[Dean's World] Dean: Clinton Lied, People Died?

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Posted by Dean:
Clinton Lied, People Died?
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1187907290.shtml


   Count me as finding [1]this very depressing. I have nothing but the
   most respect for Captain Ed of course, but, just reading the article
   itself is depressing, let alone the vitriolic comments that followed.

   You know, is there any possibility here that when President Clinton
   remembers authorizing "use of lethal force" in apprehending bin Laden,
   and that at the time--or at least in his memory--that counted as
   authorizing killing him if necessary? Is there any slight possibility
   that President Clinton at least misremembered, or didn't fully
   understand at the time what the words and limitations meant?

   No. It has to be "lied" and "liar." Because the former President
   cannot be allowed the benefit of the doubt as a flawed human being
   like the rest of us.

   I suppose this is a pointless argument for me to make. Democratic
   partisans and Bush-haters in general forever and ever gave up any
   pretense toward civility and decency and leaving aside past mistakes,
   toward only saying "let's learn from our past mistakes and learn from
   the future," when the phrase "George Bush lied us into war" became
   acceptable political discourse. So hey, why not? Clinton lied.
   Everyone's a liar. No one's ever wrong, no one ever misremembers, no
   one ever even allows their ego to cloud their judgment of their own
   past actions. No, it must be "lies" and "liars."

   I guess that's why hate will always be an indelible part of politics
   in a democratic republic. Perhaps it must always be thus.

   In the meantime, for the record: I choose to think it most likely that
   President Clinton remembers authorizing use of lethal force, and those
   receiving those orders remembering getting advice from lawyers saying,
   "wait, that doesn't mean you can just kill the guy, even if we did
   just lob some missiles in his direction."

References

   1. http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/archives/011919.php