Comments on: Center of Attention http://themoderatevoice.com/16694/center-of-attention-155/ An Internet hub for moderates, centrists, and independents, with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, and right Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:50:06 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: kritt http://themoderatevoice.com/16694/center-of-attention-155/comment-page-1/#comment-108749 kritt Wed, 26 Dec 2007 23:36:18 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/at-tmv/center-of-attention/16694/center-of-attention-155/#comment-108749 Rudi- u must have been hitting the eggnog- DLS suggested the position for the Goracle, not I, LOL. I would just like to have someone heading the EPA that is not trying to block the states' initiatives on emissions (and not getting directives from Dick Cheney stating the BIg 3's opposition to new air quality standards) Rudi- u must have been hitting the eggnog- DLS suggested the position for the Goracle, not I, LOL. I would just like to have someone heading the EPA that is not trying to block the states’ initiatives on emissions (and not getting directives from Dick Cheney stating the BIg 3’s opposition to new air quality standards)

]]> By: Rudi http://themoderatevoice.com/16694/center-of-attention-155/comment-page-1/#comment-108746 Rudi Wed, 26 Dec 2007 22:05:27 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/at-tmv/center-of-attention/16694/center-of-attention-155/#comment-108746 kritt - Please no more new Departments, the DHS is bad enough. We need to fix existing Departments, not create more. Gore won't give up his day job, he's making a ton of money and a world wide celeb, he ain't gonna play second fiddle to Clenis and Clagina. kritt – Please no more new Departments, the DHS is bad enough. We need to fix existing Departments, not create more. Gore won’t give up his day job, he’s making a ton of money and a world wide celeb, he ain’t gonna play second fiddle to Clenis and Clagina.

]]> By: kritt http://themoderatevoice.com/16694/center-of-attention-155/comment-page-1/#comment-108745 kritt Wed, 26 Dec 2007 22:04:20 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/at-tmv/center-of-attention/16694/center-of-attention-155/#comment-108745 BTW, if that were to occur it would almost be like having two royal families- their aggregation of power would be unprecedented with corporations, billionaires and world leaders. Bush 43 would have likely been a one-term president or never been president at all without 41's help and the experience of former administration members who were loyal to 41 and looking out for W. BTW, if that were to occur it would almost be like having two royal families- their aggregation of power would be unprecedented with corporations, billionaires and world leaders. Bush 43 would have likely been a one-term president or never been president at all without 41’s help and the experience of former administration members who were loyal to 41 and looking out for W.

]]> By: kritt http://themoderatevoice.com/16694/center-of-attention-155/comment-page-1/#comment-108744 kritt Wed, 26 Dec 2007 22:01:09 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/at-tmv/center-of-attention/16694/center-of-attention-155/#comment-108744 D- If Hillary Clinton wins, and is as unpopular as W, Jeb will not be a successful candidate, because Americans will not want the dynasty thing. There is already anti-Clinton feeling because a lot of people don't want Bush/Clinton/Bush/Clinton. You'd never be able to add a Bush to that lineup, lol! D- If Hillary Clinton wins, and is as unpopular as W, Jeb will not be a successful candidate, because Americans will not want the dynasty thing. There is already anti-Clinton feeling because a lot of people don’t want Bush/Clinton/Bush/Clinton. You’d never be able to add a Bush to that lineup, lol!

]]> By: DLS http://themoderatevoice.com/16694/center-of-attention-155/comment-page-1/#comment-108730 DLS Wed, 26 Dec 2007 19:59:24 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/at-tmv/center-of-attention/16694/center-of-attention-155/#comment-108730 <blockquote>If Bill had not had the affair with Monica, he would have been welcomed by Democrats when campaigning with Al Gore. </blockquote> <strong>And lied about it</strong>... In 1996 Clinton was widely disrespected and ripe to lose re-election. Yet the GOP Old Guard selected Bob Dole as their anointed one. Obviously one cannot be overconfident and underestimate one's opponent. <blockquote>If Gore had campaigned with an untainted Bill Clinton, it is a given that Gore would have won.</blockquote> I agree with you, K. Bush was a desperately-chosen "brand name" or "designer label" (the Bush name) candidate, as I called it. (This is why we <em>still</em> are likely, someday, to see Jeb Bush run for the Presidency, in my opinion.) <blockquote>Bush/Cheney [...] promised to restore the dignity of the presidency</blockquote> I believe Dubya originally promised this to us in two languages (admittedly speaking <em>como un borracho</em>), in 2000, which was not so later (when the dignity issue had long been dead). If a Dem wins, I told my friend last night, to take advantage of Gore's celeb status, being the head of EPA is great but is not enough. What could be done is create a (Cabinet-level) new Department of the Environment, with him at its head, or (to be more appropriate and correct something long obsolescent) rename the Department of the Interior as the Department of Natural Resources, and make Gore the next secretary of it.

If Bill had not had the affair with Monica, he would have been welcomed by Democrats when campaigning with Al Gore.

And lied about it…

In 1996 Clinton was widely disrespected and ripe to lose re-election. Yet the GOP Old Guard selected Bob Dole as their anointed one. Obviously one cannot be overconfident and underestimate one’s opponent.

If Gore had campaigned with an untainted Bill Clinton, it is a given that Gore would have won.

I agree with you, K. Bush was a desperately-chosen “brand name” or “designer label” (the Bush name) candidate, as I called it. (This is why we still are likely, someday, to see Jeb Bush run for the Presidency, in my opinion.)

Bush/Cheney [...] promised to restore the dignity of the presidency

I believe Dubya originally promised this to us in two languages (admittedly speaking como un borracho), in 2000, which was not so later (when the dignity issue had long been dead).

If a Dem wins, I told my friend last night, to take advantage of Gore’s celeb status, being the head of EPA is great but is not enough. What could be done is create a (Cabinet-level) new Department of the Environment, with him at its head, or (to be more appropriate and correct something long obsolescent) rename the Department of the Interior as the Department of Natural Resources, and make Gore the next secretary of it.

]]> By: Rudi http://themoderatevoice.com/16694/center-of-attention-155/comment-page-1/#comment-108723 Rudi Wed, 26 Dec 2007 18:29:31 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/at-tmv/center-of-attention/16694/center-of-attention-155/#comment-108723 One comment about the CEO's salaries post by MM and Q&Q, QQ makes a comparison to sports and Michael Jordan. In sports, even if an athlete performs to expectations, only quarenteed bonuses are paid out per a contract. At the end of the contract, or in some sports, the next year the Allstar player can be cut for financial reasons. There isn't any golden parachutes in sports, and business shouldn't have these CEO welfare programs. One comment about the CEO’s salaries post by MM and Q&Q, QQ makes a comparison to sports and Michael Jordan. In sports, even if an athlete performs to expectations, only quarenteed bonuses are paid out per a contract. At the end of the contract, or in some sports, the next year the Allstar player can be cut for financial reasons. There isn’t any golden parachutes in sports, and business shouldn’t have these CEO welfare programs.

]]> By: kritt http://themoderatevoice.com/16694/center-of-attention-155/comment-page-1/#comment-108722 kritt Wed, 26 Dec 2007 18:26:43 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/at-tmv/center-of-attention/16694/center-of-attention-155/#comment-108722 DLS- If Bill had not had the affair with Monica, he would have been welcomed by Democrats when campaigning with Al Gore. Gore felt betrayed by Clinton and was afraid of being tainted by the scandal, and so campaigned alone. Clinton left office with a 70% approval rating. If Gore had campaigned with an untainted Bill Clinton, it is a given that Gore would have won. Most political scientists believe that Bill is a more masterful politician and speechmaker than Gore, who came off as professorial and pedantic---more the policy wonk at that time than the rock star. Monicagate gave us Bush/Cheney who promised to restore the dignity of the presidency. DLS- If Bill had not had the affair with Monica, he would have been welcomed by Democrats when campaigning with Al Gore. Gore felt betrayed by Clinton and was afraid of being tainted by the scandal, and so campaigned alone. Clinton left office with a 70% approval rating. If Gore had campaigned with an untainted Bill Clinton, it is a given that Gore would have won. Most political scientists believe that Bill is a more masterful politician and speechmaker than Gore, who came off as professorial and pedantic—more the policy wonk at that time than the rock star. Monicagate gave us Bush/Cheney who promised to restore the dignity of the presidency.

]]> By: DLS http://themoderatevoice.com/16694/center-of-attention-155/comment-page-1/#comment-108720 DLS Wed, 26 Dec 2007 17:25:48 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/at-tmv/center-of-attention/16694/center-of-attention-155/#comment-108720 Not quite... <blockquote>If you’re sympathetic to Clinton, her eight years in the White House offer her the kind of experience and insights that few presidential candidates can even hope to match. If you’re unsympathetic, Clinton shouldn’t count her eight years in a ceremonial position in which she made practically no substantive decisions relating to foreign policy or national security, did not receive intelligence briefings, and did not, as some former officials put it, “feel or process the weight of responsibility.”</blockquote> This is a laughably false dichotomy. Hillary Clinton arrogated the role of co-President and in fact exercised (after she arrogated) considerable power and assumed (though was not given it by the electorate) considerable responsibilty -- or at least credit, accolades for "St. Hillary," while she rejected and evaded true responsibility for her actions and in her behavior. Hillary Clinton, even more than Bill, was directly responsible for the 1994 election results. Presumably many who were ignorant of this in the past aren't so any longer. (Those who refuse to accept the truth or still don't understand really aren't qualified to cast their Democratic vote next year.) Not quite…

If you’re sympathetic to Clinton, her eight years in the White House offer her the kind of experience and insights that few presidential candidates can even hope to match. If you’re unsympathetic, Clinton shouldn’t count her eight years in a ceremonial position in which she made practically no substantive decisions relating to foreign policy or national security, did not receive intelligence briefings, and did not, as some former officials put it, “feel or process the weight of responsibility.”

This is a laughably false dichotomy. Hillary Clinton arrogated the role of co-President and in fact exercised (after she arrogated) considerable power and assumed (though was not given it by the electorate) considerable responsibilty — or at least credit, accolades for “St. Hillary,” while she rejected and evaded true responsibility for her actions and in her behavior.

Hillary Clinton, even more than Bill, was directly responsible for the 1994 election results. Presumably many who were ignorant of this in the past aren’t so any longer. (Those who refuse to accept the truth or still don’t understand really aren’t qualified to cast their Democratic vote next year.)

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