Dear Bill Clinton, I'm really really sorry...

[cynatnite]

for calling you a pot smoking womanizing draft dodger years ago when you were running for President.

That was during my repub days when I was young and stupid. It was some time later when the repukes did their contract with America that I woke up and left them behind.

One day my Dad and I were sitting out on the porch smoking (I've quit since then) and he looks at me with a hint of a smile. He says, "Clinton's not so bad, is he?". I answered, "He's okay, Dad. I think he's done a decent job as president."

I'd like to tell my Dad that he'd really like the guy we've got now. RIP Dad. I love you.

[PowerToThePeople]

1. I will sign on to this as well

I didn't really start to appreciate him until my late 20s.

[Samantha]

7. Clinton is one of those fine wines that continue to improve with age

I was a Republican for about 20 years. I actually read the party's platform when I was deciding with which party I would align. The Republican platform was very simple and comported to my ideals. Three things were important: the Government should exist to protect our borders, collect taxes, and provide for the national defense. None of this interfering with people's everyday lives.

I left the party in disgust when Ken Starr announced he would publish the evidence of the Clinton investigation on the Internet for the world to see. BEYOND APPALLING. This would include photographs of his private parts. This was done to humiliate Clinton in front of the world. I couldn't help but think, but his wife will see this, and one day his daughter will see it. It was the last straw for me I could no longer be linked with a party that conducted itself like this. I didn't want my name associated with them.

Of course, leading up to that disgust was seeing Henry Hyde personally walking up to hand over the articles of impeachment, knowing (because it had just been revealed by Salon) that he had had a mistress for over 20 years. (I have yet to figure out how anyone could be married to Henry Hyde, much less agree to be his mistress.) That was coupled with seeing Republican after Republican being excluded from becoming the new Speaker of the House after his party FORCED Gingrich out because each new candidate had too much dirty personal laundry.

And so I joined the Dems, and once I did, I realized that was the party where I had always belonged and just didn't know it until the 90s. I was pretty chagrined over Clinton's antics, but the Republicans' subsequent behavior totally overshadowed anything Clinton had done with Monica Lewinsky in the Oval Office. And he was a good president. Since his departure from office, his continued good works with his foundation have made him an incredible asset to both our party and the Country as a whole. It is no wonder he is sometimes referred to as the President of the World. Everybody loves him (well most normal people)....

Sam

[Nye Bevan]

2. Clinton was great with the exception of DOMA.

And executing the mentally retarded guy during his election campaign.

I really think he was about the best President of my lifetime.

[JRLeft]

4. Don't forget deregulation, the telecommunications act, and NAFTA.

I know I left out much more.

[Nye Bevan]

5. I actually like NAFTA.

I know I am in a small minority here on DU, but like Barack Obama I am in favor of free trade.

[midnight]

9. The high price of ‘free’ trade NAFTA’s failure has cost the United

States jobs across the nation


http://www.epi.org/publication/briefingpapers_bp147/

[antigop]

6. Repeal of Glass-Steagall; Commodity Futures Modernization Act n/t

[Arugula Latte]

11. Also welfare "reform"

[Samantha]

8. That was a trap rigged by the Republican party

Every new President that comes to the Oval Office should expect some political enemy is going to set him up for an embarrassment. And that was DOMA for Clinton. I think he figured it out shortly thereafter, but it was too late.

Sam

PS The execution of the mentally retarded person was one thing Clinton did that was totally unforgivable. I worked for the law firm charged with handling the appeal of the convicted man. You might remember that line in the press that when his appeal was lost and he was facing execution, his lawyer had the responsibility for telling him what exactly was going to happen to him. When he explained his last meal and the fact he would get a dessert, he said he would save that for afterwards. Yes, the man raped and killed a nun in a cemetery, a truly horrendous crime, but he should never have been released back into the public domain when he was because he was just that dysfunctional. Once the execution date was set (in Arkansas), Clinton was running for President, and he decided to attend the execution to demonstrate that as a Democrat he was not weak on punishing criminals. I do understand it was a political decision, but It was a terribly immoral act the Government should never have condoned -- the execution of a retarded person for a crime he could not even understand.

The lawyer that handled the the appeal and lost I think was forever changed afterwards. And a black cloud hung over our Firm for some time, everyone was just so sad over this tragedy.

[hfojvt]

12. there was a lot more

that he was not so great at http://journals.democraticunderground.com/hfojvt/71

[Honeycombe8]

3. A moving post. Thanks for sharing. (really. Not sarcasm.) nt

[PossumSqueezins]

10. I defended him to the end

But I still like Obama better since I can't have Dennis Kucinich or Bernie Sanders. LOL