Hillary At It Again

ABC News reports The Old Yarnspinner, Hillary Clinton is at it again. The truth challenged Senator from New York and author of the spine tingling story, "Tales from the Tarmac" is out with yet another fabrication, this time an economic heartbreaker. Clinton has been telling campaign audiences about an Indiana company purchased by the Chinese in 1995 and recently moved to China taking jobs and critical technolgy with it. Like most Clinton stories, it plays well on the stump but just isn't true. Turns out the purchase and the move were OK'd by Bill Clinton. Hillary conveniently omits that part from her story.
Here's my question given she's already told whoppers about health care, Bosnia and now outsourcing. Don't we have enough true horror stories about all of the above without making it up or embellishing? Makes you wonder what she'd do if she found herself in a pickle as President. I, for one, don't want to find out.

The Daily Diatribe

-I have just returned from a 24 hour visit to Red Sox Nation. Not surprisingly, the Red Sox snapped a five game losing streak with a thrilling 9th inning victory. My mere presence at a steak joint in Wayland, Mass. was inspiration enough for my boys.
-Sen. Barack Obama was out with a statement attempting to disassociate himself and his candidacy from the odious Rev. Jeremiah Wright. We'll find out Tuesday in Indiana if voters particularly white voters were appeased. If Obama were running against anyone but Hillary Clinton, you could wheel in the casket right now. But as long as nearly over 50% of the electorate view her as untrustworthy, he's still in the game. But make no mistake about it. Obama is a wounded warrior. At this point Clinton and Obama are like two fighters heading into the 15th and final round. Obama is clearly ahead on points and Clinton's only hope is a KO but she's out of gas. Her only hope is the judges give it to her even though everyone else thinks he won. In this case the judges are the superdelegates and they could declare Hillary the winner. My guess is they know the fans will be throwing chairs and burning down the arena if they take it away from Obama. In either case, the ultimate Democratic nominee will go into the fall election with a lot of baggage.

The Daily Diatribe

-That sound you hear is the air going out of the Obama boomlet after yet another horrifying performance by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. This time he was at The National Press Club solidifying his image as a racist hater with the IQ of a rope. If I'm Barack Obama, I'm calling a full fledged news conference and denouncing this whack job before he takes Obama and the Democratic party over the cliff. Nothing short of that will do. If only a little Jeremiah Wright rubs off on Obama, he's toast in November. John McCain must be a happy man.

The Daily Diatribe

-Best get your Christmas shopping done early this year before Al Sharpton "closes the city down" in protest of the Sean Bell verdict. Puleeze!
-They're "searching" off Solana Beach California for the shark that killed a swimmer. Do they have a description? Was the shark wearing gang colors? Who's in charge of the search...OJ or Robert Blake?
-Apparently there's an epidemic of fake expensive wine being sold. What a perfect scam. Sell $20,000 bottles of wine to obnoxious millionaires who have no intention of drinking the stuff.
-Was thrilled today to see $85 Donald Trump pants selling for $4.99 in a warehouse dump. Just where they belong.
-Bit of a down day in politics unless you're unfortunate enough to be anywhere near a Clinton event or have to listen to the non-stop political ads in Indiana and NC.

The Daily Diatribe

-Well, it would appear New Yorkers have taken the not guilty verdict in the Sean Bell case in stride. Even Al Sharpton has been unable to spark a racial conflagration this time. Maybe that's because people understand the cops were only doing their job and Sean Bell and his felonious friends were doing the wrong thing at the wrong time to the wrong guys. Tough! Even money at least one of Bell's posse is in trouble with the law by year's end. Guzman would be the odds on favorite.
-Nice to hear Bush's $600 rebates will be going out a week early. That should bring the economic nosedive to a screeching halt.
-What's it going to take to get skanky Amy Winehouse out of my life. Hopefully someone will have the good sense to pole ax her during her next bar brawl.
-I am the only guy getting a lot tired of the Dalai Lama? BTW, who names a guy after a farm animal?
-There's no truth to the rumor Hillary Clinton has purchased the entire MC Hammer pants collection to accommodate her increasingly massive derriere.
-If you're thinking of seeing a movie this weekend, skip Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Total snoozer and not funny.

Wright Is Wrong For Obama

For some unfathomable reason, Barack Obama’s favorite pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, has chosen to hit the airways with a PBS interview with Bill Moyers. To date, Rev. Wright is known for his hateful, anti-American rantings from the pulpit and having married the Obamas and baptized both their children. Almost single-handed, Wright has stopped Obama’s march to the Democratic nomination and The White House.
Why he would choose to surface now defies logic. It can only serve to refocus voters on the fact that Obama seemed not to have a problem embracing a lunatic hiding behind a bible. My guess is Rev. Wright has determined this is the only time anyone in the mainstream would give voice to such a fringe character. The fact that it’s “is he still alive?” Bill Moyers giving him air time only underscores my argument. The Rev. Wright will never pay for a drink again if a Clinton or McCain supporter is in the room.
Now as many of you know, I have believed for a long time Sen. Obama would be the Democratic nominee and I still do. But with the Rev. Wright resurfacing, the road to the nomination and certainly the presidency just got a little longer. Because among the many attributes Sen. Obama brings to the campaign, electability has always been a huge part of it. He provides a stark ethical contrast to the Machiavellian Clinton candidacy and he represents a true break from the grubby politics of the recent past. He’s intelligent, thoughtful and his last name isn’t Bush or Clinton.
A big part of Obama’s appeal, however, is rooted in race or racism depending on your point of view. That appeal simply put has been he is not seen as an angry or threatening black man. I’m not talking about the redneck or latte extremes on race but the vast number of good people in the middle. These are the people who elect Presidents not the haters on the right or the loonies on the left. They won’t be voting for anyone remotely sympathetic to a Rev. Wright or Louis Farrakhan.
Thanks to Rev. Wright’s anti-American diatribes particularly his revolting 9-11 comments, voters are taking a second look at Obama. People are wondering why the Obamas chose to sit through Wright’s venomous preaching and allowed him to play such an intimate role in their lives. That’s a very fair question and to date Obama hasn’t given the American people a credible answer. By not denouncing Wright, Obama leaves the door wide open for the fear mongering tactics of Hillary and Bill Clinton as well as the Republicans down the road.
For some reason the Obama camp keeps thinking the Rev. Wright thing will just fade away. They couldn’t be more wrong. In a race where the American people are being asked to look beyond decades of racial prejudice and stereotypes, Obama can’t be seen as some kind of black Manchurian candidate. Nothing short of a total and very public repudiation of Wright and his views will do.
2008 has already proven to be a year where every vote counts. If even a small percentage of voters believe Obama is a closeted angry black man, he’s going to lose in November.

Sean Bell Judge Got It Right

The verdict is in. The New York city police officers falsely of killing career thug Sean Bell outside a down market strip club have been found NOT GUILTY by a judge. The judge cited lack of evidence and the extensive criminal histories of Bell and his posse. You will now hear the usual suspects wail about a travesty of justice...blah, blah, blah. The truth is Sean Bell and his friends put themselves in danger that night and behaved in a manner which attracted the attention of the undercover cops assigned to ferret out the drug dealing and prostitution this strip joint was famous for. By ignoring the police commands and trying to ram the police with their car, Bell & Co. put themselves at risk. Remember, this all took place at 4AM outside a dive strip bar known for seedy characters. What were the cops supposed to do, wait until they saw the muzzle flashes before defending themselves.
One thing I know for sure. If the fate of these cops had been decided by a Queens jury instead of a dispassionate, legally knowledable jurist, they would be on their way to the slammer this morning. Let's hope these cops can get their lives back.

The Daily Diatribe

-Reports today that candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are exhausted. They're exhausted? How about the rest of us. Must be a long day riding around on private jets having your ass kissed by supporters.
-Apparently we have a national rice shortage. Wal-Mart has announced it would be rationing bags of rice as supplies dwindle. I thought we were in the business of helping third world countries,not becoming one.
-Smoking kills...at least it kills attendance at bingo games in Minnesota. Local officials claim the charity gambling game has lost $100 million since a no smoking law took effect.
-Sad news from New York City where famed 'Mammary Mecca" Scores is likely closing for various violations including club condoned prostitution. This can't be good news for former New York governor and recovering sex freak Eliot Spitzer.
-I'm still reeling from the shocking news that the walking bag of skin Star Jones is getting a divorce from Al "I'm not gay" Reynolds. Jones is telling people she's "seeing" Miami Heat basketball superstar Dwayne Wade. Right and I'm dating Heidi Klum.
-More shocking news from the world of television. CNN has announced it will renew 97 year-old Larry King's contract until 2009. CNN would not confirm if a free burial was part of the deal.
-Does anyone out there have the authority to cancel ABC's The View? It's horrifying enough it's actually on but why is it always on in every doctor's office?
-I also want the social security numbers of anyone intending to watch the NFL Draft Sunday. Get a life guys.
-Will likely be back shortly with the Sean Bell verdict.

Obama Has To Man Up

We've had less than 24 hours to digest and analyze the results of last night's Pennsylvania primary. One thing is clear to me. Barack Obama has to man up and knock Hillary Clinton into the cheap seats in N. Carolina and Indiana. Obama has to stop playing the effete gentleman Senator and push back when she takes the low road. Whatever mileage she might get out of playing the poor little victim will be more than offset if Obama proves he's tough enough to dish it out. Calling Hillary out on her many lies and ethical lapses is fair game. The Washington Post is reporting the Obama team is thinking about really going after the Wicked Witch of Chappaqua.
Voters will respond to that especially after Hillary waved the bloody shirt of 9-11 in a recent TV ad. You'll never beat a thug playing nice. People and ultimately world leaders respect strength and toughness. Unless Obama ratchets it up and soon, he can pull up a chair at Michael Dukakis's table. Leo Durocher said it best years ago..."Nice guys finish last."

Democrats Are ultimate Reality Show

OK, another day another Democratic primary. Like the 400 previous primaries, Pennsylvania proved inconclusive. Hillary's still hanging on to the drapes and Obama's definitely lost a step or two. They're like two exhausted fighters entering the 15th round. Obama's been kicking her pant suited behind most of the way but can't seem to finish her off. Hillary's doing everything she can to go the distance. Her handlers have instructed her to stay on her feet while they figure out how to beat this guy. If she takes the Democrat party with her, so be it. She's entitled, baby.

Everyone from Howard Dean to The New York Times has had it with Hillary and the process. The TV talking heads are all pontificating about putting an end to all this. Polls show the American people are demanding an end and are horrified at the nastiness of the campaign. Oh really? I'm here to tell you people tell pollsters what they think they are expected to say. It's like people who tell you they hate Jerry Springer but can tell name every nut job and cheating housewife who's ever been on the show. Which is why the ratings for the debates and the election night broadcasts have been huge. The American people are loving this. The Democratic nomination process is America's favorite reality show.
Forget American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. John Q. Public can't get enough of the Hillary-Obama show. It has everything. It began with a cast of characters who were gradually voted off, lots of conflict as well as enough cheesy twists and turns to make Susan Lucci wince. Anyone who thinks people are getting tired of the process have only to look at the number of new voters who have signed up in record numbers to be part of the action. Like their TV counterparts, these people are calling their toll free hotline by donating money and breaking voting records all over the country. Nobody's hitting the mute button or changing the channel.
Now it's on to North Carolina and Indiana for the next showdown. Hillary will be tied to the railroad track once again as Obama tries once again to close the deal. I'll also bet you just when you think it's finally over, it won't be. But you'll probably have to sit through the commercials before anyone really brings the curtain down on Who wants to be President.

Blaming the Messenger

The recent and hopefully last Democrat debate finally made some real news but for an unexpected reason. Rather than the normal who won, who lost blather, the focus was on ABC and the two moderators, Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos. Everyone involved in the broadcast was savaged for what was called an opportunity missed. That opportunity was described by TV critics and bloggers alike as the chance to ask the two Democratic candidates substantive questions early and often.
Critics seemed to object to questions pertaining to Obama’s controversial pastor, his reluctance to wear an American flag lapel pin and Hillary’s tales from the tarmac regarding her non-adventures in Bosnia. A lot of the grousing seems to be coming from the Obama camp and the candidate himself. “We set a new record because it took us 45 minutes before we even started talking about a single issue that matters to the American people.” Sen. Clinton was less concerned as most of the questions raised allowed her to regurgitate much of her earlier jabs at Obama.
I for one find the criticism misplaced and contrived. It reminds me of my Morton Downey Jr. days where we gave the viewers a steady diet of controversy and bombast. I can’t tell you how many people have bent my ear over the years castigating me for putting such relative trash on the air. My response has always been the viewer dictates what passes for entertainment and if nobody watched, the advertisers wouldn’t be there and it would be lights out. I would have been delighted to make the money I made producing cerebral television but so few people would watch, I’d have gone broke.
The same is true in politics. A presidential campaign these days is a political reality show where only one contestant is standing at the end. A political campaign, like all carefully orchestrated dramas, is very much dependent on a good story line as well as a few unexpected surprises. Without that, the voter changes the channel and candidate.
Which is why I find the whole ABC dust-up silly and contrived? Gibson and Stephanopoulos know Clinton and Obama have almost identical views on most boilerplate issues. Both want out of Iraq unilaterally, universal health care and want to raise taxes. What the American people don’t know is the quality of the candidate’s character. ABC was 100% right getting these issues on the table early on.
Asking Hillary why she lied about sniper fire or Obama about his minister’s anti-American rants is fair game. We need to know who these people really are before we give them the keys to the kingdom. Would Hillary Clinton deceive the American public as President if it served her purpose? (I’m restraining myself here) Is Obama a closet America hater or does he just need to find himself another church? I want to know the answers to those questions before it’s too late.
The howls of protest directed at ABC and their moderators smacked a bit of Florida 2000. If you recall, there wasn’t a peep of protest about voting problems in Palm Beach or Broward counties until the Gore folks realized they were losing. At that point the Gore people started calling the old folks up and telling them they were robbed and off we went to the Supreme Court. In this case, it was only after Sen. Obama and his people realized he’d taken a few hits during the debate that they cried foul followed by his supporters in the media.
So let’s all give Charlie and George a break although I’m still trying to figure out why ABC couldn’t find someone other than a former Clinton flack to co-host.

Hold It Right There Fatso

One thing writing about politics or politicians guarantees you is you will never run out of material. Here’s a bill currently before the Mississippi State Legislature. It’s House Bill 282 and speaks for itself.
“An act to prohibit certain food establishments from serving food to any person who is obese, based on criteria prescribed by the State Department of Health; to direct the Department to describe and explain the criteria for determining whether a person is obese; to direct the Department to monitor the food establishments for compliance with the provisions of this act.” The bill would revoke licenses of food establishments that violate its provisions.
At first blush, it’s tempting to laugh at this nanny state piece of legislation and assume it never becomes law. Then again, everyone snickered at the no smoking laws at first too. Now I’d have to hang upside down from a tree branch to have a cigarette legally and that may soon be subject to a weight limit for fear of harming the tree.
Let’s start with defining obese and who gets to make the call. Will “The Department” have an angry vegan determining who’s fat and who’s not? Is there going to be a weigh station at your local restaurant? Will we have to duke the owner to adjust the scale? Are we going to start dressing like a cat burglar in order to look thinner? Will we see skinny people lurking outside of fast food joints offering to buy you a bag of fries and a double cheeseburger for a fee?
What if the wife’s packed on a few lbs. over the holidays? Is the waiter going to have to say “You sir are good on the surf and turf but the missus will be having the garden salad with oil and vinegar.” Maybe restaurants will do like they did in the early days of the smoking police. There’ll be two seating areas…the toothpick section and the tubby tuba section. “Right this way, Mrs. String Bean, kindly avert your eyes as they’re disemboweling a live steer in the tuba room”.
Then there’s the clothing issue. Will “The Department” issue a list of approved clothing? No shifts or moo-moos for women attempting to eat real food. No hideous Tommy Bahama shirts over a pair of sweatpants for men. Will “The Department” consider full figured people too unsightly and unhealthy to be seen in the toothpick section?
What happens at the bar? Does the beefy sports guy go home at night with “No beer for you fat man” ringing in his ears. Since we all know truly obese folks tend to gorge at home away from judgmental types, will the rest of us be reduced to closet burger bingers, washing them down with giant milk shakes?
All kidding aside, proposals like these are precursors to more serious deliberations. It all goes back to those who would have us live in the proverbial Nanny State. They tend to be liberal Democrats who think they know what’s best for the rest of us and believe government should be making the decisions. I know the argument on much of this centers around health but I just don’t think a 300 pound person or a chain smoker needs Uncle Sam to tell them they’re putting themselves at risk. I don’t think it’s the government’s place to tell me what I can eat, if I can smoke a 100% legal product or who I can sell my property to. It’s my life and I’ll live it the way I want to. In case you’re wondering I quit smoking over a year ago so don’t send me any ‘smoking will kill you” letters.

Beginning of the end for Hillary

I’m writing this after a long, glorious night of watching Sen. Barak Obama put the hurt on the formerly “inevitable” candidacy of Sen. Hillary Clinton. No amount of spin from the Clinton camp can obscure the fact that Barak Obama is on his way and Hillary could well be on her way out of the presidential sweepstakes. Adding insult to injury, Hillary came in third and behind the odious, class warfare candidate John Edwards. His ego will keep him in the race for a while but he’s sayonara. This is now a two person race for Democrats. It’s also likely that when Edwards drops out, the majority of his folks will break for Obama.
Obama comes out of Iowa having proven a number of things. Obviously he showed he could beat the Clintons and their slime machine. While the Clintons and their surrogates were attacking Obama for everything from a kindergarten essay to alleged cocaine dealing, the Senator from Illinois floated above the fray making Clinton look desperate and himself presidential.
Obama also put to rest any qualms about America being ready to vote for a person of color for president. As one commentator noted, the only place on earth whiter than Iowa is the North Pole. For blacks Obama’s win is more than symbolic. Blacks now know white Americans will elect an African-American and are now more likely to get behind Obama. That doesn’t bode well for Hillary or her “first black president” husband.
There’s also the generational thing happening. Obama not only swamped Clinton with younger voters, he brought their passion and idealism to the electoral process. Clinton’s supporters tended to be the social security set and so-called “women with needs.” I kept waiting for Betty White and Bea Arthur to become Hillary’s Chuck Norris.
As I watched Obama’s victory speech, I felt like it was 1960 again with a young, exciting Senator John F. Kennedy challenging the old guard and igniting the hopes and dreams of a new generation. There’s a feeling out there that the baby boomers have had their chances and it’s time we handed the baton to someone with fresh legs. Obama fits that bill.
For Sen. Clinton, all is not lost. She still has lots of money and support but neither will be there long if she continues to lose. The biggest hurdle she faces after Iowa is changing anybody’s mind. I’m willing to bet Hillary would have gotten 29% of the Iowa vote if she had never set foot in the state. She is a well known brand and no amount of salesmanship is ever going to change the anti-Hillary vote. Remember, 47% of the electorate have said from day one they would never vote for Hillary Clinton.
Similarly, no amount of campaign appearances by Bill Clinton will change a single vote. It’s not like anyone’s going to say “Wow, I didn’t know she was married to Bill Clinton. I think I’ll vote for her.” Her numbers are baked in at this point. Now the Clinton’s are notorious for playing dirty pool when threatened but barring the proverbial getting caught with a live boy or a dead girl, nothing will stick to Sen. Obama.
At this point, the nomination might well be Obama’s to lose. He has the momentum and the star power to pull it off and I really believe America is ready to turn the page on the Clintons. And if I’m right, I can tear up that plane ticket to France.

Sanctimonious Bully Finally Gets His

As the stunning news linking Eliot Spitzer to a call girl ring was washing across every TV set in America, a Wall Street friend of mine said, “The market’s in the toilet, I’m making no money, the country’s a mess but I’m going home a happy man tonight.” He was not alone in that sentiment. Never has a public figures fall from grace been greeted with such near universal enthusiasm as that of now disgraced former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer. As one commentator put it, “If you had to walk through the reservoir of public sympathy for Eliot Spitzer, you wouldn’t get your shoes wet.” In my opinion, it couldn’t have happened to a more deserving phony.
For many years now, I have been writing about “grandstanding” Eliot Spitzer and his shameless use of the Attorney General’s office to further his political ambitions. He handed down high profile indictments often forcing individuals and companies to settle rather than endure the negative PR. Many of those indicted by Spitzer were never actually charged. Somewhere Hank Greenberg is raising his glass.
Along the way Spitzer besmirched the reputations of many fine people and the companies they worked for. How many innocent people are out of work because Eliot Spitzer wanted to be Governor? When it appeared likely he would become Governor, I wrote he would be a colossal failure without the ability to indict and subpoena people at will.
I wrote that governing was all about the ability to compromise and work the other side of the aisle. Instead we got “I’m going to f___ing steamroll you” from the arrogant Spitzer. My prediction was born out on “Day One” in Albany when he ordered his henchman to get the dirt on Republican Minority Leader Joe Bruno. He went from 70% approval rating to 30% quicker than you can say “I’ll be working late again tonight, Silda.”
To me he was always a rich man’s son intent on achieving power at any cost. It appears his father Bernard, a wealthy real estate guy, thought he was the Jewish Joe Kennedy and would live to put little Eliot in the White House. Well, he’ll have to settle for the outhouse. But all of this didn’t happen in a vacuum. Democrats were only too happy to embrace the obnoxious Spitzer as long as he was “right” on the issues and brought lots of cash to bear. They looked the other way when he violated campaign law in 1994 by accepting millions in secret contributions from Daddy.
When he falsely accused people of chicanery or fathering a child out of wedlock, Democrats turned a blind eye because the targets were Republicans. Then there were his sycophants in the media who cheered him on in return for access or favor. Some columnists seemed to openly audition for a job in the Spitzer administration. How about all those poor folks who gave him money or stuffed envelopes? Talk about played and you wonder why people don’t vote. What’s next? Heather Mills has two legs?
Then there’s the ubiquitous use of the word “tragedy” by so many people in all this. There’s nothing tragic here. An arrogant jerk spent $80,000 on hookers while his wife was home with his three teenage daughters… revolting, disgusting but not tragic. A tragedy is not normally self-inflicted. Getting your pencil sharpened in a D.C. hotel room by a 22 year-old call girl is illegal, arrogant and stupid but certainly not tragic. BTW Eliot, your AARP card should be arriving shortly.

New Candidate Questionnaire

I don’t know about you but I’m getting sick and tired of being blindsided by all these scandal plagued politicians. Just as I was digesting the Eliot Spitzer disaster, along comes the revelation from our new Governor that he and the wife apparently had more partners than a Wall Street law firm during a “separation.” Every day seems to bring another tawdry revelation about one of our elected officials.
So as a public service, I’ve put together a questionnaire for candidates and elected officials, designed to identify the crooks, weirdos and other assorted characters who strive to represent us. Let’s begin with a few personal questions and move on.
-Do you know how many times you’ve been married and to whom? Are there any mystery kids out there and do you remember the mother’s/father’s name?
-Have you or your spouse ever had an overnight with the former New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey and his ex-wife? How about their driver? Are you hoping to attend Gov. Mc Greevey’s ordination as an Episcopal minister?
-Have you ever dated either Gov. David Paterson or his wife Michelle? Please note if you’ve dated both of them.
-Did you save The New York Post edition with the steamy photos of Eliot Spitzer’s hooker pal?
-Do you think Idaho Senator Larry Craig got railroaded in that airport bathroom? Do you find Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski attractive?
-Can you name the three branches of government and the three stooges in less than an hour? (Special consideration if you can name the fourth one)
-Did Daddy’s money grease your way through school and are you paying someone to take this quiz right now? Is your heart breaking for Eliot Spitzer’s father?
-Are you having any difficulty reading this and can you remember the name of the kid who actually took the SAT’s for you?
-Are you convinced your last DUI was a vicious sting orchestrated by your political opponents in an attempt to get you off message?
-Do you consider buying a house in the Caribbean with campaign contributions “doing the people’s business?” Also, was Rep. William Jefferson of New Orleans wrong to use National Guard troops to help him retrieve stolen cash from his house during Hurricane Katrina and would you be comfortable making the case he’s the victim of racist prosecution?
-Do you naturally assume your constituents would be stealing with both hands if they had your job? Is former Newark Mayor Sharpe James a personal hero of yours?
-Would you be willing to sponsor legislation making it illegal for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to receive any more botox injections? How about a bill to get Jennifer Grey’s original nose back?
-Do you classify adultery with someone in your district as a “constituent service?” Are you still mad at Linda Tripp for nailing Bill Clinton?
-Do you consider a bald faced lie a misstatement, misunderstanding, or staff error? Do you prefer having surrogates do your dirty work or do you like to stick the knife in yourself?
-At what point do your petty cash withdrawals become grand larceny? Do you have a problem flying first class or using a lobbyist’s airplane?
-Would you normally order an $800 bottle of wine if you were actually paying the tab?
-How many times had you gone to the Super Bowl before getting elected?
………The fourth Stooge was Shemp.

Hillary’s Blue Dress

I have always maintained Bill Clinton would still be lying about his dalliance with Monica Lewinsky if she hadn’t had the presence of mind to hang onto the now infamous blue dress. Thank you, Linda Tripp. Without the dress the Clinton slime machine would have branded her a liar and a looney and she would have been relegated to Paula Jones status. As the Clinton’s have proven time after time, they will lie and distort anything if it serves their purpose.
So it comes as no surprise Hillary’s in over her pant suit after being busted in yet another whopper, this time about her death defying landing in Bosnia while First Lady. The story as told repeatedly by Sen. Clinton goes something like this. In 1996 while on a goodwill trip with her daughter, Hillary’s plane landed amidst sniper fire and the First Lady and Chelsea had to run for their lives upon landing. There were no welcoming ceremonies or other fanfare as the area was simply too dangerous.
Well everyone associated with that trip are giving Hillary’s version the full Pinocchio, saying it never happened. The pilot of the plane says the landing was uneventful and there was a formal welcoming ceremony complete with pigtailed little girl bearing flowers. As recently as two weeks ago, Hillary Clinton told that story again and concluded her remarks by stating “and that’s the way it happened.” All the while her smarmy campaign people kept insisting the story was true and excoriating the press for doubting Sen. Clinton.
But here’s where the blue dress analogy comes in. Until CBS television found the actual video of that trip, Hillary Clinton was prepared to affirm the lie and discredit any witnesses to the contrary including military personnel. My God, they even attacked poor Sinbad, the comedian with the MC Hammer pants, who accompanied the Clinton’s on the trip. Have the Clinton’s no shame? You know you’re in trouble when you’re trading punches with Sinbad on Bosnia.
Like her husband during the Lewinsky scandal, it took irrefutable proof to get Hillary Clinton to admit it didn’t happen the way she told it. The CBS video showed a relaxed, smiling Clinton and her daughter sauntering off the plane and being greeted by local children, hardly the harrowing yarn spun by Sen. Clinton. Simply put, if there’s a reader out there who doesn’t think they would have a very specific memory of landing amidst sniper fire and scrambling to safety upon landing, write me a letter. Hillary Clinton lied through her teeth to bolster her “national security” credentials.
The pathetic part of that is what does any of that have to do with presidential qualifications? If it did, the tens of thousands of brave men and women who have actually seen combat would be in the White House before a poser like Hillary Clinton. By getting caught in yet another “misstatement” i.e. I was named for Sir Edmund Hillary six years before he climbed Mt. Everest, “lost” The Rose Law Firm billing records until statute of limitations ran out, was NAFTA opponent, lied about White house travel office firings and “The fact is, I’ve always been a Yankees fan.”, Clinton has to be trying the patience of even her most ardent supporters.
The real issue here has nothing to do with the specifics of this lie or the many others told by both Clintons over the years. It has to do with the most important attribute we demand in a President…telling the truth to the American people all the time, not just when it suits your political agenda. Hillary Clinton fails that test.