I miss Bill Clinton! – UPDATED

Yes, I do. I miss Bill Clinton.

You know how bad this stimulus forever socialist bill and Obama/Pelosi’s overall grandiose-ness is? This bad:

It’s making me miss Bill.

I miss Bill, and I miss George W. Bush. I even miss George H.W. Bush, who I came to appreciate too late.

By that what I mean is, I miss old-fashioned American presidents; flawed men who had no allusions that they were perfect. Men who (in Clinton’s case) needed to be loved too much and (in Bush’s case) didn’t need it enough, but who still, for all the personal and political mistakes, were simply trying to lead America, not to rule it, or “remake” it or “save” it from its stiff-necked, fussy, independent, generous, vulgar, valiant, dreaming, energetic, creative, preening, heroic, world-leading, free and glorious self.

Bring back the flawed human president who we were free to love or hate without reserve, fear or condemnation, because the target was strong enough to take it. The president who could sometimes be petty but sometimes be pretty damned gracious, too. The president who could make a mistake at a doorway and laugh about it, and whom the press did not have to protect from the passing mockery such a mistake would bring.

I miss having an American President who could describe himself – as Clinton once did – as “a punching clown; you punch me and I’m bounce right back up and into your face;” or a president who could, with ironic self awareness describe himself as “misunderestimated.” America needs a guy who can laugh at himself and take the nation’s chaffing with a shrug, instead of a godling of the press’ needy creation, one “too perfect to be mocked”.

No one is perfect, and certainly no one is too perfect to be mocked. The press’ construct of Obama is false and unreal and in the end does him no favors.

And this stimulus very dubious “stimulus” is false and unreal, too. And in the end it will do us no favors.

I miss them. Dubya and Bill and Poppy. Maybe we can catch them on the rubber chicken circuit. For as long as we can afford to eat chicken.

Related:
The Bootstrap Nation; Bill Clinton’s Best Legacy and His Captive Heart

From my Email: If Washington is going to spend almost a trillion dollars, why the hell don’t they just give it to us – we’ll know how to spend it!. Yes. Give me some money. I will spend it on a desperately needed new kitchen (my appliances are falling apart). If you’re going to spend this much, how about this? If the banks need money, give the PEOPLE the money, not the GOVERNMENT and let them pay their mortgages! It’s simplistic? Sure. And it’s still better than this stimulus wolf in sheeps clothing.

UPDATE:

“Bi-Partisan opposition”: As always, Althouse’s commenters have the unique combination of funny, smart, irreverent thread going on the not-really-a-stimulus bill. And a vulgar troll.

Jennifer Rubin: Neither Stimulative Nor Bi-Partisan:

The question remains why the new President, who had promised a truly bipartisan bill and warned about throwing money imprudently around, would have supported this approach. One theory is that he was run over by the Democratic steam train in the House and lacked the will or skill to pull Pelosi back. Another is that his high-minded rhetoric (seeking a more surgical approach to combating the recession and bipartisan support) was simply that — rhetoric.
…
The bill now moves on to the Senate. President Obama had hoped to win eighty votes as a sign of his bipartisan support. That seems highly unlikely absent a complete reworking of the bill. As one advisor to a Senate Republican put it: “Obama is going to have to realize that tough choices come with governing, and right now his choice is to dispense with the bipartisan veneer he wants on this bill or start flexing muscles on Democrat leaders.”

Hmmm…”making tough choices”…isn’t that precisely what Obama said he would have to do, as president, implying that President Bush, who had a lot of tough choices throughout his presidency, had not made any?

Just words?

Ed Morrissey: takes a look at the Obama Limbaugh Bi-Partisan Stimulus Plan. Writes Ed:

Remind me again — who are the hyperpartisans here?

Can you imagine how brilliant it would be if Obama would actually seriously consider the plan? He’d completely co-opt the right from the GOP, de-fang Limbaugh and prove himself to be as truly “post-partisan” as he claimed to be, before doing post-partisanship all wrong! Triangulation, baby! It worked for Clinton!

Nancy Pelosi: A hyper-partisan disaster who may know how to crack a whip, but has no idea how to lead. She hurt Obama more than helped him in this bill. I wonder how long she’ll remain Speaker if she’s going to undermine him?

Krum: It’s all a Ponzi scheme.

Patterico: “Straight down the middle” reportage

Bad Penny: Why does President Obama – who has the presidential seal and is up on the presidential podium – still need to use his logo? Is it a brand logo? And what’s with the “youth” logo with the crescent?

Obama’s “Open Records”: Transparency seems to be more challenging than Obama seemed to think it would be. Reporters can’t even get transcripts of White House briefings out of his staff, now. But they still have their love.

Big Hollywood: IAre we seeing a Quixotian mindset?

Wow…Mac and PC’s really are partisan!

Obama used a private chef in Chicago? The article is not so well written; it is not immediately clear that the chef cooked for the Obama’s but was not their own, exclusive chef. Still, a “private chef” who will cook healthy stuff for you, using locally grown food. Gawd, I’d love one of those….

Patrick O’ Hannigan: This extreme home makeover doesn’t quite jibe with the founding documents.