Clintons in lovefest with Bush
___If there's anything more unappealing than watching politicians mud wrestle, it's watching them pretend they like each other.
___ Oozing insincerity, Presi-dent Bush praised his predecessor on Monday during an unveiling of the Clintons' official (and utterly mediocre) White House portraits.
___ Bush couldn't have believed a word he was saying, but, this being an election year, his advisers decided a little bipartisanship might woo some Democratic and independent voters, even if that meant alienating the Republican base.
___ "He filled this house with energy and joy," Bush said during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House.
___ Energy and joy? While campaigning in 2000, didn't Bush promise to restore dignity to the Oval Office? Didn't W. fumigate the Oval Office before settling in?
___ You'd hardly guess he was talking about the same person: High praise, indeed: Bush didn't sound this effusive when he delivered his eulogy for Ronald Reagan last week.
___ The speechwriters could have inserted Ronald Reagan's name, and the speech would have worked at the late president's memorial.
___ "Bill Clinton could always see a better day ahead, and Americans knew he was working hard to bring that day closer," gushed the current White House occupant.
___ Just warming to his subject, Bush continued, "Over eight years, it was clear that Bill Clinton loved the job of the presidency."
___ Bush might as well introduce his predecessor to the Democratic political convention in August before Clinton addresses the delegates.
___ There was more of the same: "As a candidate for any office, whether it be state attorney general or the president, Bill Clinton showed incredible energy and great personal appeal."
___ Besides his "hard work and drive and determination and optimism," Clinton "advance(d) the causes that drew him to public service."
___ "As chief executive, he showed a deep and far-ranging knowledge of public policy," Bush went on, making his listeners wonder if he'd switched parties.
___ The Clintons obviously enjoyed the ceremony. Bill was also willing to let bygones be bygones, but Hillary still does not forgive their critics.
___ Mangling syntax and grammar, the senator lashed out at their enemies once again, but it's not clear why. "One thing that has never been said about either my husband or I (sic) ‹ nearly everything else has been ‹ but one thing that hasn't is that we're patient people."
___ "Those of you who know us know that's not at all descriptive," she added.
___ Now we know: The Clintons are not patient people. That was Hillary's way of complimenting the artist, Simmie Knox, for making two impatient subjects sit for their portraits.
___ Making people sit for their portraits is a talent worth noting, but somebody should tell the truth about the two portraits ‹ they're terrible and not worth hanging up in the White House.