subordinates. His ego (like most people who become presidents) was huge, and his arrogance was excessive at times. Yet, the question is not about a person's shortcomings, but what he does with the tremendous power a president wields. We have to look at the big picture here. For me, the rule of thumb is how public policy is affected to make a positive difference in the lives of the citizens. This is what really matters.

It was regrettable that Bill Clinton cheated on his wife, but that's a problem (or, an arrangement) between him and his wife. I'm willing to bet that most great men that changed history were not very faithful to their spouses; some of these men didn't have any true friends. But, we are not looking for leaders to be our friends--they can never be. At any rate, a transgression is measured by its effect. A lie, for example, isn't an absolute value in "sin." Lying about a tryst is one thing, lying about the reasons to commit the nation to a very costly and indefinite war is another.

So the point is, which person would you choose to lead our country? I know this is hypothetical right now and doesn't change the fact that America will suffer a total of eight years of a Bushco presidency, but it should put things into perspective. When the citizens make a choice they must thing long and hard and take the time to investigate the facts. Those facts were available to everyone before the last election. Yet, too many people believed in things that weren't true, like whether there was a link between AlQueda and Saddam, or the "evidence" on WMD. The incompetence of the Bush White House in matters of national security was revealed by the Commission to investigate 911, to name one source whose report came out well before last November.

Bill Clinton did many good things for ordinary Americans--those who needed the government to step in and be a force for good change. More people climbed out of poverty, especially children. The national treasury went from a huge deficit to a huge surplus (to be reversed by the current president). Bill Clinton's priorities made more sense. At least he was more concerned about the "underprivileged" Americans, and didn't chuckle like Mrs. Barbara Bush when seeing those underprivileged people sleeping in the Astrodome, implied that these conditions must have been familiar to those poor people! Or, that Tom Delay (House Majority leader, R-TX) saying, "Now, tell me the truth, boys, is this kind of fun?" Why, surely this ..expedition was like going ..camping!

In 1992, hurricane Andrew devastated Florida. Pappa Bush was on vacation too and in similar fashion was very slow to react. I'll close this post with a poignant comment made by former president Clinton, as I think it summarizes very well the point I'm trying to make here.

"... I went to Florida a few days after President Bush did to observe the damage from Hurricane Andrew. I had dealt with a lot of natural disasters as governor, including floods, droughts, and tornadoes, but I had never seen anything like this. I was surprised to hear complaints from both local officials and residents about how the Federal Emergency Management Agency was handling the aftermath of the hurricane. Traditionally, the job of FEMA director was given to a political supporter of the President who wanted some plum position but who had no experience with emergencies. I made a mental note to avoid that mistake if I won.

Voters don't chose a President based on how he'll handle disasters, but if they're faced with one themselves, it quickly becomes the most important issue in their lives."

Bill Clinton, My Life (p. 428)

Another One Caught Fishing!

If anyone had any doubt that this administration has gone fishing a long time ago, read the statement by the Vice President of the United States when asked by a US News reporter why he came back to work on ..Thursday, 4 days after Katrina began its destructive path:

"I came back four days early."

Photo Caption: Dick Cheney near his new multimillion dollar home named "Undisclosed Location"