There is nothing new under the sun, nor is there in politics it seems. Back in 1994, Republicans took control of Congress after a 40-plus year absence, promoting welfare reform, balancing the federal budget and providing a check and balance to the Democratic president in office.
All of this happened after former President Bill Clinton and his wife pushed what became dubbed "Hillary-Care," a massive overhaul of the nation's healthcare system that ultimately led to a Republican take-over of Congress.
Many conservatives have compared the current political atmosphere to that preceding the 1994 mid-term elections, saying that the nation is ripe for Republicans to take over Congress once again. Barring many factors that would negate the wisdom of this comparison (such as a total lack of leadership within the Republican Party) there is no doubt that there are millions of very angry Americans who are fed up with government spending, bailouts and other practices by the administration.
When Clinton was under investigation and facing impeachment for lying to Congress under oath, his wife referred to their detractors as a "vast right-wing conspiracy." Most serious pundits laughed off her remarks, seeing them for what they were: sheer lunacy.
It seems as if lunacy was the bond that brought President Clinton and Secretary Clinton together. On this past weekend's "Meet the Press," when asked whether the vast right-wing conspiracy was still around, President Clinton responded, "Oh you bet…It's not as strong as it once was because America has changed demographically, but it's as virulent as it was."
Americans should be deeply offended by the former president's comments, because what he is referring to are the thousands of Tea Parties and protests that have been happening across this country for months; protests that are not the product of conspiratorial right-wing leaders but of common people who have had enough of their government spending away their and their children's futures.
There were undoubtedly detractors of Clinton's in Congress while he was in office and so too are there of President Barack Obama, but to label thousands of ordinary Americans as part of some right-wing conspiracy is just plain silly at its best, and just plain disrespectful at its worst.
Clinton lied under oath and broke numerous other laws, and when he is chastised and punished for this it's all part of some "right-wing conspiracy." Obama nationalizes automobile companies, spends more money than the mind is capable of conceptualizing and seeks to single-handedly overhaul one-sixth of our economy (healthcare) and suddenly those who oppose him and his liberal allies in Congress are racist (as in the words of former President Jimmy Carter).
Enough is enough. Americans shouldn't be demeaned this way.
Chadwick Ciocci, FCRH '10, is a philosophy major. He can be reached at cciocci@aol.com.
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