Bubba? Are You Feeling OK?/Clinton Praises Bush
Clinton Praises Bush
In some of his most candid comments since leaving the White House, former President Bill Clinton offered surprising praise for the man who replaced him — and said President Bush is right for staying the course in Iraq.
"I keep reading that Bush is incurious, but when he talks to me he asks a lot of questions," Clinton said in the wide-ranging profile penned by writer David Remnick in the Sept. 18 edition of The New Yorker magazine.
Different Thinkers
Clinton told Remnick he was surprised that Bush is often criticized as incurious and intellectually shallow. He quickly explained that people just misinterpret both Bush and his dad, the former president, because their brains work differently than most people.
"So I can't give him a bad grade on curiosity. I think both he and his father, because they have peculiar speech patterns, have been underestimated in terms of their intellectual capacity. You know, the way they speak and all, it could be, it could just relate to the way the synapses work in their brains."
On the heated matter of Iraq and U.S. involvement there, Clinton seemed supportive of the current policy. He told Remnick: "Whether you were for or against the original action, it would be better if it did not end in calamity and chaos, mass killing within Iraq, more terrorist bases there.
"And I think you have to say that this is a national security issue — and I say that because I don't think we should have done it until after the U.N. inspections were over, until we had secured Afghanistan, and we had a consensus in the world community. I never thought Saddam [Hussein] presented any kind of a terrorist threat.
"But once you break these eggs you've got to kind of make an omelet. And we've just got to be straight about that. And, if it is obvious that there is nothing positive that can come from our committed involvement there, then we have to say we'd be prepared to say we'll come home — but we're not there yet.
"Seventy percent of those people did vote. They voted to set up this government. And most of them, if left to their own devices, without the people with the guns in the middle, would find some way to make some sort of decent go of it."
Newfound Admiration
Clinton also expressed backhanded admiration for Bush's straightforwardness in presenting his agenda, which Clinton argues is one of the most conservative to emanate from a Republican-controlled White House.
"I also think that he was genuinely more conservative on questions like concentrations of wealth and power, weakening of environmental and health regulations — things of that kind — than any president we've had in a very, very long time," Clinton said.
"Even more conservative than Reagan, probably, and way to the right of his father and Nixon and Eisenhower. But the thing that bothers me about having an ideology as opposed to a philosophy is that, if you have an ideology, then the outcome is dictated before the facts are in, before the arguments are heard. And that, I think, can cause problems."
But Clinton said that Bush, despite employing the slogan "compassionate conservatism," never hid his radical-right agenda. "He said, ‘Vote for me, and I'll give you judges like Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia,' and that's exactly what he did."
In the same vein, Clinton seemed angered with the way the White House, even as Iraq verged on civil war, remained on the rhetorical and ideological offensive.
"I'm sick of Karl Rove's bulls***," Clinton declared. But Remnick writes: "And yet there was a trace of admiration in the remark, a veteran pol's regard for the way his rival had packaged a radical brand of American conservatism as ‘compassionate conservatism' and kept on pushing it long after its sell-by date had passed."
Said Clinton: "Nixon was a communist compared to this crowd."
Clinton sees that same determination to prevail in himself, and believes that's what set him apart from Democratic losers Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis, Al Gore, and John Kerry.
"We've got to be in the winning business, because without winning it's the other guy, and the other guy's ideas, that prevail."
Read Story Here
Bill Clinton and Laura Bush Team Up To Send Water Pumps To Africa, Just keep your hands to yourself, Bubba!!
Read Story Here
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Has Bubba been smokin somethin funny?
In some of his most candid comments since leaving the White House, former President Bill Clinton offered surprising praise for the man who replaced him — and said President Bush is right for staying the course in Iraq.
"I keep reading that Bush is incurious, but when he talks to me he asks a lot of questions," Clinton said in the wide-ranging profile penned by writer David Remnick in the Sept. 18 edition of The New Yorker magazine.
Different Thinkers
Clinton told Remnick he was surprised that Bush is often criticized as incurious and intellectually shallow. He quickly explained that people just misinterpret both Bush and his dad, the former president, because their brains work differently than most people.
"So I can't give him a bad grade on curiosity. I think both he and his father, because they have peculiar speech patterns, have been underestimated in terms of their intellectual capacity. You know, the way they speak and all, it could be, it could just relate to the way the synapses work in their brains."
On the heated matter of Iraq and U.S. involvement there, Clinton seemed supportive of the current policy. He told Remnick: "Whether you were for or against the original action, it would be better if it did not end in calamity and chaos, mass killing within Iraq, more terrorist bases there.
"And I think you have to say that this is a national security issue — and I say that because I don't think we should have done it until after the U.N. inspections were over, until we had secured Afghanistan, and we had a consensus in the world community. I never thought Saddam [Hussein] presented any kind of a terrorist threat.
"But once you break these eggs you've got to kind of make an omelet. And we've just got to be straight about that. And, if it is obvious that there is nothing positive that can come from our committed involvement there, then we have to say we'd be prepared to say we'll come home — but we're not there yet.
"Seventy percent of those people did vote. They voted to set up this government. And most of them, if left to their own devices, without the people with the guns in the middle, would find some way to make some sort of decent go of it."
Newfound Admiration
Clinton also expressed backhanded admiration for Bush's straightforwardness in presenting his agenda, which Clinton argues is one of the most conservative to emanate from a Republican-controlled White House.
"I also think that he was genuinely more conservative on questions like concentrations of wealth and power, weakening of environmental and health regulations — things of that kind — than any president we've had in a very, very long time," Clinton said.
"Even more conservative than Reagan, probably, and way to the right of his father and Nixon and Eisenhower. But the thing that bothers me about having an ideology as opposed to a philosophy is that, if you have an ideology, then the outcome is dictated before the facts are in, before the arguments are heard. And that, I think, can cause problems."
But Clinton said that Bush, despite employing the slogan "compassionate conservatism," never hid his radical-right agenda. "He said, ‘Vote for me, and I'll give you judges like Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia,' and that's exactly what he did."
In the same vein, Clinton seemed angered with the way the White House, even as Iraq verged on civil war, remained on the rhetorical and ideological offensive.
"I'm sick of Karl Rove's bulls***," Clinton declared. But Remnick writes: "And yet there was a trace of admiration in the remark, a veteran pol's regard for the way his rival had packaged a radical brand of American conservatism as ‘compassionate conservatism' and kept on pushing it long after its sell-by date had passed."
Said Clinton: "Nixon was a communist compared to this crowd."
Clinton sees that same determination to prevail in himself, and believes that's what set him apart from Democratic losers Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis, Al Gore, and John Kerry.
"We've got to be in the winning business, because without winning it's the other guy, and the other guy's ideas, that prevail."
Read Story Here
Bill Clinton and Laura Bush Team Up To Send Water Pumps To Africa, Just keep your hands to yourself, Bubba!!
Read Story Here
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Has Bubba been smokin somethin funny?
posted by Marie's Two Cents | 12:43 PM
10 Comments:
So Bill Clinton is gracious and doesn't dis the president, actually he flatters him, and you can't give him a break--you assume he's smoking something.
If Clinton had criticized Bush and said something unflattering, you would have chewed his backside from here to next Sunday.
Face it. There is nothing someone not in your camp does that can get you to say something good.
I guess you guys need a demon to make yourselves feel superior.
Have at it, guys.
But this is not what helps America.
There is plenty about Bill Clinton that I don't like. But unlike you Bush idolaters, I have no problem seeing his faults. And that doesn't make me unAmerican. I'm an American first and a Democrat second.
All of us are flawed--even George W. Bush.
The only reason that Slick Willie feels free to tell the truth is that he's not up for election.
Mrs Green,
So Bill Clinton is gracious and doesn't dis the president, actually he flatters him, and you can't give him a break--you assume he's smoking something.
If Clinton had criticized Bush and said something unflattering, you would have chewed his backside from here to next Sunday.
Face it. There is nothing someone not in your camp does that can get you to say something good.
I guess you guys need a demon to make yourselves feel superior.
Have at it, guys.
But this is not what helps America.
There is plenty about Bill Clinton that I don't like. But unlike you Bush idolaters, I have no problem seeing his faults. And that doesn't make me unAmerican. I'm an American first and a Democrat second.
All of us are flawed--even George W. Bush.
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Oh trust me when Bush is doing something I dont like I call him out on it! I have no problem pointing out Bush's faults, he just doesnt happen to have as many as the left would like everyone to believe.
As far as my comment,
I was being funny Mrs Green!
You need to lighten up a bit.
What is it with you people not being able to take a joke?
The reason I said that is one minute Clinton is bashing Bush on all kinds of other things, granted not like the total Lunatic's on the left, and this is the first time I have ever heard "Praise" for Bush by him or anyone on the left for that matter. It kind of through me for a loop!
In actuality, I heard Bubba is teaming up with Laura Bush for I think it is an AIDS thing, I'm not quite sure what I heard, but I will look it up and link it to this post when I find out.
But then that leads me to think, if Bubba is teaming up with Laura, and they have been spending alot of time together, and now out of no where Bubba is "Praising" Bush, I wonder just exactly is going on?
He better back off my First Lady that's all I know!
Jay,
The only reason that Slick Willie feels free to tell the truth is that he's not up for election.
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I wonder if there are other ulterior motives involved here Jay!
Like maybe he is trying to put the moves on Laura. Just trying to throw everybody off by praising Bush?
I will give Clinton credit for what he said about Bush, it's to bad the rest of his party can't see the same thing. I've actually read many comments in which Clinton,and Bush have complemented each other,but I do have to point out a lie from Clinton. He stated "I never thought Saddam [Hussein] presented any kind of a terrorist threat." Now here is the comments Clinton made after Operation Desert Fox to the American people. December 16th 1998 "The president said Iraq's refusal to cooperate with U.N. weapons inspectors presented a threat to the entire world.
"Saddam (Hussein) must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons," Clinton said.
Operation Desert Fox, a strong, sustained series of attacks, will be carried out over several days by U.S. and British forces, Clinton said. "Their mission is to attack Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and its military capacity to threaten its neighbors," said Clinton." and just prior to the U.S invassion to Iraq Clinton said on Good Morning America " "He's got a very dangerous (weapons) program. We need to eliminate it," Clinton said on ABC's Good Morning America.
Interviewed from Africa where he is on tour, the former president said, "I think we ought to go to the United Nations. I think we ought to get a tough resolution which basically says we'll take Saddam Hussein up on his commitment to free and unfettered inspections."
"If he doesn't comply," Clinton said, a U.N. resolution should make clear that the international community "is authorized to use force."
I'd also like to point out that Hillary Clinton has stated,and been attacked by the Liberals on several ocassions for saying we need to stay in Iraq until their country is stabilized. I'd like to also say I don't like many things Bush does. For one I don't think he spends enough time with other world leaders with the exception of Tony Blair, But both Reagan,and Clinton seemed to entertain world leaders all the time,and they both had much better world relations because of it. I also don't think that saying Clinton must be smoking something makes him out to be a demon. But unlike Mrs Green I can say something good about Clinton ,but I doubt she can bring herself to say anything positive about Bush
There is nothing someone not in your camp does that can get you to say something good.
I'm clearly one of Marie's happy campers, and I can say something good about Bill Clinton: .....mmm.....he didn't completely slam Bush? That's a good thing right? (^_^)
Seriously, I am critical of Clinton; but I'm not a hater. And I respect the fact that he held the office of the Presidency.
I kind of think Dubbya held out the Olive Branch to Bubba, first, though. George Bush has been very generous to Bill Clinton in his praise and gracious. I can't remember all the exact words now. But they've had an odd relationship. Don't forget, that Bush Sr. has worked with Clinton on Tsunami relief, and other charities, I believe.
It is nice when, political differences aside, we can treat each other with respect and conduct ourselves like gentlemen, even as we disagree.
Clinton can play all nice now if that what he prefers to do. I can renmember a time when the Clinton attack dogs Gerorge (Steffy) Stephanoupoulous, James Carville, and a whole host of others would attck anyone that would dare to challenge Bill Clinton's administration.
I refer to one incident often because it illustrates just what depths Clinton and gang would sink to and lower the common denominator of the body politic in this country. It turned it into dems vs. the interest of the American people mentality.
When the Republicans were trying to get a handle on the spiraling cost of medicare, they wanted to put the Health care adminstration office to private company bid to lower costs. Oh my gosh, Clinton and the minions went out telling everyone on every talk show they could find to say that Newtie and the boys were throwing Grandma out of the nursing home on to the street with vouchers for dollar store dog food.
Screw the democrats, Screw Bill and Hillary Clinton, they have dragged this country into the gutter with their gutter menatlity and it will be a long time until a generation of democrats comes along to be dignified and responsible enough to be leaders of this great nation again!
Angry,
That's all I will give Bubba, is a bit of credit.
I am NO Clinton supporter, especially after what I knew all along, that he could have gotten Bin Laden and he didnt.
Even some of my buddies to the RIGHT of me disagree with my strong stance on this issue.
But I guess that's all water under the bridge now.
Word,
I'm clearly one of Marie's happy campers, and I can say something good about Bill Clinton: .....mmm.....he didn't completely slam Bush? That's a good thing right? (^_^)
Seriously, I am critical of Clinton; but I'm not a hater. And I respect the fact that he held the office of the Presidency.
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Yeah at least he didnt completely slam Bush!
LMAO@Happy Camper
JG,
You go girl!!
I just dont want Bubba trying to get in Laura's pants!!!
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