Conason says the Media’s Clinton Obsession Is Giving Bush a
Free Pass. “That era of bipartisan good feeling promised by George W.
Bush didn’t last long, did it? Three weeks after their leader
took up residence in the White House, Mr. Bush’s friends,
appointees and media claque are in hot,
barking pursuit of the prior occupants.

With the President’s mild demurral,
Republican politicians and Washington
talking heads have displayed little interest in any topic besides
their obsession with bringing down the Clintons. Phony charges
about illicit gifts and office vandalism proliferated, along with
valid complaints about inappropriate pardons and excessive
rental costs. In the reporting of these latest “scandals,” few
distinctions were made between facts and fantasies, or between
the serious and the trivial.” The New York Observer

On the other hand, Jacob Weisberg thinks Bill Clinton, Chump, is getting what he deserves for not learning from his mistakes. “What does come a bit closer to making sense of the Rich
pardon is one of Bill Clinton’s less legendary character flaws:
gullibility. Clinton is, to be sure, a brilliant man and a shrewd
politician with a keen sense of where the interests of others lie.
But throughout his career, he has often shown himself to be a
poor judge of character. A naturally trusting fellow with a
deep craving for approval, Bill Clinton is, to be blunt, a bit of
a sucker. More precisely, he’s an easy mark for a certain type
of hustler. Once convinced that someone is his friend, Clinton
drops his guard and ignores crucial signals of intended
exploitation. After it becomes clear that such a friend has
taken advantage of his trust, Clinton feels bitterly betrayed.
But he’s hardly savvier the next time someone with dubious
motives shows up at his doorstep. ” Slate