The LuLac Edition #1404, Dec. 14th, 2010
PHOTO INDEX: PRESIDENTS OBAMA AND CLINTON, OR 44 AND 42.
HISTORIC HAPPENING
I’ve been a follower of Presidential politics for a very long time. The recent appearance of President Bill Clinton with President Obama at the White House just blew my mind. During the 2008 Presidential campaign, Bill Clinton was so resentful over the fact that good party friends of his deserted he and his wife for Obama. He was disdainful of the experience level the Illinois Senator had. Like a good party soldier, he got behind Obama and did limited but effective campaigning in the Fall. When Hillary Clinton decided to become Obama’s Secretary of State, Bill was a major consideration in the deal being brokered. It had to be an incredible piece of humble pie for Obama to trot Bill Clinton out and make the case for his deal with the GOP. Clinton, ever the good soldier came to the aide of the President and as usual acquitted himself well. But folks, this was a historic moment in time. Never before has a predecessor arrived on the scene to try to save the bacon for a successor.
True, in terms of national tragedy like 911, former Presidents are consulted and make the trek to D.C. if requested. When John Kennedy was murdered Harry Truman AND Dwight Eisenhower went to the White House at the behest of Lyndon Johnson but that was because they were going to be in town for the funeral and LBJ wanted to demonstrate continuity in a tragedy.
Truman later made an appearance at the signing of the Medicare Bill in 1965 getting the first card issued but that bill was a done deal.
Even during the Desert Storm War, while consulted Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon never stood on the same podium endorsing it with Bush 41.
Apparently the Obama White House thought this was a good idea. It was at best an impromptu visit to the Press Room where reporters had to be summoned. Both men were cordial and looked like long lost buddies with Clinton properly deferring to the current occupant of the White House. But if there is still any pillow talk left in the Clinton marriage (and I’m willing to bet there is) can you imagine the conversation Bill and Hillary had on this meeting? As far as I can remember, I have never seen anything like it. They say politics makes strange bedfellows, so apparently does American history.
posted by David Yonki @ 8:14 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Love him or hate him, Bill Clinton is the greatest politico of our times.
Watching him last week, I too was mesmerized, feeling as if I had been transported back to 1996. The hair was greyer, eyes a little more puffier, but the charisma, the need for no teleprompter, just gave the impression of leadership. Once, before addressing a joint session of congress on health care, someone in the house screwed up the teleprompter. It contained the last state of the union address. Bill Clinton simply recited his speech verbatim. A true scholar.
You can also say a lot about Barack OBama, but love him or hate him you cannot accuse him of having too big an ego after letting the Master take the podium on his own.
As the old saying goes,"Don't burn your bridges". But if one must at least try and mend them because one never knows when you might have to cross back over. You may have to eat crow but no one says you have to enjoy it.
President Obama finally got some help from a Democrat!
Seems really odd for a sitting President to call on a former President to get his own party to agree with him. I don't think it is about ego, I think it is lack of leadership. The President IS the leader of the country. One person is President. With calling in Big Bill it seems that he lacks the gravitas to be leader.
I voted for Clinton and Obama. I will not vote Obama again. I want a leader not a wuss
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