Both Oars In Loyalty of one

Jun 12, 2012

In a newly released unauthorized biography of President Obama, Edward Klein reveals that Mr. Clinton urged Mrs. Clinton, as recently as last summer, to run against her boss, incumbent president and fellow party member whom the loosed-lipped former president evidently enjoys describing as an incompetent amateur—at least in private. When Mrs. Clinton demurred on the basis of being President Obama’s top cabinet member and political confidant, Mr. Clinton is reported by Klein to have stated, “Loyalty is a joke.”  Of course, Mrs. Clinton probably already knew her husband’s opinion on fidelity. 

In a more public forum, Mr. Clinton added injury to insult by describing Mr. Romney’s Bain Capital performance as “sterling”. Mr. Clinton made this remark while being interviewed on CNN by Harvey Weinstein. Yes, the famed Hollywood movie director took a day off from searching for the next Oscar contender to sit in for Clinton groupie Piers Morgan and throw softballs to the aging former president who is no longer willing to play hardball or meet the real press. The interview is a mutual love-fest reminding us that Clinton, not Reagan, was our first real Hollywood president. 

How did Mr. Clinton get this cushy set-up? CNN has become his private network. Doubt this? Try flying through the Miami Airport—as I often do—without having to sit through CNN’s loop-feed highlighting the Clinton Global Initiative’s triumphs in Haiti. Amazingly, he is the only person with a big enough ego to claim victories in Haiti. Of course, he did bring Donna Karan to Haiti—what a win-win that has been.

Mr. Clinton may be able to plead insanity for his literally out-of-leftfield defense of Romney’s Bain Capital years. He is quite possibly suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. He has spent most of most of his post presidency flying around the world with billionaires in their private jets, plying their commercial causes. Given the importance of these global capitalists’ philanthropic support to Mr. Clinton’s campaign to stay relevant, he may not be responsible for what he says about business. Spend enough time with Carlos Slim Helu, who is the richest man in the world thanks to his choker hold on the Mexican telecom market, and everybody’s business practices start to look good.

For those who are patient enough to sift carefully through Mr. Clinton’s babbling defense of Romney’s Bain deals, there is a rewarding moment of candor by Mr. Clinton. Couched in his unexpected giddy praise of Romney’s business acumen, Mr. Clinton reveals his theory of good business. The former president turned deal maker states that good business is friends helping friends. Cronyism has never been so eloquently defended or blatantly espoused—then again, Mr. Clinton has become an expert practitioner of the art of business.   

I would like to make it clear that this is not a backhanded endorsement of a candidate.  I am a registered Democrat; however, for many obvious reasons I am seldom able to vote that way. Specifically, I disagree with President Obama on matters having to do with the inviolability of human life at every stage and the need for all citizens, regardless of income level, to pay income tax. However, I find Mr. Clinton’s throwing President Obama under the bus unconscionable and his half-hearted apologies sophomoric. No sitting president deserves a friend like Bill.   

Mr. Clinton’s latest brazen attempt to keep center stage revives a nagging question. Is anything beneath him? The answer appears to be no. He will go down in history not only for redefining the word is, but also for redefining loyalty as a party of one. Mr. Obama joins a long list of disappointed individuals, nations and, most recently, US World Cup soccer fans, all of whom have come to know just who Mr. Clinton stands for—himself.