Bill Clinton (R) vs. G.W. Bush (Nazi) in response to terror attacks

[Yollam]

The contrast is remarkable.

Here's what the disgraceful POS Bush barked at the rescuers from atop the pile of corpses his incompetence and corruption created on Sept. 11.





CROWD: U.S.A.! U.S.A.!

POS BUSH: Thank you all. I want you all to know --

Q Can't hear you.

POS BUSH: I can't talk any louder. (Laughter.)

I want you all to know that America today -- that America today is on bended knee in prayer for the people whose lives were lost here, for the workers who work here, for the families who mourn. This nation stands with the good people of New York City, and New Jersey and Connecticut, as we mourn the loss of thousands of our citizens.

Q I can't hear you.

POS BUSH: I can hear you. (Applause.) I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. (Applause.) And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon. (Applause.)

CROWD: U.S.A.! U.S.A.!

POS BUSH: The nation sends its love and compassion to everybody who is here. Thank you for your hard work. Thank you for making the nation proud. And may God bless America. (Applause.)

CROWD: U.S.A.! U.S.A.!





And here's what Clinton said after a white Christian conservative blew up the Murrah Federal Building, killing dozens of people, including preschoolers in Oklahoma City.





Thank you very much, Governor Keating and Mrs. Keating, Reverend Graham, to the families of those who have been lost and wounded, to the people of Oklahoma City, who have endured so much, and the people of this wonderful state, to all of you who are here as our fellow Americans.

I am honored to be here today to represent the American people. But I have to tell you that Hillary and I also come as parents, as husband and wife, as people who were your neighbors for some of the best years of our lives.

Today our nation joins with you in grief. We mourn with you. We share your hope against hope that some may still survive. We thank all those who have worked so heroically to save lives and to solve this crime -- those here in Oklahoma and those who are all across this great land, and many who left their own lives to come here to work hand in hand with you. We pledge to do all we can to help you heal the injured, to rebuild this city, and to bring to justice those who did this evil.

This terrible sin took the lives of our American family, innocent children in that building, only because their parents were trying to be good parents as well as good workers; citizens in the building going about their daily business; and many there who served the rest of us -- who worked to help the elderly and the disabled, who worked to support our farmers and our veterans, who worked to enforce our laws and to protect us. Let us say clearly, they served us well, and we are grateful.

But for so many of you they were also neighbors and friends. You saw them at church or the PTA meetings, at the civic clubs, at the ball park. You know them in ways that all the rest of America could not. And to all the members of the families here present who have suffered loss, though we share your grief, your pain is unimaginable, and we know that. We cannot undo it. That is God's work.



Our words seem small beside the loss you have endured. But I found a few I wanted to share today. I've received a lot of letters in these last terrible days. One stood out because it came from a young widow and a mother of three whose own husband was murdered with over 200 other Americans when Pan Am 103 was shot down. Here is what that woman said I should say to you today:

The anger you feel is valid, but you must not allow yourselves to be consumed by it. The hurt you feel must not be allowed to turn into hate, but instead into the search for justice. The loss you feel must not paralyze your own lives. Instead, you must try to pay tribute to your loved ones by continuing to do all the things they left undone, thus ensuring they did not die in vain.

Wise words from one who also knows.

You have lost too much, but you have not lost everything. And you have certainly not lost America, for we will stand with you for as many tomorrows as it takes.

If ever we needed evidence of that, I could only recall the words of Governor and Mrs. Keating: "If anybody thinks that Americans are mostly mean and selfish, they ought to come to Oklahoma. If anybody thinks Americans have lost the capacity for love and caring and courage, they ought to come to Oklahoma."



To all my fellow Americans beyond this hall, I say, one thing we owe those who have sacrificed is the duty to purge ourselves of the dark forces which gave rise to this evil. They are forces that threaten our common peace, our freedom, our way of life. Let us teach our children that the God of comfort is also the God of righteousness: Those who trouble their own house will inherit the wind.¹ Justice will prevail.

Let us let our own children know that we will stand against the forces of fear. When there is talk of hatred, let us stand up and talk against it. When there is talk of violence, let us stand up and talk against it. In the face of death, let us honor life. As St. Paul admonished us, Let us "not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."²



Yesterday, Hillary and I had the privilege of speaking with some children of other federal employees -- children like those who were lost here. And one little girl said something we will never forget. She said, "We should all plant a tree in memory of the children." So this morning before we got on the plane to come here, at the White House, we planted that tree in honor of the children of Oklahoma. It was a dogwood with its wonderful spring flower and its deep, enduring roots. It embodies the lesson of the Psalms -- that the life of a good person is like a tree whose leaf does not wither.³



My fellow Americans, a tree takes a long time to grow, and wounds take a long time to heal. But we must begin. Those who are lost now belong to God. Some day we will be with them. But until that happens, their legacy must be our lives.

Thank you all, and God bless you.

[WildEyedLiberal]

1. I assume you're highlighting Clinton's message of peace...

.... yet your OP belies this by calling him a Republican. WTF?

[Yollam]

2. Could I be more clear?

I think Clinton's political alignment was basically republican. His policies were conservative. POS Bush is an ultra-right-wing fascist and a free-spender.

I can respect a republican like Clinton even though I disagree with him. But not an ultra-right-wing totalitarian fascist like POS Bush.

And yes, I think Clinton's message was far more appropriate in the wake of a tragedy than Bush barking at a crowd shouting "USA, USA!"

[WildEyedLiberal]

4. I just really fail to see how calling Clinton a Republican is necessary

In the context of this thread, since you evidently were not intending to insult him.

[Yollam]

7. I respect your POV, but I have my reasons.

To me, it seems increasingly necessary to remind people that what is defined as "the center" in the US is far to the right of where it was 30 years ago, and far to the right of what is considered "the center" in other western democracies.

Acting as though Clinton represents democratic ideals would be disingenuous, since his policies were to the right of Nixon's in many respects.

But I don't mean that as an insult. The Republican party was once a party with some measure of integrity. I think Clinton represents those values, not the values of the current mafia-like organization.

[bahrbearian]

3. Clinton is Known to be the Best Republican President Ever.

[Glorfindel]

5. Didn't he address congress as, "My fellow Republicans"

during a state of the union speech once? I seem to recall such an occasion...

[oasis]

6. Funny how only Dem malcontents say Bill's GOP, but no Republicans.

:think:

[Yollam]

8. Because they have all drank so much Rushbo koolaid...

...that they are off in wackjob territory, ideologically.

Clinton was not far from Nixon, ideologically. It's the GOP that slid to the extreme right. I don't see why we should shift to the right just because they did.

[oasis]

9. To get back in power, we have to shift to where the votes are. nt

[pinto]

10. Locked.

Flamebait.