ONe tradition I wish had not gone away....
I really wish that they'd both just shut up. They both had their time in the sun (for better and for worse). They won their races, served their time, and all during their time, those that preceded them kept their peace concerning their stewardship of our nation.
The tradition – once you leave the Oval Office, you leave politics. You do not criticize the current holder of the office. You may advise if asked, serve if asked. But only, if asked. You don't steal the stage. Go gracefully into that long twilight, settling for the title of “Elder Statesman”.
Well, that's been blown all to heck, hasn't it? Elder Statesman – for their performances, I would not bestow that title on these two. Former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton just cannot seem to abide by tradition, can they (I was going to put it another way, but why go the low road)? It is all about them, or so it seems.
Yes, I know, just like I do not check my First Amendment rights at the door when I go into a Budget Committee meeting, they did not as they left Air Force One for the last time on the trip home from DC. What I am getting ticked about is the continued denigration of the present President while they are on foreign soil. And, often, putting the US as a whole into a negative light, making it just that much harder.
Nope, this story (that just tweaked me just the wrong way - after all, President Carter is quite responsible for architecting the mess we're in with the North Koreans in the first place with his ill conceived Framework) is based on President Carter speaking off US soil.
Look, the job is hard enough, tough enough, and nerve wracking enough to not need a peanut gallery (pun not indended) of former office holders. And while I am a conservative and a registered Republican, for me, this is not about the politics of two Democrats railing against a Republican – this is about the lack of respect for the office that they formerly held.
Respect, civility, honor – attributes that used to come to mind often and used to mean something in the general population as well.
Now, not even ex-Presidents seemingly think much of them.
Great, I've got that off my chest.....but I don't feel any better.....
Comments
Posted by: bones47 | October 21, 2006 8:49 PM