Everyone’s favourite former candidate for President, H. Ross Perot[sup]1[/sup], endorsed George W. Bush for President on Thursday. Not a big surprise, but there was this quote in the AP’s coverage of the endorsement:
So, apparently getting a blow job in the Oval Office[sup]2[/sup] is majorly worse than driving under the influence of alcohol. Am I reading this right? Is Perot really that nuts?
[sup]1[/sup]Useless Perot trivia: He owns the copy of the Magna Carta that’s on display in the National Archives. I’ve always thought that was sort of … interesting.
[sup]2[/sup]Yes, I realise summing up the “goings-on in the White House during the last eight years” as Clinton getting a blow job from Monica Lewinsky is greatly simplifing the situation. But, really, is there anything someone can do that’s more reckless and potentially disastrous than driving under the influence of alcohol?
If Clinton had carried on with an intern twenty four years before he went into office, it would be a “minor thing” too. But he did it while on the job, and THEN lied about it.
Everyone knew that W used to have a substantial drinking problem going in to this election. But he’s been clean and sober for years now. Driving drunk is a pretty irresponsible, and shitty thing to do. But it happened 24 years ago, not last week.
And yet there was never the possibility that anybody would die from it. With W’s action, there most certainly was.
Now before you jump on me, I’m only pointing out that Perot’s comparison was a poor one, not saying the drunk driving issue of so many years ago should be a major issue for this campaign.
Giving nuclear secrets to the Chinese government in exchange for campaign money.
Bombing pharmaceutical plants in foreign countries in order to distract public attention from your own indiscretions.
Sending American troops into a conflict like Somalia without any real orders or strategy.
Nope, nope, driving drunk is definitely more reckless and disastrous than either of those things.
However, Bush was pulled over for driving too SLOW, not too fast or recklessly. He admitted his guilt, paid his fine, turned over his license. I may not like a lot of things about him, but he took responsibility for his actions.
Bush drives drunk 24 years ago and is being pilloried by the Democrats. Ted Kennedy’s drunken negligence KILLED a girl in the distant past, and he’s now revered as an elder statesman. People can change.
I’m 29. I’m scared to ever run for office for fear that some mistake I made in the distant past that has nothing to do with my qualifications will be dragged up.
Anyone who’s read many of my posts knows I’m a Libertarian. What I find distressing about Gore and Bush is certainly not that they dabbled in drugs, but that having done so they currently support the insane war on drugs that has seen many in their generation imprisoned for years for the exact same things they did. That’s wrong. It’s like Harry says “Would you be better people now if you’d been imprisoned for your youthful indiscretions?”
Here’s the thing: I don’t like Bush. I’m not voting for Bush. I hope he doesn’t become the next president.
But I also hope that this incident doesn’t end up affecting anyones vote. Bush has admitted that he used to have a problem with alcohol. Hello? What did everybody think his problem was? That he couldn’t tell the difference between Schnapps and Tequila?
He has apparently cleaned himself up and dried out in the time between the incident and the presidential election. I don’t think anyone (even a shudder republican) should have to take a public flogging for something like this. Alcoholism is a serious problem, but it is one that can be controlled. Bush has done that, and if anything, he should be proud of overcoming that obstacle.
Well, then there’s little chance of you being taken seriously by the political process, so don’t be scared
But this does seem like the right place to ask this question: was DUI a felony in Maine in 1976? I’d really like to have this answer, because there is a repub. or two I’d like to ask opinions of having a convicted, sentenced felon in the White House.
No. In 1976 it was a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $150.
Now, I want to know if they had breathelizors? Or, did you just have to admit to a cop that you had a few beers and then you were in trouble? If he was driving, how drunk were the other 5 people in the car?
What I want to know is – do we really want a president who got pulled over for going too slow??
Gw should be forgiven for a 24 year old DUI. But, he should not be forgiven for his lying about having a DUI. Is that not what the whole Lewinsky thing was about? That Clinton lied? (which he did, but he apparently stopped just short of perjury)
He never lied about it. He repeatedly has said, even when he ran for governor, that he had done things in the past he didn’t want made public because he didn’t want to set a bad example for his daughters.
(Jeez, Danny – I thought you were a Christian… now you are saying Bush shouldn’t be forgiven? Or do you just talk the talk??)
JM: I said GW SHOULD be forgiven for his “sin” of DWI. But until he admits & repents about LYING about that sin…
Well, as a Christian- i forgive him- as a voter I do not.
Um…btw, wasn’t Bush Sr involved in the Iran Contra Affair?
They got Clinton for a fucking BLOW JOB! It just KILLS me. Yeah, he lied-but why were they investigating it in the first place?
