Nominations For "Worst Administration Ever"
By Doug Edelman (01/22/06)
Amidst the recent flood of rhetorical sewage spewing forth from the usual Leftist suspects on and around the Martin Luther King holiday, was a statement from Senator Hillary Rodham-Clinton that the Bush Administration was "the worst Administration that ever governed our country".
It seems like the Clintons are either lousy students of history – or just have very short memories. During the 1992 campaign, they claimed that we were in the worst economy in 50 years. Really? I believe the Carter years of double digit inflation, double digit interest rates, and double digit unemployment WERE between 1942 and 1992. I doubt many folk living thru the George H W Bush administration had a nostalgic longing to return to the "good ole' days" of life under Carter!
So now we're being governed by the "worst Administration EVER''? How they love to toss those superlatives!
Allow me to refresh your historical memories, and submit a few of my own candidates who could at least make for an interesting race for the title of "worst ever"
Working backward chronologically, Senator Clinton's own husband would at least rate mentioning as a candidate. The integrity of the office suffered greatly under Mr. Clinton. If the Monica Incident is completely discounted, Clinton is still remembered for continuous scandals from troopergate to hair-gate, to foster-gate, to Waco, to Elion Gonzales, to China-gate to pardon-gate.
Jimmy Carter: A complete failure. Remember the misery index? Iran Hostage Crisis?
Ford: Did anyone think wearing a WIN (Whip Inflation Now) button was going to fix the economy? Here's a guy who was appointed president without EVER being elected, and couldn't win a complete term!
Nixon: Watergate? Gas lines?
Johnson: Vietnam? He wouldn't even TRY to get re-elected.
And that's just within the last 40 years. Hillary said Bush was the worst EVER!! Let's look a bit further back:
How about Herbert Hoover? He presided over a little setback known as the GREAT DEPRESSION!
Andrew Johnson (successor to Lincoln) was the only other president besides Clinton who was impeached. His administration was replete with corruption, and he faced impeachment charges of abuse of power and obstruction of justice (just like Clinton).
Yes, factual history is just a minor annoying detail when it might impede the rhetorical advantage that might me gained by disparaging the current administration. Bush must be seen to preside over the worst economy, the worst domestic policy, the worst foreign policy and the worst overall administration in HISTORY – if the Leftists are to regain power.
Copyright © 2005 by Doug Edelman
(Printer friendly version) Email: Doug Edelman
