I think there are certain perks that go with any job. I think that many of the personality types that crave top positions consider power an aphrodesiac, and use it as a tool to pursue their favorite hobby.
Others get free plane trips, the best wines with dinner, or duck hunting trips. Clinton wanted oral sex. I don't think there is any doubt that Clinton has a significant character flaw when it comes to women. Or when it comes to fast food. But we knew all that when we elected him. Twice. It was this same "charm" that made him good at his job. Do I think it tarnished my image of The President. No. I actually expected some of this behavior. I was not suprised. He certainly wasn't the first. Nor was I disappointed in the act itself. I was more disappointed in his staff's inability to handle the crisis. I was more disappointed in Ken Star's obsession. It really should have been a two week story. I think George W Bush has a similar character flaw. He also wants to be liked. But Laura Bush and religion have channeled his energies into other (more productive?) directions. Clinton was not so lucky (or so blessed). The same is tru for George Bush. Am I disappointed in Bush that he is rewarding business contracts to supporters. No. I expected that. We knew that going in. It came with the package. Has it tarnished my image of the Presidency? No. Has President Bush done things that reduce my respect for him as a person. Definitely. Has he done things that have diminished my respect for him as a President. Yes. Has he done things that diminish my respect for his office. Just a few. But nothing the next guy can't recover from for him. The biggest regret I have to date: letting the congress buffalo him into not rejecting the bloated transportation bill. That diminishes the Presidency in domestic affairs. The illusion of American Invincibility has been lost during his watch. Not all his fault, but plenty of it is his. Same with Clinton. He did some things as a person I don't like. He did some things as a President I couldn't take. But he did not, in my eyes, do too much to damage the institution of the Presidency over the long term. I think Carter hurt the Presidency by making us look weak in the world's eyes. I think Carter has done a supurb job showing what a President can do after he leaves office. No doubt about it, Nixon harmed the Presidency. I don't see the Monica incident as having a lasting, damaging effect on the Presidency. I do see the IMPEACHMENT as having a lasting, damaging effect on the Presidency, but that I lay more on the Republicans than on Clinton. On 9/27/05, G <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Uh. i agree with all that you are saying, but i don't know WHY you are > saying it. > > Jerry said he thought getting a BJ while on the phone with a head of state > was just part of being president, and somehow less unsettling than Reagan's > naps or Bush's misunderstanding of common worker tools. I thought that was a > little strange, and questioned it. > > Not sure why you brought up all these obvious points that we've all pretty > much agreed on (minus Sam :) > > > > You mean that authorizing your assistants to deliberately break US law > > isn't egregious? I'm referring here to Iran-Contra and Ronnie Raygun. > > Also there was evidence that George Bush Sr. also knew and approved > > funding and authorizing flights to Iran and exchanging anti-air > > missles for fire arms to be delivered to the contras. > > > > so what's worse, getting a bj (admitted illegal in some states) at his > > desk vs breaking US law, authorizing you minions to cut deals with > > enemies sworn to destroy the country, laundering money, flying cocaine > > into the US to help fund the contras, authorizing payments to known > > torturers and mass murders, etc. > > > > Again you can say that no one died when Clinton lied. How many > > thousands died as a result of the Iran-Contra scandal, or how many > > have died in Iraq to date. > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Discover CFTicket - The leading ColdFusion Help Desk and Trouble Ticket application http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=48 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:175184 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
