by David Epstein
It's now clear that the one shameful soundbite that will haunt Bush is his statement "This government does not torture people." The clear comparison is with Bill Clinton's disclaimer of the Lewinsky scandal, finger-wagging and all.
The question is, which is worse? And this is a question really aimed at the media. Because the answer is obvious, but at the time Clinton's sexcapades got more condemnation and oppobrium heaped upon them than Bush ever got. Some, like Maureen Dowd, never got over this, and carried their biases over to their coverage of Hillary.
But Clinton left office with the nation at peace and with a budget surplus, while Bush has left us devastation, economically, militarily, and in terms of our international reputation and ability to lead. What can't the press tell the difference? It's a source of eternal mystery and frustration.
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