I'm not fan of Bill. I still get p***ed over the "it depends on what the meaning of is, is", nonsense. I think he was flawed as a person. Too bad. I also think he was very intelligent, engaged in the job, a marvelous communicator and a policy wonk. Not a great President.
But, in my humble view, a better president than GWB.
I was reading an old article on Kosovo the other day, (print, not electronic) and it is illuminating to reflect on all the hand-wringing that went on in the late 1990s. No European support (or lukewarm), danger of a ground war, lack of hard (enough) evidence of attrocities....The critics of U.S. action were on both sides, but primarily Republicans. Several quotes about rushing in to war, etc. Kosovo, in hindsight, was handled quite well by the Administration and our military. Seemed we did not take our eye off the ball..and there was a specific endgame. I give Clinton some credit for that. He was flawed, but his pragmatism made him successful. I wish Bush were more pragmatic and less dogmatic. JMHO. |
