Op/Ed: Responding to a "Blame Clinton" YouTube Wingnut. (funny!)

[Mugsy]

From "Mugsy's Rap Sheet":

(sigh) Is there anything more tiresome than going round-n-round with a “disconnected from reality” Bush apologist?

If you aren’t already aware, I maintain a video archive on YouTube called “The Thinking Liberal” under the name “BI30” (”Mugsy” was taken). The mantra to all the videos I post: “No opinion, spin or conspiracy theories. Just hard facts straight from the horses mouth.” You can argue someone’s opinion, but you can’t argue hard fact when it stares you in the face (though many still try).

In any case, one of my most recent videos is from a newscast just eleven days before George Bush took office proving that his Administration chose to ignore the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole:

(video)

(...)

From “ArcticGarlicX:”

> The Cole bombing occured on Oct 12,2000, Al-Qaeda declared
> responsibility immediately. Al-Qaeda, was active
> throughout the 90’s, Clinton’s own ppl have faulted his
> lack of dealing with Al-Qaeda properly. I am one of those
> ppl who FIRMLY believe had Clinton done his job, 911 never
> would have happened. It matters little when the Media gets
> wind of W.H. Media is irrelevent to the true workings of
> the administration.

My response:

First, “reminding me” when the attack occurred is pretty obtuse since THE first image in my video is text noting that the bombing took place in October of 2000, so obviously I am well aware of when it took place.

It helps in these matters to have a good memory of what the political climate was like at the time. Every time President Clinton tried to use force to get bin Laden or contain Saddam Hussein, Republicans screamed “Wag the Dog!”, suggesting he was “inventing” conflicts to divert attention from the non-scandal of him cheating on his wife with some 22-year old tart in the Oval Office.

As for the Cole, the Presidential election was barely four weeks away, and the Republican Party had created a “what’s Bill going to try and pull to help Gore?” overtone to the looming election.

IF YOU CAN PRODUCE EVEN ONE CLIP OF A LEADING REPUBLICAN *DEMANDING* CLINTON ATTACK AL QAEDA IN RESPONSE TO THE COLE, then I will delete my video.

(...)

I love the defense that “if Clinton had done his job, 9/11 would not of happened. Poor George, if Bill had just taken care of OBL for him before he left office, he wouldn’t of had his glorious agenda sidetracked having to deal with terrorism.

Read the full Op/Ed on "Mugsy's Rap Sheet":

[William769]

1. After you reply to ArcticGarlicX, did that person ever reply back?

ON EDIT: Good job!

[Mugsy]

2. Still protesting.

He is still trying to make some unintelligible point to me even as I type this.

[zbdent]

3. Don't forget to mention

that George W. Bush ignored investigating the bombing once he took office ... was more concerned about "missing W keys" than trying to get the head honcho of the bombing ...

I mean, I even have a copy of an article in the Akron Beacon Journal which states, in Jan 2001, that Osama bin Laden was the one behind the Cole bombing ... if a newspaper in Akron had it figured out, why not the Bush intel people?

[Mugsy]

4. Article wanted

Any chance you can dig up a link to that article or post a scan of it online?

I try to archive as much "pre-9/11" Bush Administration information as possible to counter "revisionist history" Republicans.

[zbdent]

5. March 19, 2001

Here you go ... just happened to have my disks with me.