by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist
Former President Bill Clinton, much like his New York cousin, Donald Trump, damned well likes to be the center of attention when he is in a room, and he does not take kindly to being interrupted. Both learned early on that the way to take control of a confrontation is to become the loudest voice in the room. Trump, of course, carries his narcissism a bit further by having protesters at his rallies pushed around and thrown out.
Bill got a bit testy with a group from "Black Lives Matter" in Philadelphia last Thursday when the group pointed out, accurately, that a signature policy of his administration, the "1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act," had resulted in thousands more young black people being put behind bars - and was a contributing factor in the current tensions between police officers and black communities. As the group members voiced their displeasure with the effects of the law and Bill Clinton's role in its enactment, the former President grabbed his microphone and began shouting them down.
Bill Clinton said the next day that he regretted his action, and then added rather patronizingly, "I know those young people were just trying to get good television." And he wasn't?
All of this speaks to the awkwardness of having a former President of the United States functioning in the role of a First Spouse, especially a former President as outspoken and hard-to-control as Bill Clinton. If Hillary Clinton does get to move back into the White House, her first challenge may well be what to do with Bill. Big Dog will be hard to muzzle and control, and it will likely be just a matter of time before he tries to bite, or lick, someone.
Citizen Journalist
Former President Bill Clinton, much like his New York cousin, Donald Trump, damned well likes to be the center of attention when he is in a room, and he does not take kindly to being interrupted. Both learned early on that the way to take control of a confrontation is to become the loudest voice in the room. Trump, of course, carries his narcissism a bit further by having protesters at his rallies pushed around and thrown out.
Bill got a bit testy with a group from "Black Lives Matter" in Philadelphia last Thursday when the group pointed out, accurately, that a signature policy of his administration, the "1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act," had resulted in thousands more young black people being put behind bars - and was a contributing factor in the current tensions between police officers and black communities. As the group members voiced their displeasure with the effects of the law and Bill Clinton's role in its enactment, the former President grabbed his microphone and began shouting them down.
Bill Clinton said the next day that he regretted his action, and then added rather patronizingly, "I know those young people were just trying to get good television." And he wasn't?
All of this speaks to the awkwardness of having a former President of the United States functioning in the role of a First Spouse, especially a former President as outspoken and hard-to-control as Bill Clinton. If Hillary Clinton does get to move back into the White House, her first challenge may well be what to do with Bill. Big Dog will be hard to muzzle and control, and it will likely be just a matter of time before he tries to bite, or lick, someone.
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This Act passed the House on a final vote of 235 to 195. The bipartisan victory came in a margin of 188 Democrats, 46 Republicans, and 1 Independent voting for the passage. 64 Democrats and 131 Republicans voted against the measure. The 5 not voting Representatives comprised 4 Democrats and 1 Republican.
Missouri’s Ike Skelton voted against this legislation while Kansas’ Dan Glickman joined Vermont’s Independent Representative Bernie Sanders in voting with the majority.
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