Ed: Clinton, leave well -- and bad -- enough alone
[link|http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/editorial/outlook/1188760|Ross Baker, Houston Chronicle]
Excerpts:
It was reported recently that the most legacy-minded of all U.S. presidents had convened a gathering in his New York offices of former White House staffers, ex-Cabinet officials and assorted Washington, D.C., hangers-on and courtiers to tell the story of his administration in a manner most flattering to Clinton. Although most of the dozen or so participants were tight-lipped about the meeting, enough information seeped out to suggest that the vaunted Clinton public relations operation will now be assigned to spin history...
Clinton always has been a reckless user of people. He lied to members of his Cabinet about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky and sent them out to deceive others, making them part-owners of his falsehoods. No great respecter of truth, Clinton now enjoins his flacks and fabulists to bowdlerize history.
It might be that other presidents were eager for later generations to see them as nobler than they were, but aside from the hapless Andrew Johnson, only Clinton has convened a task force to accomplish it.
I say:
If only he'd been as diligent about protecting the interests of this country - which was, incidentally, his job - this wouldn't be needed. Nor, in all likelihood, would a lot of other unpleasant things. But that's another forum.
If I were in Bill Clinton's place, I would be eager to fade into obscurity. The last thing I'd want is to be featured prominently in history books. It's hard to live down a legacy like his, but he could at least try.
