Thank God for Former Presidents

OK, I was never a Clinton fan, God knows. Oh alright, maybe once: when I got to count the Hope tax credit towards my taxes. BUT President Clinton has just provided an excellent rational scope of the state of the Nation in the last few days, in light of the heightened terror alerts here in NYC, in Jersey, and DC.

On Dave Letterman tonight, former President Clinton said the following (I paraphase):

Responding to the question of whether or not he believes the raising of the terror alert is political: "I do not believe it's political."

On intelligence in general: "Intelligence is not a science: it's often times an art."

And on the election, when Dave mentioned his 82-year-old uncle responded to the Bush campaign entreaties more out of exhaustion than anything else, President Clinton admitted that this election will turn on the clarity of distinctions between the current President and the other candidate's views. President Clinton unfortunately lies quite well and is somber when feigning respect and admiration for Kerry's supposed clarity on his positions regarding security and terrorism. (Refer to the Dowd column from the NY Times that is linked in the Day 3 of my Convention response.)

Dave brought up the excellent point that many people will turn to our President (in the voting booth) for fear of the uncertainty that change brings. This election will turn on national security. That fact is evident already. So far b/c of that fact the outcome is certain, if not nailbitingly close.

I am glad that someone--President Clinton-- in an unexpected and highly-watched forum, finally took the media's cloak out of the spin cycle. Just because intel that is now being found was gathered pre-9/11--yes, some of it three and more years ago--does NOT mean that it's not a threat. You know, it sickens me--quite literally--when the local news and Jay Leno and CNN and any other media outlet leads todays stories with how defensive Sec. Ridge and DHS and the Administration are today in light of these facts.

They're defensive b/c of the stupidity of the media that is being rehashed ad nauseum today. This invocation of false security serves no one, and will only hurt us when finally we are pricked and hundreds or thousands more bleed again, even to the point of death. This issue of vigilance is not a laughing matter. It is not a light matter to be brushed off with stupid obsession on the wrong details. The threats are real. They are not limited to the Citibank Buildings, to the NYSE, to the IMF or the World Bank or to the Prudential Building: these are six of many threats.

When are we going to wake up and take the threat seriously, even here in NY or DC? At least President Clinton, even amidst his mild complicity--at least by omission in things he could have done or reneged upon (Iraqi coup plot in 1998, re: Robert Baer's "See No Evil")--is able to speak resonably about the threats, even if he is not being honest about the future, i.e., Kerry's willingness (or lack thereof) to honestly face those threats.

Thank God for Former Presidents--and for the sitting President.