His Not-so-humble Opinions

Democrat leaders have tried to turn down the volume on President Clinton's attacks on Senator Obama, and his other campaign tactics. A San Francisco reporter was harshly pummeled verbally by Pres. Clinton for asking his involvement in the attempts to redefine the Nevada caucus system in court after it appeared Senator Obama might gain an advantage from it. The Democrat leadership is wasting its breath.

President Clinton, the celebrated husband of the Democrat presidential primary candidate, Senator Clinton, has drawn some fire for stating his opinions regarding his wife's campaign, her opponents, and the attacks she has drawn herself as a candidate. According to a Newsweek article, Senator Kennedy has reportedly advised the former President to "tone it down" (my paraphrasing), because Pres. Clinton's assaults are making the Democrat party, as a whole, look bad.

While I can certainly sympathize with this concern, consider who we are talking about. William Jefferson Clinton is a former governor and president. For eight years he was the leader of the free world. During his entire career as an elected official, he was unable to restrain his nature, leading to scandals galore. Think about the psychological effects of two decades of executive power and lascivious lifestyle. Consider the ramifications upon the core being of the person who is having his cake and eating it too, and being fanatically defended against those who are trying to point out his flaws.

His wife, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, may or may not have been entirely aware of his activities. Regardless, Sen. Clinton vigorously, if not viciously, defended her husband. She went to far as to allege an imaginary 'Vast right wing conspiracy' to explain the continuous barrage of media artillery against her spouse. Sen. Clinton herself faced some of the onslaught as a bystander, and certainly as an active First Lady. As First Lady of Arkansas, and later as First Lady of the United States, Senator Clinton fought in the trenches to defend her husband in battles he started. I am NOT going to argue the moral superiority of either side. I am merely pointing out that Senator Clinton took the heat for her man.

No Democrat leader is going to tell President Clinton to "tone it down" and expect to have that advise followed. To President Clinton, the only possible course of action at any time is that which brings his wife closer to winning the presidential election. ANY statement, action, claim, attack, or baldfaced lie which wins Senator Clinton votes is, by definition, appropriate. ONLY Senator Clinton has ANY power to squelch the former President. And unless his assaults harm her candidacy--and ONLY then--we should not expect her to do so.