He actually believes the bald-faced tales he spins

Nothing focuses the feline mind like an object of the correct size and shape for batting about. Above, Tiny, atop the gift-wrapping table, goes for the jugular of a ballpoint pen.

"He has the more creative mind, but he cannot outshine her," writes Ann Althouse, pondering the proper role of the former President in his wife's campaign: "He can help his wife, but he can also hurt her." We ourselves have never been able to stomach the man from Hope since the moment he came prevaricating -- unbidden -- into our lives just under 13 years ago in that toe-curling 60 Minutes interview where he said with a straight face "I have absolutely leveled with the American people." As we wrote in Ann's comments:

He has the more "creative" mind? I guess it depends upon what your definition of creative is.

Some pundit -- can't remember which, but one of the usual suspects -- said the difference between Bubba and the Mrs. is that he actually believes the bald-faced tales he spins.

This wind-up ladybug -- a stocking stuffer for Tuck --- caught the pussycat's eye even before we wound it up and set it shuffling across the table. Above, studiedly ignoring her new favorite toy: What ladybug?

"WJC hates being out of power and out of the limelight," notes astute Althouse reader AJ Lynch, adding:

I suspect he is deeply depressed since he left office. His personal hell is to be irrelevant after being POTUS for 8 years.

Combine the depression/irrelevance with an absence of core values -- that mix makes him careless with the truth, which is dangerous for Hillary's campaign.

The absence of core values can be a problem at any time.

Attracted by the grinding sound of the wind-up's gears and the batting about of his sister's paw, the Babe dropped by to see what was up and liked what he saw.

"You know, things like this -- 'Elder Bush nixes Clinton trip idea' -- make me think Bill secretly wants Hillary to lose," comments Ann, referring to Bush Pere's putdown of Slick Willie's narcissistic magical mystery tour presented to and lapped up by the MSM:

Former President Bill Clinton said Monday that the first thing his wife Hillary will do when she reaches the White House is dispatch him and his predecessor, President George H.W. Bush, on an around-the-world mission to repair the damage done to America's reputation by the current president -- Bush's son, George W. Bush.

We gagged when we first heard about it on "the" news. GHWB HAS partnered with WJC in several more-or-less partisan-free goodwill jaunts -- another toe-curling experience for us -- but this was family. As Gateway Pundit so memorably put it, "Bush Senior chooses blood over buddy Bubba":

In a statement sent to CNN Tuesday afternoon, former President Bush’s chief of staff Jean Becker said that he “wholeheartedly supports the President of the United States, including his foreign policy. He has never discussed an "around-the-world-mission" with either former President Bill Clinton or Sen. Clinton, nor does he think such a mission is warranted since he is proud of the role America continues to play around the world as the beacon of hope for freedom and democracy.

When Tiny took a break, the Babe moved in for the kill.

Not that Bubba was really off message when he fantasized repairing "the damage done to America's reputation by the current president." As we blogged in "Chatty Hillary" last winter, quoting from Hillary's "Presidential Exploratory Committee" launch video": 

"As a senator, I will spend two years doing everything in my power to limit the damage George W. Bush can do. But only a new president will be able to undo Bush's mistakes and restore our hope and optimism," says Miss Hillary, inviting her fellow Americans to "join me not just for the campaign but for a conversation about the future of our country -- about the bold but practical changes we need to overcome six years of Bush administration failures.

Official Hillary ice scraper is perfect for scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Meanwhile, the "politics of personal destruction" that so "shocked, shocked" First Lady Hillary during the Vast-Right-Wing-Conspiracy years achieves new heights depths:

ABC News has learned that the campaign of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., has registered the names of two Web sites with the express goal of attacking her chief rival, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

It's the first time this election cycle a presidential campaign has launched a Web site with the express purpose of criticizing a rival.

Votingpresent.com and Votingpresent.org [both of which render the message "Bad Request (Invalid Hostname)" at the moment] are domains hosted by the same IP address as official Clinton Web sites, such TheHillaryIKnow.com, which was launched with much fanfare this week.

Then there's the Hillary WE know.

Update: Animals with and without backbones now boarding the Friday Ark #170 at Modulator.

Update II:  Dr. Sanity links with her New Year's Carnival of the Insanities.

Comments

[goomp]

Personally, considering the state of the nation after eight years of misdirection by the Clintons, I think President Bush has done a remarkably good job of setting the USA on the proper path to once again be "the land of the free and the home of the brave."

[Teresa]

"Combine the depression/irrelevance with an absence of core values -- that mix makes him careless with the truth, which is dangerous for Hillary's campaign."

Then how in the world does he describe Mr. Clinton's rather loose hold on the "truth" while running for and in office for 8 years?

Good heavens, people who are "fans of Clinton" have very short term memories don't they. It's as if the movie "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" was written about them. Heh.

[Gayle Miller]

Those two are the potential ruination of all that is good about our beloved Republic. And those "politics of personal destruction" that she claims Republicans have indulged in? Does the name James Carville mean ANYTHING to ANYONE? He is the man who took the tone of political discourse to new lows - ON BEHALF OF Bill and Hill!

I pray for 3 things in 2008: The health and survival of both our beloved President and our nation, the utter and humiliating defeat of Hillary Rodham Clinton - a defeat so profound that she is unable to rally from it EVER, and finally, a 20 year case of larygitis for Bill Clinton(and Jimmy Carter)! I am so SICK of that man's neediness and lack of acquaintance with reality. Bill - here's your legacy: corruption, moral degeneracy and utter and complete spinlessness while in office. You did it - now live with it!

[HNAV]

I missed the mighty SISU.

Sorry to be away...

I love Ms. Miller's comments.

Great post Ms. Willis.

What amazes, people continue to give the Clintons money.

The Clintons are such a product of the partisans in the Media, who desperately wanted to win after the success of Reagan.

Imagine, the dishonest Mr. Clinton, was actually exploiting the very same Family, who kindly offered a cordial association out of professionalism.

But in this case, Bill was not only exploiting a decent Family, but was pitting a loving Father against a successful Son, in the public arena for political gain.

Even worse, Bill Clinton remains deluded enough to believe he has a superior relationship with the Father of someone else's Family, than the legitimate Son.

Only, Mr. William Jefferson couldn't involve President George Bush Sr. in his latest charade.

[Carol]

I'm always disheartened when I hear Democrats pontificating about how wonderful a Hillary presidency would be. What short memories they have.