More to Life Than Politics

Dallasblog.com | William Murchison:

“One thing I'm thinking about is the eclipse in our time of the commanding figures who used to line up for the privilege of running America -- the Goldwaters, the Tafts, the Ikes, the Roosevelts, the Johnsons, the Nixons. Where did they all go? ... What an odd epoch it is in which we find Democrats disputing among themselves over the tendered services of a trial lawyer, a senator barely dry behind the ears; and the wife and partner of a president more famous for his scrapes than his achievements.”

Ed Cognoski responds:

Political attacks by the likes of conservative jackals like William Murchison go a long way in explaining why the best and the brightest no longer go into public service. President Clinton has significant accomplishments to be proud of -- welfare reform, family and medical leave, record job growth, deficit reduction and budget surpluses, etc. Did conservatives like William Murchison work with Clinton for the public good? No, they dug through his entire life's history looking for dirt, appointed a special prosecutor, forced the President of the United States to testify under oath about his private sex life, then impeached him when he wasn't entirely truthful about embarrassing sexual matters between consenting adults.

FDR wouldn't have survived a right wing attack from the press, Congress, and a special prosecutor, all digging into his relationship with Lucy Mercer. Ike's affair with Kay Summersby would have kept him out of politics. JFK and LBJ would never have appeared on the national stage. Mr Murchison, you wonder where the commanding figures went? They got out of public service to escape the likes of you.