The childhood home of William Jefferson Clinton in Hope Arkansas, specifically the one in which he was born, is presently being preserved as a historical landmark, but this is solely through funding by way of privae donations. This may soon change, however, as a bill in the House of Representatives, HR 4912, has been proposed which would designate the modest home as a national historic landmark. This would qualify it to receive funding from the Depatment of the Interior, by way of the Parks Department, for it’s upkeep and presevaion, in addition to all the benefits that would apply.
This proposed bill has broad bi-partisan support, and is unanimously favored by the Arkansas delegation, as well as Republican Governor Mike Huckabee, who also is a native of Hope. The reasoning is sound. Clnitons life story is certainly an inspriring one, approached from the proper perspective. After all, Clinton was a common, everyday American citizen. He was certainly no blue blood, did not come from a financially secure background,to say nothing of a wealthy one, nor was his family from either side among the social elites, by any stretch of the imagination. His was a typical American middle class upbringing. Yet, through innate talent, determination, and strength, he climbed, some might say he clawed, his way to the top, and achieved the American dream.
Very few men have achieved this level of political prominence, from his background. In fact, his may be one of the few exceptions, along with Lincoln and Truman and possibly a handful of others. For this reason, the educational and inspirational value alone makes this a worthy bill for passage. Of course, there will always be naysayers, and you can expect that this would be no exception. But the Representative from Florida who stood up today on the floor of the House of Representatives was particularly adamant,that this bill should not be passed, until Mr. Clinton answers a number of questions, pertaining to the Dubai Port deal, which he seems to have been instrumental in brokering, for a fee, without having bothered to register himself as a foreign agent.
While I consider the Congresswomans points troubling, and worthy of consideration in another context, this is not the time. This was politics at it’s worse, in fact. I surmise this to be an obvious attempt to try to pass the blame from George W. Bush, who has certainly taken a hit about the Dubai Port deal , all the more so because of his stubborn insistence that he will veto any legislation that would seek to derail the agreement, over the objections of by far the majority of the American people. The Republican Party is scurrying for cover as we speak, trying their damndest to distance themselvs from the president on this debaucle, and seem to be united as almost one voice in oppossition to him, for once. But it is a tenuos situation for them, and they know it. The President can be bitter, petty, and vindictive against those who cross him, even those of his own party, maybe especially them.
Ask Jim Jeffords, the Senator from Vermont, who was practically forced from the Party for not marching solidly in lockstep behind Bush’s drumbeat. Ask Representative Peter King of New York, an early and staunch opponnent of the port deal, who has now discovered he must travel to Iraq on his own power, with no assistance from the Department of Defense.
Yet, they have no choice but to oppose Bush on this deal. Their consituents are ready for blood, demanding the deal be blocked, and many of the Congress have been put on notice, from both parties. The Republicans in particular know they are on shaky ground, for siding with this President way too many times. They have given him a blank check way too many times, with little to no accoutnability. And the people are pissed. Of course, in a way it’s the people fault, they made the Congress, and Bush, a kind of Frankensteins monsters, which turned on them. Now, the people have realized their error. The monster is in trouble. The monster must die. But he won’t go, not withot a fight. So what will this particular monster do in a last ditch depserate attempt to spare him his fate?
Well, in the case of the Gentlelady from Florida, she is doing what Republicans have been doing now for the last fourteen years-blame Bill Clinton. But it won’t work this time. She was called down repeatedly today, despite her persistence, and received rebukes from her own Party. After all, this bill, if passed, presents an economic boon to the city of Hope, in the form of increased tourist revenues and employment.
The monster is breaking down into all his seperat pieces, each fighting for his survival.
What was she trying to do, earn brownie points with the Bushes, in partiular the Presidents brother Jeb, who is the governor of her state? She insisted that she was acting out of concerns of her constituents as to the appropriateness of the bill. Really? Hell, now, how many of them even knew about it, really? I certainly didn’t know anything about it until I happened to catch it today on C-Span. First time I had ever heard about it, and I consider myself to be relatively well informed. I think the Gentlelady from Florida might be exaggerating. Probably having posed the question herself to a sample representation of her constituents, fron her Republican dominated district, she got the answers she knew she would get.
“Do you think it is appropriate to name the birthplace and chidhood home of former President Bill Clinton a national historic landmark in lieu of questions concerning his involvemnt in the Dubai Port deal,which he brokered privately, in addition to any other concerns you might have concerning Mr.Clintons character?”
“Why, no, Congresswoman, I don’t think it is right at all. Bill Clinton was a liar, a womanizer,and an all around scoudrel.”
People like the Congresswoman just don’t get it. Most people genuinely like Bill Clinton, even a great many of those that disagree with him politically. In a very real way, he is the epitome of the American dream. We don’t just love the man despite his warts. Hell, we love him because of them.
