The Sacred and the Profane

By Aussiegirl

I think we can forget the buzz about Yushchenko possibly joining President Bush to attend the funeral for Pope John Paul II. Why should President Bush choose to attend the funeral of a pious giant of faith and democracy in Eastern Europe with a champion of democracy in Eastern Europe and a religious man, when he can go with Bubba, his new playmate of choice. Or is it that Clinton is Pappy Bush's favorite buddy and traveling companion?

I am at a complete loss to explain the inexplicable -- the positively cozy, buddy-buddy, slap you on the back and tell you a funny story kind of friendship that has developed between these former presidents. It is not merely that President Bush, as a man of decency and respect for the office, has treated Clinton with due deference and necessary politeness -- he is in fact bending over backwards to create, burnish, gild and polish a lasting legacy for Clinton to replace the befouled and scandal ridden one that so rightly belongs to him.

Instead, we have the spectacle of a former President whose legacy includes the recently published study of teenagers who do not believe that oral sex is sex, who left a historic stain not only on Monica's blue dress, but on the Oval Office itself, and the Presidency as a whole, being presented to the public as an honorable and noble former president with a record to be proud of.

It is way beyond the bounds of mere Christian decency to transform this man's immoral character into something resembling honor. And to parade this philanderer and pervert at the funeral of a Godly man is an insult to Americans and all Catholics the world over who revered John Paul II.

But perhaps it is protocol in this case to include former presidents, but is every former leader of every country attending? If Clinton had one shred of decency in him, he would see the scandalous juxtaposition himself, and if he possessed even one speck of shame, he would decline the invitation.
But he can never resist the need to parade himself before the public. No doubt we will see the waterworks turned on as he watches the solemn ceremony, especially if he sees a camera anywhere within tearduct distance.

And it is not only in this case that the Bushes have gone out of their way to wipe the slate clean and to cover up for the Clinton's crimes. It began with their refusal to make an issue of the childish vandalism left by the outgoing Clintonites, and the theft of White House property by the Clintons themselves, which could be seen as rising above the fray.

We saw it the other day when a Bush Justice Department administered the merest gentle pat on the wrist to Sandy Berger, who knowingly, and with malice aforethought, did steal, purloin, conceal, hide, and otherwise smuggle top secret documents in his pants and socks, and consciously did shred, spindle, destroy and or mutilate several of them.

Recently a report on the Clinton last-minute pardons of Mark Rich and other felons was released persuant to a Freedom of Information request. All the information had been completely blacked out.

And it goes on and on, pushing Clinton forward at every opportunity, keeping him in the public eye at every turn, at the Superbowl, in tsunami aid. Everywhere you look, there's Clinton, propped up like some half-consumed cadaver by the Bush administration.

Can't he be left in peace to linger in the shadows that he has so richly deserves? I thought he was hugging and appreciating trees since his near death experience during heart surgery. I wish he'd hug a few more and stay decently out of sight.