America's Lady Macbeth

I found a delightful British article about Hills [Clinton] from just after the State of the Union; you can read it here.

Here's a sample:

This little incident, the skilfully choreographed exploitation of a human tragedy, the cynically manipulated deployment of public sympathy in service of a personal political end, offered a timely insight into the character of the politician who this week launched the most anticipated presidential election campaign in modern history.

And a bit more sobering:

There are many reasons people think Mrs Clinton will not be elected president. She lacks warmth; she is too polarising a figure; the American people don’t want to relive the psychodrama of the eight years of the Clinton presidency.

But they all miss this essential counterpoint. As you consider her career this past 15 years or so in the public spotlight, it is impossible not to be struck, and even impressed, by the sheer ruthless, unapologetic, unshameable way in which she has pursued this ambition, and confirmed that there is literally nothing she will not do, say, think or feel to achieve it. Here, finally, is someone who has taken the black arts of the politician’s trade, the dissembling, the trimming, the pandering, all the way to their logical conclusion.

As much as I love to pick on Hills, she scares me. Sure, she voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment, and in a move that seems utterly calculated to ride on Bush's (then) high approval ratings, appeared hawkish in the War on Terror. However, let us not forget her misguided (and shall I be so bold as to say, dangerous) socialized health care program, her voting against a $40 billion reduction in overall spending (despite her criticism of the current deficit), her voting in favor of raising the minimum wage (which only creates unemployment), her advocacy for the death tax. She seems intent on rebuilding the Soviet Union in this hemisphere.

I hope not see the name Clinton follow the name Bush in the list of presidents ever again; further, I hope that after the 2006 elections, the Republicans got kick in the pants they needed and the message that they ought to shape up. However, if this should come to pass, it would behoove us to remember that if we had never elected Carter, we never would have gotten Reagan.