The Clinton Family, an American Embarrassment

Someone once said that politics is show business for unattractive and minimally talented people.  We think we know who they had in mind.

William Jefferson Clinton is akin to an inebriated  and very opinionated uncle or cousin or shirt tail relative who never becomes aware of the discomfort his presence and views bring to any occasion.  When he speaks, conversation stops.  Discussion fades.  Opposing opinions dry up.  Why? Because he is to much of America’s entertainment media what Oprah is to the troubled and underemployed; what Barack Obama is to the government worker/employee/bureaucrat and what almost any popular figure (think People magazine) is to the young and the restless but mostly just the unaccomplished – an elixir; a potion; a cure; a distraction from the discipline and hard work of becoming informed, accomplished and responsible.

When any person attains power and wealth and accomplishment there comes a time to leave the stage for the next person.  In most every aspect of normal life – people retire and leave behind their arena of attention.  They may miss it but so be it.  They accept that it is now time for someone new; someone with a very different behavior or focus or modus operandi to take over.  That successor does not need the predecessor commenting or suggesting or just drawing attention from the issues and methods now at hand.  And most certainly not when the predecessor is actually seeking something for himself or someone close to him in some way or another.

There are descriptive words for this disruptive situation – “nepotism” tops the list but other words also apply – “corruption” and “inbreeding” and “stupidity” also apply.

We don’t know why Bill Clinton can’t and won’t go away.  We don’t get why he needs to distribute his time and interviews promoting his wife and her causes.  Or his and her thinking.  We don’t know many men who can’t operate without the approval and constant reinforcement of their spouse but we do know that when we see it we recognize it and we sure do not want it offered as either healthy or something worth imitation.  This form of enabling codependence has no place in America.

If Hillary wishes to be president let her tell us why then we need to hear Bill’s views on so many topics.  Is she unable to see herself without him?  Figure out what to do without him?  Without his thinking?  His views?  His prejudices?  If so, then let them both run – let them both appear on the stage during debates – let them both buy TV time and make ads presenting their plans and commentaries – on the issues and their opponents.

Otherwise – we say this.  You are both an embarrassment.  We are not a country that honors a person unless that person has accomplishments and sacrifices that go way above and beyond the call of duty.  Our simple definition of such behavior is captured by these few words of the last sentence of our Declaration of Independence:

“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

We see – can find no – evidence of you or any of your family giving up their life for America.  We see no evidence that you gave up your fortune for America (a bit more about this below) and we do not define honor as lying about sexual activities or false impoverishment or landing under fire in an imaginary warzone.

Bill, you were fortunate to be president during a period of technological and engineering change and growth. But, alas, those new industries and businesses – about which you understood little and contributed even less – are now mature companies, trying to survive in a vastly different competitive environment than you know; producing most of their products overseas and cutting back at home.  Neither you nor Hillary grasp this level of change – Hillary actually speaks about Bill’s time in office as if it were the same environment today.  Does Hillary not comprehend that many of today’s problems – some overwhelming – are the direct result of events, legislation, rulings and bureaucratic momentum from Bill’s eight years in office?

Immigration; financial industry deregulation; higher taxes; easy loans for home ownership and college; Wall street excesses; vastly expanded unionization of government employees; high pensions; trade policies that flood America with cheap, low quality goods while our manufacturers shutter their plants; high security encroachments on freedoms and rights – on and on – all on Bill’s watch.

One of the things neither of you talk about is the damage done to America by your meddling in the financial industry marketplace.  Is that because you don’t see it or because those banks and investment managers put so much money in your pocket every week that you conveniently forget?  You are owned by Wall street.  Even though you don’t grasp the damage you and they have done – you don’t need to – they have bought and paid for both of you as well as your family members.

Oh, one other thing – we heard Bill the other day comment upon one other old fool who cannot quietly go away – Dick Cheney.  Dick is and was never wrong – sound familiar?   Bill, regardless of your disingenuity in blaming him for the deterioration in Iraq, you forgot one little factoid – you and Hillary were in total and complete support of Dick and his friends ill fated Iraq adventures.  Convenience of memory is just one more source of your family’s embarrassment.

How many acts of shameful behavior are needed to fully earn the title of an American embarrassment?  Probably more than a couple but you two passed that hurdle decades ago – your list now overflows.

Take your money – and all your schemes and ideas and nonsense and disappear.  Someday you, Bill, will get a state funeral.  You can write you own obituary – make yourself a hero.  But it will ring less false if before that event occurs you get off the stage – you, the frau, the kid, the shirt tail relatives and low life aides and at least show the historians that you were not just a media mongrel but finally learned the value of silence.