Bill Clinton fires up my progressive soul

Oh, Bill, you’ve been sorely missed. It’s been a long six years of Democratic tentativeness. Mustn’t speak out too strongly. Have to watch our words. Don’t want to offend.

Screw that.

The time is long past for dissembling, which the Dems are still prone to do. You’d think that they would have learned from Kerry’s horrible mistake in 2004: sitting on his hands while he was being Swift Boated, even though he was seeking the job of Commander in Chief—which has something to do with a strong defense, doesn’t it?

But no. I still have to suffer through the spectacle of the Senate Democrats letting McCain and other Republicans negotiate changes to Bush’s terrorist interrogation rules. Like Stephen Colbert said last night, it’s pretty cool when a political party can be its own opposition. Cool for the party, that is. Not the genuine opposition.

So I thirstily drank in Clinton’s fiery interview with Chris Wallace (video here and here, partial transcript here). It was great to see a leading Democrat show some genuine human emotion. Clinton was pissed about the lies being told about his hunt for Bin Laden. And he showed it.

Good for him. May every other Democrat politician be as bold during the next six weeks. Speak your mind. Say your piece. Express your anger.

Today CNN reported that “President Bush angrily lambasted a media report that said the document asserted that the Iraq war increased the terrorist threat to the United States.” I don’t hear anyone criticizing Bush for showing his anger, but conservatives are blasting Clinton for doing the same. Of course, right-wing hypocrisy is par for the course.

Progressives shouldn’t be afraid of appearing extreme. This great Funny Times cartoon (October issue) says it all.

Comments

[Rain]

I also saw the speech and felt Clinton reacted well to what he was being asked. It's the spin of the right that constantly reinterprets whatever happens-- purple with rage? Amazing but that's the right and then when it's Bush, it's appropriate disagreement. We are in such a time of spin that it leaves a person's own mind in a spin