A TRAITOR TO THE 20TH CENTURY
Re: George Neumayr’s Reigning Like a Dog:

Excellent story on our EX-president — what a slime he was and always will be.
— Dave Ryan

You described the Arkansas event so well that I am left speechless. Thank you for putting into words what I was feeling. I envy your way with words.
— Wanda Keith
Indianapolis, Indiana

George Neumayr calls the Clinton Library an “architectural monstrosity,” and points out that others have referred to it as a “glorified house trailer.” Mr. Kane Webb on the Wall Street Journal‘s OpinionJournal.com suggested “Phone Booth at Rest.”

Am I alone in thinking that the Polsheck Architects of New York have given us a great phallus to commemorate our Boy President? Were it mounted on a turret, it could sweep in its gaze the old Excelsior and Camelot Hotels, sites of conquests past, where our boy rose to glory.

An architectural monstrosity, no doubt. Nonetheless, an appropriate structure, erected in tribute to a beloved leader.
— Dan Martin
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

What a comedy the Clinton Library opening made almost three weeks after the much hyped “morals” election. The symbolic photo op of the failed President Carter, Impeached President Clinton pictured with the honorable President Bush and his esteemed father could not have been better scripted for the current depressed state of the Democrats. The gloomy weather matched the seemingly gloomy mood of the Clinton family. The bloom is off that rose and all the fertilizer his supporters can supply will not make it bloom again. President Clinton is the poster boy for the permanent decline of his party. If the Democrats threw him over board when they had the chance today their stock would probably be worth much more.
— Diamon Sforza
San Diego, California

Nice commentary on the “slick one”. Wish you had gone into more detail on Jennings’s interview and showed just how in denial he’s been and still is. .I think the real story here is not Clinton, but Jennings’s having the guts to pry open Bill’s guilt-ridden conscience and truly exposing what he is.
— Bob Couch
Austin, Texas

I inadvertently saw some of the sycophantic “coverage” of the opening of the Clinton Presidential Liebrary yesterday, and my curiosity was piqued. Will the Monica Lewinsky exhibits be in a separate section of their own, or included in a larger Sex Crimes section, along with the Kathleen Willey, Gennifer Flowers, and Juanita Broaddrick exhibits (amongst others)? In addition to providing the information about illegal campaign contributions from the Chinese Communists, and the Ryadihs, will the Illegal Fundraising section include material documenting Gore’s illegal activities? Or will Gore’s fundraising calls from his office, paid for by the taxpayers, be documented separately in the “No Controlling Legal Authority” section? Will giving the Chinese Communists the technology to target American cities with nuclear missiles be in the Betraying America section, or included in the Illegal Fundraising section. And will organizing and participating in anti-American demonstrations in Moscow be in the Betraying America section or the Draft-Dodger section?

Enquiring minds want to know!
— W. B. Heffernan, Jr.

Talk about scandal! Normalization of the corruption of government, it seems, has been overlooked, by you, due to your ambitious endeavor to appear journalistically objective. Saint Ronnie Raygun would be your target for scandal and corrupt practices. But then your reichwing tilt prevents such considerations.
— Carl W. Lemieux
www.publicadvocate.com

Clinton said: “there’s not any example of where I ever disgraced this country publicly. And in spite of it all, you don’t have any example where I ever lied to the American people about my job, where I ever let the American people down, and I had more support from the world, and world leaders, and people around the world, when I quit than when I started.”

You’re wrong sir. What you did was worse, and you obviously still don’t get it. You lied to a federal grand jury in an attempt to deny a U.S. Citizen her day in court. You committed perjury, a crime which should have been punished with jail time. If that’s not a “high crime or misdemeanor” nothing is. Had the Senate had any backbone (i.e. Conservative leadership) at that time, you’re lower than pond-scum sorry butt would have been thrown out of office. In addition to the “suffering” you’ve had to endure, is it any wonder why EVERY candidate you’ve campaigned for since leaving office has lost?
— Bill Kearney
Knoxville, Tennessee

I take exception to any references to Bill “B.J.” Clinton as any kind of a dog. While this con artist was desecrating the office of the President of the United States, I used to comment that Fred, my border collie mix, would make a better president. Fred, alas, went gone off to heaven a few years back. Fred has since been replaced by the dependably good-natured (and very smart) Spice, a pure-bred border collie. To form, Spice is adept at sensing illiberal control freaks who might happen by. Should either of the Clintons ever show up on or around the yard, expect Spice to go into a rare unfriendly mode at close quarters.

And, by the way, Bill Clinton was no more a president than Hillary is a gunnery sergeant. He comshawed the president’s uniform and hung around the White House, but used the sacred place and public office to be a self-selected reprobate. Is this hateful? Clinton, a disgusting old pervert, doesn’t rate it. However, ever-present truth always dogs recalcitrant violators.
— Carl Gordon Pyper
Monett, Missouri

Thank you for writing the article “Reigning Like A Dog”. I have extreme contempt for anyone, but especially a President, who disgraces our country and furthers the erosion of ethics and morals. And that goes for female senators who harbor a known womanizing husband for her own power and political gain. But I do not have the time or resources to properly investigate current events or elucidate my positions, so I depend on well written and researched articles and documents to form my opinions.

I refuse to watch television, and I find very few articles worth reading in newspapers. I read many magazines such as Smithsonian, National Geographic, and Invention and Technology, but they are not quite as topical or politically targeted as magazines such as The American Spectator and National Review.
I discovered your magazine from an article that Rush Limbaugh referenced on his website. I will soon become a subscriber.
— Tom Scheffelin

I’m not sure of the protocol involved in establishing a presidential library, but in this case there is no question that Bill Clinton has built a monument to himself — a completely sanitized version of his 8-year administration and probably secure for the former president a legacy that is totally unwarranted if taken at face value.

It is my understanding that this entire project will be turned over to the National Archives under the supervision of the National Park Service and become a National Monument. My question is who will take this product of a classic Clinton spin machine and put it in the truthful perspective that it deserves?
— Jerome Brick
Beaver Dam, Arizona

Another fine George Neumayr article regarding the Little Rock “Double-Wide Library” dedication. So many on the left still think the criticism of Bill Clinton’s presidential policies and his personal conduct where mutually exclusive. In light of “the Clinton Legacy” (public, private, foreign & domestic) one could easily argue that a president’s personal conduct matters as much if not more than good presidential policies.

Clinton’s proclivities gave the Right a target-rich environment indeed. Though mostly ignored by the mainstream media that now feel safe to editorialize liberally but, without judgment. But thankfully, the left and their media once again profess “concern” about foreign policy, tax cuts, deficits, homelessness, and politics at home…to a degree.
— P. Aaron Jones
Huntington Woods, Michigan

Though Mr. Neumayr is not only almost always correct in his conclusions, but also succinct and eminently readable in his presentation of them, I must make one minor observation which I believe he has overlooked. We must always remember that in the hallowed religion of Secular Moral-less Humanism, if you are a card carrying dues paying member of the church, à la Bill Moyers or Sister Joan Chidister (sp?), you may always receive complete total absolution by simply saying “I’m sorry.” In this religion, the sacrament of Apology heal all hurts.
— Joseph Baum
Newton Falls, Ohio

Clinton will not be remembered as a good president. Being younger than most past presidents, he presumably will remain to constantly attempt by himself and through surrogates to polish his legacy. But that doesn’t materially change the legacy, which is very lackluster at best. Further, on what history will regard as the most serious challenges confronting his term, Clinton failed. He failed at delivering Bin Laden, he had photo ops but no substance in persuading Arafat to get with the program, he sold out missile guidance technology to China, which allowed them to develop reliable ICBM delivery systems (and opened the door for Buddhist monks in China to donate money to Gore’s election campaign), he sold out American manufacturers around the globe by introducing NAFTA and GATT, he almost sold us out further by endorsing the Kyoto Accords. Need I go on.

Sharp, objective scrutiny by historians and others whom the Liberal left do not control, will reveal a shabby legacy. It doesn’t matter how expensive the Clinton library is or how many audio tapes a visitor can punch up to deliver the Clinton version of events.
— R. Jones
Gulfport, Mississippi

I watched with detached amusement while our former President was honored yet again by a fawning media and the usual suspects from Hollywood at the opening of his Un-Presidential Library, and I couldn’t help but be struck by how silly it all seemed.

“Silly” because that is the perfect word to describe this man, and I firmly believe that history will ultimately judge him thusly. The 1990’s was a vacation from reality; the Cold War was over (thanks to Reagan), the economy was booming (thanks to Reagan), and America was again ascendant in the minds of her citizens, and on the world stage (both, again, thanks to Ronald Reagan). Everyone wanted to party! Unfortunately, the chickens of the 60’s generation had come home to roost, and wanted one of their own in the White House.

Into this era of good feelings strolled the affable but deeply flawed boy-Governor of Arkansas. Looking back, it is hard to imagine Clinton ever being elected to the nation’s highest office in any other era. He was a decidedly unserious man for an unserious time, and he surrounded himself with equally unserious cronies who existed only to keep him in office. Despite his Ivy-League pedigree, his supposed penchant for hard work, his love of “policy”, and his much bally-hooed intellect, he was an empty-suit who accomplished little of value in eight years that wasn’t initiated by others. More so than any other President, he was a product of Madison Avenue-style campaigning and sloganeering, all flash, no substance. Meanwhile, just beneath the surface (and sometimes in full view), truly serious issues like terrorism were completely ignored, despite the first bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993. I think that William Safire said it best in a 1994 NYT Editorial when he stated that Clinton, in an attempt to claim some measure of credit for the end of the Cold War, was “a Hobo on the freight train of history.”

Well, the times took a serious turn. The party ended on 9/11/01, and a serious man now hold’s Mr. Clinton’s old job. The 1990’s were an aberration, and yesterday’s embarrassing ceremony in Little Rock it’s last pathetic gasps.

Clinton now spends his time trying to define his “Legacy”, a vague concept that gives him credit for everything good between 1992-1996, but absolves him for all of the bad. As Jesse Helms once said in the wake of the Lewinsky scandal “Mr. Clinton wants a legacy…well lah-dee-dah, he’s already got one.” I for one shall enjoy the media’s pathetic attempts to recreate this man’s image, and redefine his incompetence.
Regards,
— Gavin Valle
Peapack, New Jersey

A TRAILER TO THE 21ST CENTURY
Re: Enemy Central’s Comeback Kids:

Nice article about the Clinton mausoleum. Was that an invocation by the preacher or a eulogy? Seeing as how you should never speak ill of the politically dead, I thought they were all gathering together to lay to rest the Democrat party. That’s why Bush was there, since he was responsible for its sudden demise this last time around.
— Pete Chagnon

I understand the need to denigrate Arkansas and all things you think are Clinton-esque. However, it is fairly easy to discover that Arkansas has gone for W. twice, the first time against Clinton’s personal Number Two — Al Gore. We have a Republican governor, and a Lt. Governor who is a real Rockefeller no less. You might also notice the backlash for the Clintons here makes them no longer spend any time in Arkansas. Bubba only spent one night here during the library love-in. I grow weary from condescension hurled at a now Republican state for two cycles from people who live and work in Blue states. Make all the trailer park jokes you want, it makes you sound like Dowd and the rest of the NYT opinion page.

What was Reagan’s first rule? Don’t criticize other Republicans? Does that go out the window south of the Mason-Dixon?
— Randall Lee Herring

The return of Enemy Central is heralded. As a matter of protocol the current President as well as former Presidents attended the dedication of the Clinton Liebery, massage parlor, and trailer park. (By the way the building does resemble a trailer more than a bridge.) It would have been an exceedingly bad thing to duck out, as must be noted for the benefit of some people who questioned Mr. Bush’s appearance. Mr. Clinton, sans his wacko Hollwierd and hack entourage, will probably be at the dedication of W’s library as will be whoever is President at that time in case anyone is interested. Mr. Bush did what was expected and more or less customary and with decorum despite the fact the recipients may not have earned it. That to me showed more class, in front of the whole pack of Clintonoids, than Clinton will ever have. Hail to our EOW as he was declassed by himself in his self-indulgent speech and outclassed as well as my President who did the wise thing in leaving his family home.
— GMS
Media, Pennsylvania

There are a lot of us Canadian conservatives getting tired of the plans you American conservatives have to dump your rubbish up here. You keep those loony and treacherous left wingers down there. We’ve got plenty up here already.

On the other hand, the Yukon and Nunavut are very nice this time of year. Clear and crisp. Tell your Democrat emigrants to pack shorts and T-shirts. Always need more miners.
— Fred Z

JUSTICE TURMOIL
Re: John Tabin’s Specter Defanged:

Okay, I’ll take my consolation when, where and how I can find it.

But the essential truth remains: Specter is a rat-RINO whose word cannot be trusted. Tabin’s piece, like all the baying from Hugh Hewitt, is predicated on the notion that if Specter didn’t get what he wanted he might try to screw us this way, or that way, or some other way. Good Lord! Is it too much to think, let alone expect, that a United States senator has an affirmative responsibility to put the interests of president, (ostensible) party, and the country at large ahead of petulance and petty self-interest?

Specter got what he wanted. Only time will tell if we do. And in the meantime, I think a great deal has already been lost: a little thing called principle.

Thanks,
— Charles R. Vail

John Tabin’s analysis of Sen. Specter is — as the Brits say — SPOT ON!!

Specter is a defanged wolf. I was originally opposed to his assuming the chairmanship but now Mr. Tabin has very elegantly exposited the arguments in favor of this for conservatives — another great victory for George W Bush. I THINK. I HOPE!!

First on the agenda: preparing the field for the elevation of Clarence Thomas to Chief Justice on the retirement of Chief Justice Rehnquist.

Justice Thomas richly deserves it.
— Bob Schwalbaum
Honolulu, Hawaii

It’s always important to remember that even a liberal Republican, when the chips are down, will support their party. After all, it does take some internal lodestone to call oneself, in the heart of lib country, a Republican. It is foolish to treat a moderate or even liberal Republican too harshly, when, in the end, they will, when push comes to shove, support their party. Arlen Specter, despite Bork and other irritating positions, tore Anita the liar Hill a second one and gave us Clarence Thomas. There’s no reason to believe that the performance won’t be repeated. Remember, it takes integrity to call oneself a Republican in lib country, when they could just as easily become a damn demo. If you look at the voting record of Jumpin’ Jim Jeffords, most of the time he voted with the party, even during impeachment. It’s totally stupid to turn off your own party members, just because they run to the left or lefter on some occasions.
— Steve Heafey
Alamo, California

John Tabin writes in his take on Specter, “given that the GOP’s squish faction is at least five Senators strong — in addition to Specter, it includes Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, and depending on the issue, several others — that could seriously jeopardize the Republican agenda.”

I think it’s fair to name who “several others” really is — everyone is thinking it: the often described (by the liberal press) “Maverick” John McCain.
— Greg Barnard
Franklin, Tennessee

NO MORE EXCUSES
Re: Pete Peterson’s Little Saigon Eyes Kerry:

Pete Peterson writes:

“With John Kerry and the Swift-Vets moving Vietnam to the front burner of public debate, discussion of the new version of the Vietnam Human Rights Act could attract some unwanted attention; and bring further trouble to Senator Kerry. Reintroduced in April of 2003 as H.R. 1587, the measure passed the house 323-45 on July 19 of this year, again co-sponsored by Rohrabacher and Sanchez. This time Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Sam Brownback, who is also chairman of the Sub-Committee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, is sponsoring the bill in the upper chamber. The bill is more than likely to reach the Senate floor.”

Yes, Kerry blocked the bill from going to the Senate floor in 2001 and 2002 when he chaired the East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. But he could do so only because the Democrats controlled the Senate, which was two years ago. With the reintroduction of this bill in April of 2003, why has it not gone to the Senate floor? Kerry has no power to prevent the bill from being voted on now. Maybe it is time to find a new punching bag on this issue; this time it would have to be someone in the Republican Party who is responsible.
— Stephen Denney

HUNTIN’ IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
Re: Shawn Macomber’s Out Town and D.J. Prengel’s letter (under “The Shot Heard ‘Round the School”) in Reader Mail’s Gunning Around:

Thanks Shawn for your article on life in New Hampshire. As a life long resident of the Granite State it is nice to see an article that articulates what the Libertarians saw here that caused them to declare New Hampshire as the best in the Union to enjoy real freedom. However as I sit on my deck enjoying the wild turkeys, deer, moose, raccoons and even the occasional black bear, I can’t help but to hope that the rest of the world still views us as “cow” Hampshire. That they see our frugality with taxpayer funds and our expectation that freedom brings with it, a good dose of personal responsibility, as an assault on their senses. And as I drive through this tiny town I call home without passing a Wal-Mart or stopping at a traffic light, and where everyone waves to everyone whether you know them or not I can’t help but to selfishly hope that our Liberal neighbors continue to see New Hampshire as a nice place to visit but a place they could never — sniff, sniff — live.
— R. Napolitano
Alton, New Hampshire

The letter from D.J. Prengel reminded me of Rush Limbaugh’s “seminar caller” bit: “I am an ex-Marine… current and avid hunter…Columbine should have been enough to outlaw possession of all guns for all non-law enforcement people in all public areas.”

First, you can take the man out of the Corps but not the Corps out of the man. Marines are the only servicemen I know who still consider themselves Marines, even if they were discharged decades ago. I’ve never heard a Marine refer to himself as an “ex-Marine.”

Second, Kerry tried to dress up and pose as a hunter to fool the voters too. Telling us how he low crawled with a 12 gauge side by side to sneak up on a deer, when such guns are normally used for bird hunting, and knowing that no hunters low crawls — it’s something you do in war when the prey shoots back, gave him away. That and his voting record supporting almost every gun control, animal rights, and anti-hunting bill that came up.

Third, shouldn’t you set the example and hand in your guns Mr. Prengel? I met a family whose son was killed when the neighbor kid shot him with his Policeman Dad’s pistol. In one town where I lived, one of the Police Lieutenants spent years of his career breaking into and robbing homes while on duty. Policemen and Soldiers are no better and no worse than the rest of us. They come, good and bad alike, from the same population base. I trust them with guns as much as I trust the rest of the population base (i.e. U.S.) with them.

Regarding kids and guns, most of the junior shooters I’ve met are more mature and responsible with guns than the adults are. They are also more mature and responsible than their fellow young people. Many have gone on to the Olympics and to the Service Academies, where they represent and serve their country proudly.
Your children have a greater chance of being crippled in a football or basketball game, or being injured or killed in a traffic accident, or by drugs and alcohol at a party, or for that matter even drowning in the pool or bathtub, than they have of being injured or killed by a gunshot.

The Temperance movement was wrong too.
— Matt Egloff

DEMOCRATIC SEND-OFF
Re: R. Emmett Tyrrell’s The Liberal Crack-Up:

RET’s The Liberal Crack-Up, along with numerous speeches, anecdotes, and statements from a guy called ‘Ron’, served as the epiphany that made me a full-fledged Conservative.

And my own vocabulary was much improved as RET, like his fellow Conservative peer, W.F. Buckley, exercised a proclivity in engaging in grammatical indulgences. It always took a while to finish a book written by one of the aforementioned, as many new words had to be looked up with each exciting chapter.

Yet, it was worth it, as RET, et al, imparted valuable knowledge to the people and this was not a small component of the Conservative advancement.

We’ve a way to go, but I’m confident the game is ours to lose, or to win.
— Jeff Anderson
Richmond, Virginia

P.S. By the way, WHO was the one that hired David Brock? I think this person needs to sweep offices out for a year as his/her atonement.

Mr. Tyrrell’s perspicacity is spot on. Thank you so much.
— Mark Berlinger

My favorite Democrat line from the campaign was “Don’t you recognize what is going on in the world? Don’t you watch the evening news on television?” What better indictment of the liberal media could you ask for? If you do watch the evening news on television, be assured that you only “know” what the Democrats want you to “know.” Said a different way: If you watch, read and absorb only the liberal media, you don’t know what it is you don’t know and steadfastly refuse to acknowledge any other source as valid. How sad!
— Jay Bannister
Dallas, Texas