NYPost

THE TRUE CLINTON LEGACY

October 2, 2001 -- Yesterday, Bill Clinton became the first ex-president to be barred from arguing cases before the Supreme Court.

This was consistent with the five-year suspension of his Arkansas law license that was part of his January plea bargain with Special Prosecutor Robert Ray. And Clinton was never expected to practice law anyway.

But one more stain on a sad legacy.

Never mind Monica.

Never mind the impeachment.

America is living - day to day, and for many years to come - with the former president's fecklessness regarding international terrorism, too.

Clinton promised to track down the architects of bombings at the World Trade Center (1993), Khobar Towers (1996), American embassies in Africa (1998) and USS Cole (2000) - and he didn't.

This sent a signal that U.S. interests at home and abroad were open to attack.

The Clinton administration also determined that the CIA should not use sources that had "dirty hands" - i.e., individuals with possible criminal or human-rights violations in their past. Soon it had no significant sources at all.

Quoting a former Clinton staffer, Joe Klein wrote in last week's New Yorker: "Clinton spent less concentrated attention on national defense than any other president in recent memory."

In other words, the man's lack of self-control caused him to ignore his primary responsibility - keeping America and its citizens safe.

And the price for that irresponsibility is being paid now.

That's some dismal legacy.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2001