Replies to post #19227 on Zeev's Turnips Talk Politics (ZTTP)

[goodluck]

mls,
"I am pretty sure that one of the major media (Time, Newsweek, or one of the big 3 networks) investigated the vandalism story and concluded it was true."
No, it wasn't true. Or, perhaps better, it was grossly exaggerated, according to a GAO report published the following May or so. The report drove Bob Barr wild, who tried to convene House hearings on it. The GAO couldn't find invoices showing repairs on the damage that the Bush people alleged. The Bush people claimed that they had to get it fixed quickly and didn't keep documentation. Nor could they point to who fixed the damage. Some stuff was damaged, yes, but the Clinton people said that they had been there for 8 years, what do you expect? I think the GAO report said that they could identify about $7-8 thousand dollars of repair work done in the weeks after the transition, but couldn't even say if all of that was due to vandalism or just normal wear and tear stuff. Clinton people acknowledged some pranks, but claimed that it was similar to what they found when they moved in back in '93.

"as for the Kuwaiti nurse story, that is a new one on me."
It happened in 1990. Here is the story, retold in the British Parliament several years later (search for "Kuwait" in this link to get it): http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm199596/cmhansrd/vo951220/debtext/51220-06.htm

"I do have one question - no president in history told more lies than willie, and that is undisputed. Did you get as upset with him or is it just that you hate Bush?"
First, I dispute that "no president in history told more lies than" Clinton. There have been some whopper liars out there--just to name two of them, LBJ and Richard Nixon (we'll leave RR out of this for the time being), one dem and one republican. Yes, I was pissed at Clinton's lies and his stupidity--it was so unnecessary, so idiotic that it was infuriating. But his lies were also so petty and inconsequential relative to the lies that I believe Bush & co are purveying (not to mention to above two guys) that it is laughable. I'm not particularly an admirer of Clinton, though I suspect not for the reasons you aren't. I think he was incredibly self-indulgent and careless in how he managed his business, especially his personal business but even the WH. However, I recognize that he was harassed and persecuted for stupid things like no other president, but a portion of that was his own fault, no denying it.