Jewish World Review Nov. 28, 2003/ 3 Kislev, 5764
Wesley Pruden
Now to sabotage the sinking ship
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Hillary Clinton supped on turkey and
dressing with the troops in Afghanistan
yesterday, though upstaged by George
W. Bush in Baghdad, and naturally her
visit renewed speculation that she's
gearing up to save the party from
Howard McDean.
The Clintons insist that this is not
so, and since Bill and Hillary Clinton, like
George Washington, would never,
never, never tell a lie, we know that this
must be true.
She will be in Iraq today, but only in
search of "facts." She and her
Democratic traveling companion, Sen.
Jack Reed of Rhode Island, are
"concerned" about whether George W.
can win "the hearts and minds" of
Iraqis.
"The administration is run by people
who have been obsessed with Saddam
Hussein for more than a decade," said
the woman formerly known as the Lady
Macbeth of Little Rock. "And the fact
that they could have been so poorly
informed and prepared raises a lot of
serious questions about the decisions
they are making now."
You might think that Mrs. Clinton
would be the last person in America to
accuse anyone of making bad decisions
about what to do about Saddam
Hussein, since her husband to whom
she was chief adviser on everything but
his selection of mistresses and party
girls to stock the Oval Office pantry
took a pass on the opportunities he
had to terminate Osama bin Laden with
extreme prejudice. But the Clintons are
shameless if not blameless, so the
missus can say such things with neither
a blush nor a ballooning proboscis.
Jack Reed is unburdened by
excessive shame, too. He professes to
be worried that "the Bush
administration seems to be rushing
toward an exit strategy in Iraq." He
insists that he's troubled by the
evidence that George W. is transferring
power to Iraqi civilians too quickly,
despite that fact that it's the Democratic obstruction squad in
the Senate, with their constant carping and complaining, that
pushes the president and his men toward the disaster they
decry.
Mrs. Clinton continues to insist that she's out of the
running for president next year, despite consistent polls
showing that she would quickly lap the sorry field of
Democratic wannabes.
This is not necessarily good news for Howard McDean. She
strongly hinted to an interviewer for the German magazine
Bunte this week that she intends to run in 2008, and the doc
can do the math. She understands, she told the magazine,
that some people are disappointed that she won't run next
year.
"I know," she said. "Well, perhaps I'll do it next time
around."
It's all in the plan. If she doesn't run next year she's
counting on whoever the Democratic nominee may be,
whether Howard McDean or John Kerry or Dick Gephardt, to
be snowed under by George W. Bush, the resurgent
economy and good news in Iraq. Bill remains her best adviser.
"It's actually a kind of job rotation," she told Bunte. "First,
Bill focused on his career, now it's my turn. Bill supports me
and gives me tips, he's my best adviser, as I tried to be for
him when he was fulfilling political office." She hopes the
United States will one day elect a woman as president but
and this is a "but" that will enrage some of her feminist
sisters who think being born female is qualification enough
it's up to women to show they can do the job.
The Clintons, astute pols that they are, have taken a hard
look at the starburst of spectacular economic news and have
concluded that since it really is "the economy, stupid,"
challenging George W. next year will likely be a kamikazi
mission. This may well be the time for all good men to come
to the aid of the party, but if it is the Clintons are perfectly
willing to let somebody else do it. Cleaning up after a messy
suicide will be a lot less taxing.
Running a respectable losing race would not necessarily
ruin her chances for a re-run in '08, but the pieces are falling
into place for the solid Bush re-election victory that will
damage any Democrat who gets near it. Sabotaging the
Democratic nominee will require craftiness and cunning, but
necessary lest she be locked out until 2012 when she would
be too long in the tooth for a credible attempt to be the first
female president.
If anybody could hurt while making it look like help, Bill
Clinton, with Hillary's help, could. The sabotage will be the
most interesting spectacle of the year.
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JWR contributor Wesley Pruden is editor in chief of The Washington Times. Comment by clicking here.
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