This weekend on Maria Bartiromo’s program, Wall Street Journal Report, she interviewed the ex-President, Bill Clinton. Clinton’s wife as we might recall is Secretary of State; therefore, she has some influence over foreign policy (witness the War in Libya, where by all accounts, she has been the driving force). Well, Clinton stated that Osama Bin Laden “…was a charismatic, intelligent and courageous figure in a way, in the sense that he lived in a cave and then hid out and–you know, he came from the richest family of Saudi Arabia, he could’ve had a very different life–was that he has a world view that is totally inconsistent with human survivability.”
I might be using a different definition of courageous than Clinton does. It’s unclear to me how sending a dozen or so religious fanatics to their certain death in order to make an ideological point, while hiding yourself away in a cave for a few years makes you courageous. It’s also unclear how then moving into a mansion under the protection of one of the largest armies in the world for another half dozen years, googling yourself, trying to find images of yourself on television, and marrying a group of women in their twenties is a courageous act.
William Jefferson Clinton, or BJ Clinton to those of us not completely enthralled by him, finds the urgent need to be interviewed regularly, especially when the person asking the questions is as comely as Ms. Bartiromo. Other than validating Bin Laden, Clinton also recommended a new government agency, just what we need. This one’s function would be to debunk rumors and lies that spread on the internet. He thinks that if the US government is unwilling to take on this function, then the UN should do it. When did we enter the age where the UN gets to decide what rules we should live under?
He has spent the last week making sure that he was being discussed. First, he felt the need to state that he tried twice to call his wife last Sunday (probably a record), but that she wouldn’t take his calls since she was too busy. I’m guessing this isn’t the first time that she used this excuse. Here is the interview where he discusses how Hillary didn’t leak the killing of Bin Laden to him.
May 15th, 2011 at 8:22 am
Oh this site is probably scrolling in an nsa cubicle somewhere 24 7 and by a fan no doubt.
May 15th, 2011 at 9:34 am
Truly a stupid thing for Clinton to say, but have you been taking misleading headline lessons from WT? It does seem Clinton was referring to perception, not calling OBL courageous.
By the way, is it safe to assume that WT isn’t playing in this sandbox anymore or is he just catching his breath between puffs of hot air.
May 15th, 2011 at 10:08 am
If he would’ve just said it to Maria B, I’d agree that it was merely a stupid turn of the phrase. However, he used the same term in the video that I attached. I’m unclear what in the transcript indicated a perception; instead, he based the idea of courage on giving up many of the trappings of wealth.
May 15th, 2011 at 10:53 am
one of clinton’s stregnths is his ability to empathize with others, so sure he can see both sides of the equation, so what is surprising here?, as any good soldjier can tell you, “know your enemy”(bin laden)
May 15th, 2011 at 11:32 am
Nobody likes me, and I’m a courageous warrior
May 15th, 2011 at 11:42 am
For a guy so used to call good bad, and bad good, it’s hard to know where his loyalty is. Of course, that depends on what the definition of is is.
May 15th, 2011 at 11:44 am
@ Rivera..
Good one !
May 15th, 2011 at 11:51 am
is, is what is inside your lunchbox come mealtime.
May 15th, 2011 at 11:57 am
Everytime I see this mutt’s face–I think of the movie THE JERK…”…I was born a poor white boy..” in the tiny hamlet of Hope..and my daddy drank and my mom changed my name…..WINNING
ROFL
May 15th, 2011 at 12:03 pm
Yeah Faye.
I wonder if he wrote home to tell his parents about the “job” that chick wearing the blue dress offered him.
May 15th, 2011 at 12:09 pm
yeah make fun of the self made millionaire and his millionaire wife.
May 15th, 2011 at 12:28 pm
“yeah make fun of the self made millionaire and his millionaire wife.”
Yeah, but if you remember correctly he lost it all in the end because all his clients went cross-eyed.
May 15th, 2011 at 12:52 pm
It always impressed me that he spent his entire life as a politician and ended up a multi-millionaire.
May 15th, 2011 at 1:18 pm
Fahreed Zakaria just wrote an interesting piece in CNN World about Pakistan and its pretty scathing and calls it for what it is. He sounds kind of right wing even.
May 15th, 2011 at 1:24 pm
Okay, guess we’ll have to kick Steve Martin outta the fray.
Yeah, Arriba.
I dont know if your point raises more suspicion than impression in light of the fact that most of our “public servants” make nothing in at a federal salary compared to their own entrepreneurial escapades.
Bell California gives good insight to this.
May 15th, 2011 at 1:26 pm
“He sounds kind of right wing even.”
Yeah well, its no surprise today any more than 2 weeks ago that Pakistan is a two timing wh0re
May 15th, 2011 at 1:51 pm
Question for the group: would it be blasphemy to describe the leader of the germans in wwii as a “compelling speaker and master at stirring public passions”?
May 15th, 2011 at 1:54 pm
me, would you describe AH as courageous also? He managed to kill a ton of people while avoiding any semblance of personal danger as well.
May 15th, 2011 at 2:07 pm
Reminds me of the story told by David Newman, who used to be a local talk-radio host prior to his death. He once talked with a German woman while standing in line at a bakery and asked her why she thought so many Germans went along in the beginning with AH. Her answer was, “He stopped the ‘Taxi-Cab Murders’.”
It seems there had been a rash, 3 or 4, of taxi cab drivers killed in Berlin. AH was considered a ‘law & order’ type who had ended much of the chaos and random violence. Of course, it was replaced by utter insanity and highly structured violence.
May 15th, 2011 at 2:22 pm
yes Andy, I am sure, at the time, ah seemed perfectly organically normal in his rise to power. He had so much of the criminal element in alliance with him as they rose in prominance and sadly public acceptance as well, till they started feuding for who was going to ultimately rule. Fascist duplicity, tenacity, and focus won over routine criminal indulgence of many of his early allies. And to most of the people then it was just fairly normal goings on for the times. Ultimately ah had to make a pact with a willing army to cement his power and safety even with his own ss core to protect him. That is why its so important to critique what people consider normal as a mantra in the earliest stages or else it is likely to happen again, sometime, somewhere. I am sure the people of his day were just as intelligent(look at all their scientists and engineers) and moral(look at their tradition of philosophy and education) in thinking as any other modern nation. this can happen again. anywhere.
May 15th, 2011 at 2:24 pm
“would it be blasphemy to describe the leader of the germans in wwii as a “compelling speaker and master at stirring public passions”?”
Everything’s relevant to perspective.
Theres serial killers on death row that some people (wink wink) call courageous heros”
Hell, theres idiots that think Carter was the best president ever.
I understand what they mean, where they’re coming from.
That still doesnt make em too bright when they express it.
Of course UBL was courageous in some people eyes. No sht …duh.
May 15th, 2011 at 3:22 pm
when Carter was president the 35 hour work week was in, and white collar jobs were recruiting offering 3-4 weeks vacation year one. And you could take it without being fired. They even still paid overtime. There were still decent pensions for retirement for near everybody, and very comprehensive health care insurance that just covered more of the expenses, unlike today. State Universities semester tuitions were a couple of weeks of groceries most places, and if you were working a job, the company encouraged and paid you to take classes to upgrade yourself, even a masters and made it a company priority. Fridays were officially short days, liquid lunches, and causal dress. Yes those were the halcyon days of Jimmy Carter. The little bit of national angst we faced with Iran and soul searching was nothing compared to the piles of problems we languish in today.
May 15th, 2011 at 3:23 pm
Thankyou Jimmy, you were truly a decent moral man.
May 15th, 2011 at 3:27 pm
“Hell, theres idiots that think Carter was the best president ever.”
Mick you just won the toaster oven
LMAO
May 15th, 2011 at 3:29 pm
“Thankyou Jimmy, you were truly a decent moral man.”
I rest my case.
I figure you were also one those out front the prison throwin a vigil for Tookie Williams.