Article...Bush Reinvents the Presidency...
Christopher Ruddy
Thursday, March 1, 2001
newsmax.com
Pres. Bush’s address to Congress this Tuesday was a key turning point.
Bush’s performance mirrored his first month in office. He demonstrated leadership – not simply by using charm and humor – but by steering the nation on a new course.
It is simply astounding that in just over a month’s time he has helped reinvent the presidency.
The institution of the presidency had fallen to new lows under Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Bush is turning things around by simply doing the opposite of what the Clintons did.
For example, Bush is appointing people to high positions who are overqualified.
The Clintons, however, appointed people who were not qualified for their jobs. This way their appointees were totally beholden to them. Remember Janet Reno!
Bush likes to say he is a "uniter, not a divider.” This may seem trite, but it is true.
The Clintons built their base dividing people: blacks against whites, rich against poor, women against men, "gun nuts” against non-gun owners, "Clinton-haters” against, well, the Clintons -- and so on.
The Clinton’s whole philosophy was based on dialectic thinking – divide and conquer.
Remember over the past eight years how every shooting tragedy was used by the Clinton White House as way to ban and restrict gun ownership? Every disaster and tragedy was opportunity to divide.
Bush, on the other hand, is doing all he can to reach out to constituencies outside of his normal orbit. Tragedies and controversies are an opportunity to heal.
At the same time he is reaching out, he is moving a new agenda for the country, including tax cuts, a new partnership with religious institutions, a new federalism, and a new missile defense system.
Many of Bush’s proposals will probably win Congressional approval. As reaction to his speech this week demonstrated, Bush has disarmed the Democratic opposition.
Another factor helping Bush is the Clintons.
Every negative story about the Clintons just reinforces how much better Bush is as president.
Bush must be completely frustrated that the Clintons continue to dominate the headlines.
His feelings are understandable.
Still, he should not try to end the Congressional investigations or prevent other federal investigations into their wrongdoing -- as distracting as these investigations may seem to him.
This week I received a phone call from an old Arkansas associate of Bill Clinton – someone who has been intimately connected with many in the Clinton circle.
This man was emphatic in saying the Clintons are not finished, as many think.
He said if the Clintons get away with the pardon sale, they will be back – and Hillary could well be back in the Oval Office.
Bush should let the legal process against the Clintons move as it should.
He may be surprised by the results.
As more revelations come out about the Clintons, his own position will actually grow stronger, and an embarrassed Democratic leadership will acquiesce to his agenda |
