Bunker Mulligan "Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry." ~Mark Twain

Vincent has a thought…let’s get rid of all the fences in the world before insisting Israel stop building theirs.

Bill Clinton has decided to be the Un-Carter.

I never had much use for Bill Clinton. I never believed anything evil of him, but I don’t think he ever really had any plan in his life except to become President. As he did as Governor of Arkansas, he saw the job of President as simply a way to meet girls. He floated along merrily enjoying the perks of office. His wife, on the other hand, had an agenda. And still does.

After leaving office Clinton received a lot of flack for voicing criticism of the new President. I can’t blame him completely, because there are many reporters who hang on his every word, and he’s always liked the limelight. Anything he said against Bush was reported ad nauseum.

With all of the Democratic candidates spewing critiques of Bush, however, there was a niche opening for him. Everyone else in the party was moving left, so Bill went back to what he does best: going centrist. And it has been a quiet move.

At first it received notice. He made comments about having believed the same about Saddam as did Bush. This was pretty widely reported. His later comments in support of Bush in this area get less and less coverage as the primary campaign heats up.

Marc Ginsberg takes the Bush Administration to task for not attending the U.S.-Islamic World Forum in Qatar last month. Clinton spoke there:

Clinton pointedly called on the Muslim world to accept its share of the blame for the outbreak of extremism, and scolded Arab leaders for their own abuse of the Palestinians. He chastised Muslims for being too quick to judge America through the pinhole of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He pointed to our own shortcomings as a nation, still striving to build “a more perfect union.” He resolutely defended America’s friendship with Israel. “America’s support for Israel is not rooted in hostility to the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians,” he said, and he condemned Yasser Arafat for squandering the deal he was offered at Camp David. Moreover, Clinton reminded his audience that President Bush supports the creation of a Palestinian state.

He told his audience that had he been president when the September 11 attacks occurred, he would have followed a course identical to that of his successor. He praised President Bush for trying to convince Muslims that America’s war on terror is not a war against Islam. And despite all of the baiting during a question and answer session, Clinton never blamed the Bush administration for its many policy missteps. Instead, he called on his audience to join the United States in helping to bring about a “free, independent, stable, and representative government in Iraq.”

I’ve not seen any coverage of the event. The media missed it because they were wrapped up in following candidates around Iowa.

I don’t believe Clinton would have “followed a course identical to that of his successor” as he said, but it was a powerful message to those assembled. And it is the kind of thing we should hope past Presidents say in that environment. It is completely out of character for him because he, like the current candidates and the UN, believes the war on terror is a law enforcement issue. Or maybe he’s changed his mind.

Carter was a terrible President. He has done nothing since to change that. His greatest contribution to this country has been his work with Habitat for Humanity. Clinton doesn’t want to be the next Jimmy Carter. With his harping about Bush, he was on that road. Hillary wants to be the next Clinton in the White House. And they both want Chelsea to eventually be there in her own right. So his tone needed to change.

It is a change for the better, regardless of the reason. When we fight this war we need to be emphatic. It is the only countermeasure we have for the type of battle we confront. Having debate “within the family” is important to our political process, but it needs to remain within. The enemy we face depends on division here for strength in his battle. The task is to have our differences without them providing support for the enemy.

I think Bill Clinton finally gets it. Carter never will.

Here is a map of places I’ve been.
I got it at world66, which will allow you to create your own visited country map. My total is only 7%, although it certainly felt like more at times. Just my return trip from Kuwait last year took 72 hours with stops in London, Chicago, and Dallas.

I also built my US map:

I’m not really interested in going to either Alaska or Hawaii unless something happens to force or encourage a trip. I’ve somehow missed the Dakotas. I really want to go there and see the Black Hills and Mount Rushmore. I think it would really be something to go to western Dakota and travel by horse following Custer’s trail to Little Bighorn. I really have a desire as a student of Old West History to make that trek. I doubt it is feasible these days, and the Custer site really doesn’t interest me except as the goal of the trail.

If you have wanderlust, may I recommend the United States. Get a decent US History book and plan an adventure. I can tell you that there are interesting things to see in Europe, but all they really offer is someone else’s history. I’m sure the same can be said of Asia or Africa. See what we have first.

Next year, the wife and I may take a road trip during spring break. While college kids visit here, I think we might drive up the Rio Grande to El Paso, then across New Mexico and Arizona on the southern track, and spend a couple of days in Las Vegas. We’ll take the northern route back and see the Grand Canyon and Painted Desert, high plains of New Mexico and Texas, then back home through Comanche country. Or maybe that trip way up north to the Black Hills–border-to-border?

Couldn’t pass up this post:
President Bush Killed My 2 Sons and Cost Me My Job

When you post something, you never know where it will lead. I was honored with a comment from a real journalist, Kevin Sites, even though he wrote to chew my ass!

hey mike, before you take a broad brush about “cowardly journos” standing on top of 4 star hotel roofs rather than out in the thick of the shit–consider this: twenty-one journalists have died covering the war in iraq–including two cnn employees last night. can’t give you the number injured but it’s been plenty. also btwn 12-15 killed in afghanistan. friends and colleagues. maybe the bravest men and women you’ve never met. they go out without weapons, armed only with cameras and notepads, covering the news–so you can sit back in your armchair and develop your opinions. consider this one “not so lazy journo” trying to provide you with addl info so your opinions can be a bit more informed. soldiers aren’t the only ones making sacrifices out here. and btw, when this one ends you can be sure when the next one starts me and my colleagues will be there–well at least the ones who live through this one. Kevin Sites.

I ran across his web site from a link at InstaPundit. He makes one very pertinent point of which I was unaware–that 21 of his compatriots have died in Iraq.

Kevin is one of those get-out-and-get-the-story kind of guys. And he is right. I did paint with a broad brush, although I didn’t intend it to be as broad as it apparently was.

I mentioned my experience with journalists in Ethiopia. There were two in the crowd who did the job well. They were ITN guys. They learned quickly how to handle themselves around my troops and the aircraft so as to not get in the way or endanger themselves. They paid attention to all that was happening around them. They conversed! When I had something to say to my guys, they recorded only after asking, but listened instead when what I had to say was just between me and my guys. In short, they were professional and had some integrity. Others in the crowd remained in the terminal until an aircraft returned, then mobbed the area. If they decided there was nothing to see, they quickly returned to the warmth inside.

Kevin went into Iraq through Iran. He wasn’t one of the embeds. As for courage, I don’t doubt a word of what he said. In fact, I eagerly applaud those who rode into Baghdad with the troops. These folks got out into things and got the story. So did Kevin and his colleagues up in the north. Journalists have a long history of sharing foxholes with the troops. And let’s not forget Daniel Pearl.

Where do these stories go? I guess that’s the real question here. Kevin, maybe you can answer that.

Steven Den Beste discusses one European lawmaker’s view of the proletariat. He also links to a blog new to me, Porphyrogenitus.

Their thoughts are worth reading. Basically, a Danish representative to the EU derides the idea of a referendum on joining the EU because “Referenda are in fact pure gambling. There is no guarantee of a positive outcome, unfortunately.”

Don’t be too shocked. Our political “betters” look at us the same way. I just ranted about the ACLU and their suit in support of polygamy. The same mentality is at work here. How many societal and cultural issues have been brought before our courts for decisions? We have a long list of programs in this country which were never authorized constitutionally. Why? Because politicians know how hard it is to get an amendment passed and ratified. So the focus has become putting judges on the courts who will decide “properly.”

They know better than we do. We should just let them run things the way they want. Anyone else have problems with that?

The University of Texas Library has the finest set of maps on line that I know of. I’ve added the link to the RH column if you ever need it in the future. As a single example, though, here is a link to a map of Iraq.