Maureen Dowd: Captive to History’s Caprice

[babylonsister]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/opinion/17dowd.html?ref=opinion

Captive to History’s Caprice

By MAUREEN DOWD
Published: February 17, 2008

snip//

The self-destructive impulses that consumed Bill Clinton detracted from his policy achievements and distracted him from achieving all he could have.

The press tends to swallow campaign narratives of sin and redemption, hard lessons learned.

After giving up drinking and becoming Texas governor, W. had supposedly changed from an arrogant, obdurate, Daddy-competing loser to a genial, bipartisan, mature winner. As it turned out, a total makeover is not possible after 40.

Hillary’s narrative echoes W.’s: After the scalding partisanship of the ’90s, she became a senator and turned the other cheek, working on legislation with Republicans who had pursued the impeachment case against her husband. She has supposedly learned from her White House mistakes on health care, Travelgate and legal issues, from her battles with the right and the press. She knows now that being obstructionist and secretive don’t work.

An appealing arc, but is it true? Her campaign shake-up showed that she continues to rank loyalty and secrecy above competence and ingenuity. She is still so guarded that she began answering questions from the press and voters only after she lost Iowa.

All of us have known big shots who keep a check on their real feelings and dark tendencies until they get the top job. Then they throw off the restraints and revert to their worst instincts, bullying others and insulating themselves with sycophants.

Hillary could be ready on Day 1 — to make up her Enemies List and banish Overkill Bill to a cubbyhole in the Old Executive Office Building. But it’s Day 2 that I’m really worried about.

[Captain Hilts]

1. From the woman who helped destroy Al Gore.....nt

[Cha]

2. MoDo is hot and cold but

the part about "Day 2" resonates with me..I don't want hilary and her shifty brain anywhere in striking distance of the whitehouse.. to find out.

[aquart]

4. "Shifty brain..."????

Because a woman can be straightforward and become president with no problems. Yeah, that's the ticket.

I just love the endless excuses for buying the lies.

[ixion]

3. if only she'd been this cogent on Bush

but no, she chose to attack Gore for no good reason at all.

[Joe Bacon]

5. Whoreen sees nothing wrong with a Day 2 for Mc Cain

Typical Whoreen, always giving Republicans the benefit of her doubt. No matter how that witch spins, the blood of 4,000+ American soldiers are on her hands and she will NEVER wash it off.