# Bill Clinton Has a Hissy fit! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 25, 2006, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-has-a-hissy-fit/374067 "2006-09-25T14:24:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-has-a-hissy-fit/374067/201 "2006-09-27T18:14:27Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] I think it’s cruel to make fun of someone’s appearance. [/QUOTE] Unless they have a goofy looking face, apparently. ---
**Author:** ![GLWasteful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f05b48/32.png) [@GLWasteful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GLWasteful)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-has-a-hissy-fit/374067/202 "2006-09-27T18:19:08Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp] And in case of _real_ emergency, and I mean you **REALLY NEED TO PUT THE FEAR OF OG INTO SOME CONSERVATIVE INTERVIEWER** …you may even want to touch their papers with your hand. [/QUOTE] Sweet Jesus, man! Someone does that and the blogosphere starts soiling itself with fear, Faux Nooze bloviators commence to shouting in righteous indignation, **Shodan** starts in with shit that (allegedly) happened six years ago and **ralph124c** begins claiming that his beliefs equal The Truth©. In short, civilization as we know it ends. Are you sure you want to be held responsible for that sort of chaos? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-has-a-hissy-fit/374067/203 "2006-09-27T18:23:07Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] My belief is that Clinton went into the interview ONLY after he had seen (and agreed to answer) all of the questions. [/QUOTE] IIRC, that’s not too terribly uncommon for political figures to do. In some cases journalists agree to do it, in other cases they don’t. Personally, I don’t have much respect for journalists who would agree to such things. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-has-a-hissy-fit/374067/204 "2006-09-27T18:25:55Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] IIRC, that’s not too terribly uncommon for political figures to do. In some cases journalists agree to do it, in other cases they don’t. Personally, I don’t have much respect for journalists who would agree to such things. YMMV. [/QUOTE] That’s a tough one, though, since you might never get the chance to interview that politician otherwise. I don’t really have a problem with it, but the journalist should make it clear to the audience if that is the case. Full disclosure is always a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-has-a-hissy-fit/374067/205 "2006-09-27T18:26:32Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] It was Dec 2001-- Tora Bora. The military guy on the ground at the time called for a division of Special Ops guys, but that was denied. Who know if we would’ve actually caught ObL, but that was probably the best chance Bush had. [/QUOTE] I see. So the same people who criticize Bill for not doing enough conveniently forget that Bush failed miserably to be aggressive enough in pursuit of OBL **after** the worst terrorist attack on US soil in US history? This is after OBL had already declared war on the US as well. Putting it in perspective what can we possibly call Bush’s failure considering the timing and the severity of the attack on 9/11, in comparison to Clinton’s actions? If you want to play that game, then let’s make an homest comparison. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-has-a-hissy-fit/374067/206 "2006-09-27T18:34:57Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] IIRC, that’s not too terribly uncommon for political figures to do. In some cases journalists agree to do it, in other cases they don’t. Personally, I don’t have much respect for journalists who would agree to such things. YMMV. [/QUOTE] In the beginning of the video CW says the agreement was that if they spent at least half the time speaking of the CGI and the rest was open for any questions. That doesn’t exclude a complete review of the questions but from Clinton’s reaction I doubt it. If he saw them and then they slipped one or two in that’s dishonest on their part, but it worked out okay because Clinton kicked his weasley little ass. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-has-a-hissy-fit/374067/207 "2006-09-27T18:36:26Z")
[QUOTE=cosmosdan] I see. So the same people who criticize Bill for not doing enough conveniently forget that Bush failed miserably to be aggressive enough in pursuit of OBL **after** the worst terrorist attack on US soil in US history? This is after OBL had already declared war on the US as well. Putting it in perspective what can we possibly call Bush’s failure considering the timing and the severity of the attack on 9/11, in comparison to Clinton’s actions? If you want to play that game, then let’s make an homest comparison. [/QUOTE] BTW **John** , that last sentance is toward those who _do_ make the comparision, not you in particular. Thanks for the info. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-has-a-hissy-fit/374067/208 "2006-09-27T18:39:10Z")
[QUOTE=cosmosdan] …but it worked out okay because Clinton kicked his weasley little ass. [/QUOTE] That’s not how I saw it. I always consider it a sign of weakness when someone loses his temper. CW looked pretty composed during the whole thing, although I’ll admit I didn’t necessarily see “the whole thing”, only the clips shown on Harball yesterday. But it seemed like Chris Matthews showed enough it to get a sense of how CW held up. Chris Matthew’s “liberal” guest analyst defended Wallace, btw. I don’t know if anyone else saw that segment. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-has-a-hissy-fit/374067/209 "2006-09-27T18:40:44Z")
I don’t recall the specific details, but I seem to remember that it was agreed that half the interview time was to be devoted to Clinton’s initiative and the remainder could be anything the interviewer wanted to ask about. I’m sure that Clinton knew the likelihood was that the subject of bin Laden would be brought up and so he had all his (duplicitious) ducks in a row beforehand. And yes, smarting off about someone’s looks, shaking your finger in their face, and poking them in the knee while leaning forward and invading their personal space is a bullying tactic. And as an aside: Thanks, **Shodan**. As I said in the post that you referenced, I never really expected the cited information to have much effect on the verbal blow-job that Clinton is getting around here. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-has-a-hissy-fit/374067/210 "2006-09-27T18:41:59Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] …why on Earth should Clinton have denounced Chavez? [/QUOTE] To prove his patriotism, of course! ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-has-a-hissy-fit/374067/211 "2006-09-27T18:47:23Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] That’s not how I saw it. I always consider it a sign of weakness when someone loses his temper. CW looked pretty composed during the whole thing, although I’ll admit I didn’t necessarily see “the whole thing”, only the clips shown on Harball yesterday. But it seemed like Chris Matthews showed enough it to get a sense of how CW held up. Chris Matthew’s “liberal” guest analyst defended Wallace, btw. I don’t know if anyone else saw that segment. [/QUOTE] What? A “news” discussion show in the mainstream that presents a rightwardly biased version of events? One that slaps a “liberal” label on a creampuff commentator who is horribly out of his or her depth, all in the name of balance? What a surprise! If this keeps up, they might be able to develop some kind of humorous fake news show to mock this kind of thing, say maybe on a cable comedy channel. That’s a million dollar idea, baby, and it’s all mine. In actuality, maybe you should watch the actual video before making judgments. As it is, you’ve already apparently started a meme that Clinton made fun of Conventional Wisdom’s looks when he said he was smirking. A smirk, by the way, is a facial expression (transitory), not a physical feature (enduring). The things one has to explain these days. Sheesh! ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-has-a-hissy-fit/374067/212 "2006-09-27T18:53:17Z")
Just speaking as a father, Mike Wallace is the guy I feel sorry for today. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-has-a-hissy-fit/374067/213 "2006-09-27T18:54:45Z")
[QUOTE=Diceman] Condoleeza Rice [has responded](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15011269) to Clinton’s comments. She told the New York Post that, “What we did in the eight months was at least as aggressive as what the Clinton administration did in the preceding years.” She also denies that the Clinton Administration “left a comprehensive anti-terror strategy” for them, and she says that Richard Clark wasn’t fired, but rather quit because he didn’t become deputy director of homeland security. [/QUOTE] What a stupid, lying bitch. I am so sick and tired of this administration standing up in front of the American public and deliberately lying through their stinking teeth, I could scream. (bolding mine) [ > [@](#): > > From Page 201 of the Official 9/11 Commission Report: > > Within the first few days after Bush’s inauguration, Clarke approached Rice in an effort to get her – and the new President – to give terrorism very high priority and to act on the agenda that he had pushed during the last few months of the previous administration. After Rice requested that all senior staff identify desireable major policy reviews or initiatives, Clarke **submitted an elaborate memorandum on January 25, 2001. He attached to it his 1998 Delenda Plan and the December 2000 strategy paper [“Strategy for Eliminating the Threat from the Jihadist Networks of al Qida: Status and Prospects”]**. “We _urgently_ need. . . a Principals level review on the al Qida network,” Clarke wrote.[sup]172[/sup] ]([http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf#search="9%2F11%20commission%20report"](http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf#search=%229%2F11%20commission%20report%22)) Liar got the memo and then did absolutely _nothing_ about it until September freaking 4th! The 9/11 Commission Report goes on to say. . . > [@](#): > > [Clarke] wanted the Principals Committee to decide whether al Qaeda was “a first order threat” or a more modest worry being overblown by “chicken little” alarmists. Alluding to **the transition briefing that he had prepared for Rice, Clarke wrote that al Qaeda “is not some narrow, little terrorist issue that needs to be included in broader regional policy.”** Two key decisions that had been deferred, he noted, concerned covert aid to keep the Northern Alliance alive when fighting began again in Afghanistan in the spring, and covert aid to the Uzbeks. Clarke also suggested that decisions should be made soon on messages to the Taliban and Pakistan over the al Qaeda sanctuary in Afghanistan, on possible new money for CIA operations, and on “when and how. . . to respond to the attack on the USS Cole.”[sup]173[/sup] > > The national security advisor **did not respond to Clarkes memorandum. No Principals Committee meeting on al Qaeda was held until September 4, 2001** (although the Principals Committee met freqently on other subjects, such as the Middle East peace process, Russia, and the Persian Gulf).[sup]174[/sup] So the bi-partisan 9/11 Commission acknowledges that this administration did absolute NOTHING about al Qaeda for nearly 8 months. Nothing. > [@Hentor the Barbarian](#): > > I for one would be very interested to hear why the Bush administration did nothing about the Cole. I don’t have time to sit and transcribe any more (I can’t seem to get my computer to “copy” from the source material), but the report goes on to say that, in spite of Clarke continuing to provide evidence linking al Qaeda to the _Cole_ and urging action, Rice, Powell, Rumsfeld and Bush all decided that ““tit-for-tat” responses were likely to be counterproductive.” Rummy and Wolfie decided that “too much time had passed,” and that the _Cole_ incident was “stale,” so they didn’t push for action (see page 202 of the report, linked via the first quote in this post). Condolieza Rice has some unmitigated gall to claim they did as much as the Clinton administration and deny they got the memo that the 9/11 Commission Report says they _did_. And apparently “tit-for-tat” is only acceptable when you’re avenging your father and promoting your own political future. The hell with following up on the atrocities committed as the previous administration _was leaving office_ – “history [will] judge all the different finger-pointing and all that business.” Lying liars is about the _nicest_ thing I can think of to call these snivelling rats. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-has-a-hissy-fit/374067/214 "2006-09-27T18:58:25Z")
[QUOTE=Hentor the Barbarian] A smirk, by the way, is a facial expression (transitory), not a physical feature (enduring). [/quote] CW has physical facial features that give him the appearance of having a smirk. I’m sure that nervousness and perhaps an attempt to smile could cause this apparent smirk to grow wider, but it’s only a facial feature, not an actual smirk. [QUOTE=Hentor the Barbarian] The things one has to explain these days. [/QUOTE] Indeed. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-has-a-hissy-fit/374067/215 "2006-09-27T18:59:37Z")
[QUOTE=Hentor the Barbarian] In actuality, maybe you should watch the actual video before making judgments. As it is, you’ve already apparently started a meme that Clinton made fun of Conventional Wisdom’s looks when he said he was smirking. A smirk, by the way, is a facial expression (transitory), not a physical feature (enduring). The things one has to explain these days. Sheesh! [/QUOTE] Well, I can’t prove that Clinton made fun of CW’s looks, but that’s the way it came off to me. You, of course, can’t prove that he was actually smirking, either. But there can be no denying that Clinton attacked CW personally in addition to answering the question. I can understand Clinton’s frustration with the question, but I don’t see that as a justification for a personal attack. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-has-a-hissy-fit/374067/216 "2006-09-27T19:01:52Z")
[QUOTE=Shayna] Lying liars is about the _nicest_ thing I can think of to call these snivelling rats. [/QUOTE] I don’t know if you saw “The Daily Show” take on this matter, but they did an awesome job of contrasting Rice’s statement that they received no strategy with her statements to the committee that, while they were not given a strategy, they were given a set of ideas and a list of actionable items! So, while they weren’t given a strategy, they were given a euphamism for a strategy. These people are indeed outrageous. LEAN FORWARD! ---
**Author:** ![GLWasteful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f05b48/32.png) [@GLWasteful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GLWasteful)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-has-a-hissy-fit/374067/217 "2006-09-27T19:05:36Z")
[QUOTE=Starving Artist] As I said in the post that you referenced, I never really expected the cited information to have much effect on the verbal blow-job that Clinton is getting around here. [/QUOTE] So, those who spoke directly to your Morris Op-Ed piece such as: > [@E-Sabbath](#): > > [http://www.infoplease.com/spot/osamabinladen.html](http://www.infoplease.com/spot/osamabinladen.html) > Osama claims responsibility for Somalia. Please pay attention to the news, SA, before you try to counter issues. And do try to remember history as it happened. The first World Trade was a failed bombing. And quite reasonably far from topic A. Remember, there was a world before 9/11. and: > [@Frylock](#): > > Do you really think it’s a good idea for the people in charge to get rid of people whose reports they don’t like? > > I mean, many of us libs accuse Bush et al of having done this. I’ve never seen it questioned whether this would be a valid criticism of Bush were it true. Rather, the debate, I thought, would be over whether it’s true of Bush or not. > > But with this criticism, the author seems to be saying it’s perfectly okay for a leader to do this, and in fact, the author is saying any good leader ought to do it. > > I can’t comprehend how someone could think it’s okay, much less obligatory, to do this. and: > [@Robot Arm](#): > > Wallace brought up the Blackhawk Down incident, and Clinton’s response to it, as an example of weakness which emboldened Bin Laden. The question is whether the people who are now criticizing Clinton were urging him to be more or less forceful at the time. Were doing what in your version of the world? Honestly, if you’re going to be a willfully ignorant person, disingenuousness is more than is required. However, what do you believe Clinton could have done to solve this problem that the Congress would have allowed him to do? ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-has-a-hissy-fit/374067/218 "2006-09-27T19:07:58Z")
He could have taken advantage of the numerous opportunities he had to kill or arrest bin Laden. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-has-a-hissy-fit/374067/219 "2006-09-27T19:08:30Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] That’s not how I saw it. I always consider it a sign of weakness when someone loses his temper. CW looked pretty composed during the whole thing, although I’ll admit I didn’t necessarily see “the whole thing”, only the clips shown on Harball yesterday. But it seemed like Chris Matthews showed enough it to get a sense of how CW held up. Chris Matthew’s “liberal” guest analyst defended Wallace, btw. I don’t know if anyone else saw that segment. [/QUOTE] I don’t. It’s called being a human being. What someone does when they become angry helps define their character. Losing control because you lost your temper tells us something. Making wild accusations and name calling, or maybe saying FU to someone as our VP did. Making bad judgements based on anger instead of rational thought would be a weakness. Clinton did not lose control. He expressed his anger at the constant dishonesty and for CW and Fox being a political tool, and while doing it he presented facts and presented his arguments coherently. What he didn’t do was let CW cut him off and move on after delivering his partisan message. That wasn’t a lack of control. I think that was his plan all along. He is way to smart to not realize what he might expect. He’s too smart to let them get away with it. Now we’ll see if the BS of “Clinton went ballistic” overshadows the factual content of what he said due to more of the same dishonest spin we’ve seen for years now. I think it’s a shame if we as a culture see genuine anger as intellectual or emotional weakness. It isn’t. The measure is our ability to remain rational when we feel and express that anger. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-has-a-hissy-fit/374067/220 "2006-09-27T19:23:01Z")
[QUOTE=Starving Artist] He could have taken advantage of the numerous opportunities he had to kill or arrest bin Laden. [/QUOTE] Excellent! No doubt the proof is at your fingertips! Bring! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-has-a-hissy-fit/374067.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-has-a-hissy-fit/374067.md?page=12)