Why Hillary?

Sen. Hillary Clinton’s recent MLK day gaffe (telling an African-American audience the U.S. House of Representatives was akin to a plantation) got me thinking: What good is Hillary? I realize that she’s got the support of a lot of committed progressives, a great fund-raising network and all of that executive branch experience from when her husband was president, but I still can’t understand her appeal as a presidential candidate.

Plus, after years of complaining about a two-party system dominating American politics, with the election of Hillary, we’d be down to a two-family political system. I think the country would be better off with no more Clintons or Bushes anywhere near the White House.

Do we not remember the Marc Rich pardon? Travel-gate? Whitewater? Etc. Do we want more of the same thing?

I would love to see a woman as president, and it’s long overdue. I admire Hillary’s support for abortion rights, the environment and social welfare programs, but that’s about where it ends.

Otherwise, she’s downright Lieberman-esque in her endless support for Bush’s psychotic Iraq War. In a page from the Republican culture war playbook, she actually wants to criminalize burning the U.S. flag. In many ways, Hillary has morphed into a Republican Lite, or a Democrat in Name Only (DINO).

Then, there’s sex and adultery. How could the thought of Bill Clinton residing in the executive mansion sit well with anybody? Did Bubba not spend enough time around White House interns during the 1990s? Do we really need a repeat performance of Bill Clinton’s shameful carousing? The man basically lost the country and gave a bad name to the Democratic Party all for a little sexual gratification. He should have resigned and let Al Gore take on Dubya as an incumbent president in 2000, with the presidential seal, Air Force One and “Hail to the Chief” playing at every campaign stop. He would of kicked Dubya’s ass. Oh, yeah. He did anyway. I keep forgetting.

For my money, I like Russ Feingold or John Murtha in 2008. I haven't heard any talk about Murtha running, though. The GOP would try and Swiftboat him (already have), but the guy’s Marine Corps demeanor is more military, and less effete and Ivy League, than John Kerry's. I think he’s a true American patriot beyond reproach and the GOP would have a hard time beating him with anybody but McCain.