David Limbaugh
http://www.jewishworldreview.com -- IN the last few days I've heard it asked repeatedly, "Why is the media finally turning on Bill Clinton?" Wrong question. The question that demands an answer is, "Why is Hillary still getting a pass?"
When you frame the question this way, the answer becomes all too obvious. Friends of Bill and Hillary have temporarily dropped him because he isn't immediately useful to their cause anymore. Not so with Sen. Hillary. She's not only an important senator, she represents hope: a glorious restoration of the Clinton years when she decides to take the presidential plunge.
Hillary deserves serious scrutiny, too, for many of the couple's shenanigans in the final weeks of Bill's term. She was every bit as involved as he was in pilfering White House property, a process we now know began about a year ago, as she directed that certain gifts be surreptitiously delivered to their home in Chappaqua. She was also apparently instrumental in some of the improper pardons.
But she's been involved in their partnership of crime since the beginning, and intellectually honest people know it and admit it. Instead of being treated as a coconspirator, she's benefited from feigned victimhood as the aggrieved spouse. In a twisted way it could almost be argued that Bill's peccadilloes have been a net asset for the Clintons' mutual power-driven career. It certainly provided a convenient diversion for Bill.
Nonsense, say the Clintonoids. This was never about anything but sex, er, um, except it wasn't sex. That's my point. They've been able to confuse all the scandals into one big amorphous sexual illusion.
Was Waco about sex? Elian? Chinagate? Whitewater? Filegate? Travelgate? Mark Rich-Pardongate? OK, you may have a point there.
Back to the subject at hand. Isn't it hard to endure the likes of columnist E.J. Dionne registering outrage at some of Clinton's final acts when they were so conspicuously silent throughout his scandal-ridden years?
In fact, as much as I've criticized Bill Clinton over the years for his pathological dishonesty and misconduct, I have always been more troubled by his defenders.
His colleagues in the Democratic Party, his supporters in the media and far too many of his rank-and-file constituencies arguably have done more damage to this nation by defending the indefensible than Clinton did himself.
I'm not exaggerating. This nation can more easily absorb one president's misconduct than it can the strains on our system and society caused by blind defenders of that misconduct.
But for his defenders and those otherwise lacking the courage to bring him to account, Clinton would have been stopped long ago. That's why I have no sympathy for those in the media who are beginning to express their indignation about eight years too late.
Clinton's left-wing critics are coming out of the woodwork now, expressing outrage at his last-minute pardons, his tawdry refusal to allow George Bush the limelight on Inaugural Day and his sub-white-trash conversion of public property during the past year. They have got to be kidding us, right?
What did they expect from a de facto adolescent who never had to pay for his wrongdoing in office? Did they expect him to ride gracefully into the sunset as a senior statesman?
This man has been dangerously indulged for years, and now we are to assume he will behave? Did you catch his speech in Florida on Middle East peace the other night? Did you hear this irrepressible ego "beam" a message to the Palestinians?
Clinton enablers have been placing square pegs into round holes for most of his two terms. Perhaps they calculated that their principles were worth sacrificing for the larger cause of keeping him in power and on message. Some say they are now just exacting a little belated revenge. I don't think so. I think they're just blowing a little irrelevant smoke toward Bill Clinton because they don't need him anymore.
So the real story here is media hypocrisy, not just in the past tense, but as an ongoing force that continues to insulate Hillary under its protective wing.
Thankfully, neither the media nor Clinton's internal propaganda machine are omnipotent. Despite their Herculean efforts, they will ultimately fail to rescue Bill or Hillary from history's harsh judgment. Indeed, if justice prevails, these stalwart Clinton defenders will also receive history's round
JWR contributor
David Limbaugh
is an
attorney
practicing in
Cape Girardeau,
Missouri,
and a
political
analyst
and
commentator. Send your comments to him by clicking here.
02/12/01: Bush's tax cut challenge: A historical view
02/07/01: Democrats' Dubya dilemma
02/05/01: Dubya is confounding the media
01/29/01: The Teamsters, the DNC and the reformers
01/29/01: The Old Limey
01/25/01: Clinton’s disgraceful departure
01/22/01: Ashcroft: Principle above self
01/17/01: Justice for Riady?
01/15/01: Ashcroft: A hill to die on
01/10/01: Returning to the supply side
01/08/01: Reasons for optimism
01/03/01: Bush's daunting challenges
12/28/00: Ashcroft: A triumph for the rule of law
12/26/00: A tinge of revenge?
12/20/00: GOP: Breaking the race barrier
12/18/00: Civility doesn't require surrender
12/13/00: Al Gore: Innocent victimizer
12/11/00: Judicial restraint and ordered liberty
12/06/00: The four years war
12/04/00: Debunking Gore myths
11/29/00: Defending the smaller principles
11/27/00: Albert O'Gore and the little people
11/22/00: Doing 'anything to win'
11/15/00: Enough is enough, Mr. Gore
11/13/00: Al Gore: Thy country or thyself?
11/08/00: Bill and Al: Your time is up
11/06/00:The impending Bush mandate
11/01/00: Can't stop thinkin' 'bout tomorrow
10/30/00: George: Give Gore the ball back
10/25/00: Mr. Gore: A few more questions
10/23/00: It's the big government, stupid
10/18/00: Gore's down, so will he panic?
10/16/00: We're fresh out of new Al Gores
10/11/00: Gore: Fuzzy math = dirty politics
10/10/00:Gore: Renaissance man or unbalanced?
10/04/00: Where have you been, Albert Jr.?
10/02/00: Clinton’s fragmented presidency
09/27/00: Liberal media doth protest too much
09/25/00: AlGore: Turning dreams into nightmares
09/20/00: Something fishy's going on
09/18/00: It's the liberalism, stupid
09/13/00: An open letter to open-minded cynics
09/11/00: The virtues of going negative
09/06/00: On a mission for marriage
09/04/00: Al Gore's 'Trivial Pursuits'
08/30/00: Lieberman and the paradox of liberal 'tolerance'
08/28/00: A campaign divided against itself
08/23/00: Al Gore's trickle-down populism
08/21/00: Prosperity without a clue
08/16/00: AlGore can run but he can't hide
08/14/00: When hate speech is OK
08/09/00: Bush: The pundits' enigma
08/07/00: GOP convention: Live or Memorex?
08/02/00: The first attack dog
07/31/00: The Cheney taint?
07/26/00: The anti-gun bogeyman
07/24/00: The raging culture war
07/19/00: Is Hillary 'Good for the Jews'?
07/17/00: How dare you, George?
07/12/00: Jacoby's raw deal
07/10/00: The perplexities of liberalism
07/05/00: Big Al and big oil
07/03/00: Partial-birth and total death
06/28/00: Some questions for you, Mr. Gore
06/26/00: Supreme Court assaults religious freedom
06/21/00: Waco: We are the jury
06/19/00: "Outrage" just doesn't quite cut it anymore!
06/14/00: Al Gore: Government's best friend
06/12/00: Say goodbye to medical privacy
06/07/00: Elian: Whose hands were tied?
06/05/00: Who, which, what is the real Al Gore?
06/01/00: Legacy-building idea for Clinton
05/30/00: Clinton: Above the law or not?
05/24/00: Not so fast, Hillary
05/22/00: Gore's risky, fear-mongering schemes
05/17/00: Can Bush risk pro-choice running mate?
05/15/00: Right to privacy, Clinton-style
05/10/00: Patrick Kennedy and his suit-happy fiddlers
05/08/00: Don't shoot Eddie Eagle
05/03/00: Congress caves to Clinton, again?
05/01/00: The resurrection of outrage
04/28/00: A picture of Bill Clinton's America
04/19/00: President Clinton: Teaching children responsibility
04/17/00: Elian, Marx and parental rights
04/12/00: Elian, freedom deserve a hearing
04/10/00:The fraying of America
04/05/00: Noonan: End Clintonism now
04/03/00: Bush: On going for the gold
03/29/00: Phantasma-Gore-ia
03/27/00: Treaties, triggers, tobacco and tyrants
03/22/00: Media to Bush: Go left, young man
03/20/00: Stop the insanity
03/15/00: OK Al Gore: Let's go negative
03/13/00: Deifying of the center
03/08/00: The media, the establishment and the people
03/01/00: McCain's coalition-busting daggers in GOP's heart
02/28/00: Bush's silver lining in McMichigan
02/24/00: A conservative firewall, after all
02/22/00: Bush or four more of Clinton-Gore?
02/16/00: Substance trumps process
02/14/00: The campaign finance reform mirage
02/09/00: President McCain: End of the GOP as we know it?
02/07/00: From New Hampshire to South Carolina
02/02/00: SDI must fly
01/31/00: Veep gores Bradley
01/26/00: The issues gap
01/24/00: GOP: Exit, stage left
01/20/00: Nationalizing congressional elections
01/18/00: Do voters really prefer straight talk?
01/12/00: Media's McCain efforts may backfire
01/10/00: Conservative racism myth
01/05/00: Just one more year of Clintonian politics
01/03/00: McMedia?
12/27/99: Al Gore: Bullish on government
12/22/99: Bradley's full-court press
12/20/99: Bush: Rendering unto Caesar
12/15/99: Beltway media bias
12/13/99: White House ambulance chasing
12/08/99: Clinton's labor pains
12/06/99:The lust for power
12/01/99: In defense of liberty
11/29/99: Are Republicans obsolete?
11/24/99: Say you're sorry, Mr. President
11/22/99: Architects of victory
11/17/99: Trump's tax on freedom
11/15/99: GOP caves again
11/10/99: Triangulation and 'The Third Way'
11/08/99: Sticks and stones
11/03/99: Keyes vs. media lapdogs
11/01/99: Signs of the times
10/27/99: The false charge of isolationism
10/25/99: A matter of freedom
10/20/99: Clinton's mini-meltdown
10/18/99: Senate GOP shows statesmanship
10/13/99: Senate must reject nuclear treaty
10/11/99: Bush bites feeding hand
10/06/99: Jesse accidentally opens door for Pat
10/04/99: Clinton and his media enablers
09/29/99: Reagan: Big-tent conservatism
09/27/99: The Clinton/Gore taint?
09/22/99: Have gun (tragedy), will travel
09/20/99: Hillary's blunders and bloopers
09/15/99: GOP must remain conservative
09/13/99:Time for Bush to take charge, please
09/10/99: Bush's education plan: Dubya confounds again
09/07/99: Pat, savior or spoiler?
09/02/99: Character doesn't matter?
08/30/99: Should we judge?
08/25/99: Dubyah's drug question: Not a hill to die on
08/23/99: Should Dubyah start buying soap ... for all that mud?
08/16/99: 'W' stands for 'winner'
08/11/99: The truth about tax cuts
08/09/99: Hillary: Threading the needle
08/04/99: What would you do?
08/02/99: No appeasement for China
07/30/99: Hate Crimes Bill: Cynical Symbolism
07/26/99: It’s the 'moderates', stupid
07/21/99: JFK Jr. and Diana: the pain of privilege
07/19/99: Smith, Bush and the GOP
07/14/99: GOP must be a party of ideas
07/12/99: Gore's gender gap
07/08/99: Clinton’s faustian bargain: our justice
07/06/99: The key to Bush's $36 million
06/30/99: Gore: a soda in every fountain
06/28/99: 'Sacred wall' or religious barrier?
06/23/99: GOP must lead in foreign policy
06/21/99: Crumbs of compassion
06/16/99: Compassionate conservatism: face-lift or body transplant?
06/10/99: Victory in Kosovo? Now What?