How should the Clinton presidency be covered in the history books?

[napi21]

Cspan WJ right now is talking about "how the Clinton Presidency should be described in the history books." I didn't realise it, but it has been 5+ years already and I guess it does go into the text books now.

You should hear some of the comments.

"How are teachers going to be able to cover the REASON he was impeached?"


I guess we're back to the "What do we tell the children?" syndrom again!

[BushOut06]

1. Hopefully the way they treat the Andrew Johnson impeachment

That it was all politically motivated.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

2. Very simply:

Have a picture of Clinton with the caption "Before." Then have a pic of Chimpy with the caption "After."

That way, people will simply nod their heads and say, "Oh, yeah, the good old days."

[WestHoustonDem]

3. Unbelievable - a couple of callers blamed Clinton

for the turmoil of the * presidency.

[napi21]

6. Well, the turmoil of the Presidency DID begin in the Clinton years,

but it wasn't Clinton's fault! It was the Pubs who determined from the very first day that they were going to bring him down!!!! I often wonder if the hatered on both sides will EVER go away!

[MemphisTiger]

10. Remind them who left Saddam in power in the first gulf war

that usually shuts them up

[Warpy]

4. "Greatest Repug Presidency of All Time!"

High employment despite supply side economics and free trade, mostly peacetime, failed impeachment attempt by memebers of his own party who were too stupid to realize they could have gotten everything they wanted had they chosen to work with him and not against him.

[patcox2]

13. And falling real wages, the great sucking noise as jobs disappeared.

More two-earner families, longer hours, falling real wages, Yup, thats the Clinton years. FMLA is a sop to try to cover up the fact that he sold out the working class to business.

[phaseolus]

5. fairly, accurately, dispassionately

...since the purpose of history books is not to make partisan points. Well, shouldn't be, anyway. And yes, they should include the fact that he was investigated practically every time he sneezed, and partisan nature of the attacks.

[Daphne08]

7. The stupidity of some Americans never fails to amaze me!

Clinton caused all this sex among high school students.

What?

I was a high school teacher for twenty years, and believe me, Clinton did not cause sex among high school students.

Yes, he should have kept it in his pants, but what they did to Clinton was such an abuse.

I suppose some small-minded Americans believe a damn b___ job is more sinful than an unjust war (and all the deaths which have resulted from that war)!

And the lying from Clinton... ??? Please.

I'll stop here because I haven't had my breakfast yet and my stomach is already in knots. :grr:

[lpbk2713]

8. In the index of said book .....

Look under "Shafted".

[MemphisTiger]

9. The most potential to be the greatest president ever

to take office. However, his enemies were sneaky and he was a weak man when it came to the ladies.

[DemNoir]

11. Ask Ken Starr

He is the one who decided to drag the country though Clinton's personal behavior, he must have the answer.

[patcox2]

12. First DLC president sold out traditional dem values to corporations.

Then his embarrassing personal moral failures fueled a partisan witchhunt that effectively left him powerless.

He was no democrat. His model is in fact the death knell for democrats, sell out the traditional democratic economic justice principles in favor of a DLC-"pro-business" approach when it comes to things like labor NAFTA, trade policy and economic issues, while keeping the mere appearance of being progressive by promoting suicidal special interest fringe group politics.

[Yupster]

14. I don't expect much

There just weren't any big events that happened during his term.

I don't expect history books to spend too much time on him.

The impeachment question will likely be handled in one sentence. Something like "President Clinton was impeached, but not removed from office when it was discovered he was having an affair with a young White House intern."

I think at best he might be remembered like Eisenhower. Competent president who served two terms.

[Dees]

15. Teachers may have a problem with explaining the sex thing but

how in the name of Boo$h will (they) ever be able to explain Ken Starr's perverted penis infatuation? Clinton having oral sex in the Oval Office is one thing but this country's obsession with blue dresses, penis details and all the other right wing's depraved attraction to the whole affair is totally, totally bizarre. Explaining the right wing pimp's spending 70 million tax dollars investigating Clinton's life is messed up. Let us call this shit as it smells.