Missing the Bubba

There has not been a more shameless episode in recent American history than the Bill Clinton scandal and impeachment trial. The Republicans who despoiled our institutional integrity, stalled our rightful government business, distracted and besmirched the public discourse, and made us the laughingstock of the civilized world deserved to be themselves removed from office in disgrace. Instead, incredibly, most are still in Washington, in even greater positions of power and authority.

They weren’t successful in ousting Clinton, but the stench they managed to imbue the Democrats with fell on Al Gore somehow, and contributed to his loss. So the Republicans' politics of personal destruction worked indirectly, in that it helped GWB ascend to the presidency, where he has proceeded to put the country on the slippery slope towards financial insolvency, alienated our allies, handcuffed our scientific community, increased poverty levels, allowed increased damage to the environment and polarized the country.

Comparing the above to the previous administration, Clinton turned deficits into surpluses, reinforced our allies’ trust and cooperation, funded and enabled the tech industries, decreased poverty, reduced pollution and was a master conciliator.