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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Easton Red Rovers Enthusiastically Greet Bill Clinton

Despite a forty-five minute wait, an enthusiastic and diverse crowd greeted former President Bill Clinton early last night at Easton Area High School.

I dropped by after work today, expecting to be denied admission or shot on sight. But the lengthy line moved quickly, and I was inside the gym in a matter of minutes. No one was searched. I needed no ticket. I didn't need to know the "right" people. The place was packed with young and old - people of all colors - as diverse a group as you'll ever see in the Lehigh Valley. And the atmosphere was very much like an IronPigs game or a crowd of kids waiting on Christmas morning.

Easton's marching band played every song in its arsenal. After that, there was upbeat pop music playing in the background while self-important geeks in suits paraded up and down the gym, encouraging different cheers. They were the hot dogs, I guess. Periodically, the cavalry battle charge would sound. The only thing missing was Ferrous.

Finally, the moment had arrived. An anxious mob was introduced to Easton Mayor Sal Panto (a few boos) ... and President Bill Clinton. The place exploded. Easton is without question Clinton country, and Bill really seemed pleasantly surprised by how much people still love him here in the rust belt.

Eight years of George Bush does things like that.

I looked around the room, and everyone was on their feet. Even the youthful McCain "protesters," who had come brandishing signs for the Arizona senator, were respectfully applauding.

Unfortunately, Sal Panto had to make some opening remarks. Until about 90 minutes before the event, he had no idea he was to introduce the former prez. But Panto began a speech that made me think Hizzoner would be pretty good in Washington himself. He told us that President Clinton had strengthened America's cities with 100,000 police officers, while Bush added none. He lauded Hillary Clinton as a person who "cares not only about homeland security, but hometown security." It was a terrific speech, but Clinton was standing right by Sal, and people came for Bill.

"We want Bill" is the shout that went out. Sal wrapped things up and quickly introduced Clinton.

The place erupted again, and Bill finally had to tell people to sit down. Like me, he really liked Sal's opening remarks, and told him so. And then he was off.

He started with a very slight reference to Barack's belittling remarks that small town America clings to guns and religion, saying only that "little flap ... has really tickled me." He also groused that his daughter, Chelsea, had told the press her mom would be a much better president than him. "Did you ever see a family where the women don't stick together?" But then he admitted his daughter was actually right.

He reminded Eastonians that their city was the third place in the United States to announce the Declaration of Independence. And his whole speech was based on two parts of that document - the concept that all are created equal and that we should constantly be striving to form a "more perfect union."

With respect to equality, he noted the differences in the room, noting their beauty while stressing that "our common humanity matters more." And the idea of forming a more perfect union, he explained, should be interpreted as meaning that we must always try to make America a better place.

From there he springboarded into a detailed and somewhat cerebral discussion of our energy crisis, health care, home mortgage crisis and tax cuts for the wealthy.

With respect to our energy crisis, for example, he noted we need to repeal energy subsidies and fight global warming, which would actually create thousands of jobs for renovations to buildings and schools while saving us in energy costs. He claims the technology already exists to produce cars that operate at 100 mpg, and we need to make those cars ... here.

He calls them "hybrids on steroids."

He asked people who know someone without health insurance to raise their hands. It was nearly unanimous, which Clinton noted is sad for one of the wealthiest nations in the world. Hillary's health plan gives people the option of buying into the same plan available for federal employees. He also noted that thirty per cent of the cost of health care is consumed by inexcusable paperwork.

He continued with the same detail for every subject he discussed. He relied on no pious platitudes. Despite his obvious brilliance, he never condescended to us, but delivered detail after detail with a soft southern drawl.

I really like Barack Obama's message of hope, although some of his shiny armor is tarnished in my mind's eye. I like Hillary Clinton's practical solutions even more. On April 22, I'll be voting for her.

36 comments:

Anonymous said...

They let you in??

Anonymous said...

your analysis is right on with mine except...I can't vote ro anyone who voted to authorize the war in iraq. She didn't display courage when our country needed it most.

Anonymous said...

After eight years of turning the other cheek to radical Islamists, I believe Bill Clinton made us vulnerable. He doesn't get all the blame for 9/11, but he certainly gets a great deal if the 9/11 Commission Report is to be believed.

His wife's war authorization vote was a reaction to his failure to see terrorism as more than a domestic policing problem. Everyone makes mistakes, but these were huge.

Bernie O'Hare said...

I can't vote ro anyone who voted to authorize the war in iraq.

I'll agree that was a huge mistake, but let me ask you a question - how did you feel at that time? Most of us were marching up and down and saluting each other at that time. I opoosed it, but was one of very few.

Anonymous said...

"obvious brilliance" ? puh-leeze.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Lower Mack,

He may not be a member of your political party, and he has a self-effacing style. But there is little question that Bill Clinton is one of the most intellectually gifted persons to ever inhabit the white house. He is a Rhodes scholar and has an amazingly high IQ (genius level).

Now intelligence does not correlate with being a good president. In fact, the argument can be made that the reverse is more likely. But Clinton is obviously bright.

Anonymous said...

Richard Nixon was smart, too, and he was a disaster. Same for Carter.

Anonymous said...

Go ahead all you fools, vote for her, where is she? She wants your support but she is too good for you. She can't come herself for your support. Isn't that a little disrespectful on her part. Is she better than you. Is Easton, Allentown PA beneath her. She can't come do her own job now, so what makes you think she is going to make it happen if you vote for her.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Do you convince people to support Obama by calling those who support Clinton fools? I'm just not seeing the logic there, especially since they are so close on the issues.

Bill Clinton has been here twice. To be honest, I'd rather see him than just about any other American leader right now. Chelsea has been all over the LV, too. Barack Obama was here once and you had to "know" someone to get a ticket to see him.

Clinton was not looking down his nose at us yesterday - he was instead one of us.

I am also increasingly disturbed by Barack Obama's well-oiled hope machine, which seems more like a propoganda tool than an attempt to engage voters.

Anonymous said...

Nobody said he was looking down his nose to us, his wife is, you know the one who is running for President. Let me ask you, she should be campaigning herself for her. Not only Bill & Chelsea. When the issues get more intense, like the economy, the gas and oil prices, healthcare, the war, I could go on and on. Where is she going to be? In bed with a migraine or something, give me a break. She won't do anything, she will collect her paycheck though. Think about it , I hope you save these blogs forever. If she gets voted in, I want to see this in a year or two. Oh yeah and she was also quoted in the paper for saying that with NAFTA how Bill made his mistakes about that when he was president. OH yeah, he made mistakes but she didn't?

Bernie O'Hare said...

Where is she going to be? In bed with a migraine or something, give me a break.

This is just a blatant sexist slam, as disgusting as the racist remarks directed at Obama. You've demonstrated your real reason for disliking Hillary - she happens to be female.

Anonymous said...

Sorry I am female too, I have nothing against black, white, male or female. But nice try. It is who I think is going to be the right one for the job and right now I am not sure but I know Hillary is making mistakes already.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Sorry I am female too, So what? Some of the bniggest sexists i know are female, and your remark about Hillary Clinton demonstrates that exactly.

Tom Foolery said...

I have always admired Bill Clinton. I am equally impressed with Hillary. However, her negatives are way too high for her to win the presidency. Although that is mostly the fault of the right wing's attacks on her over the years it is still the case. On issues they barley differ and it's obvious that Obama can reach more independents than her. He'd also, in my opinion, be the better person to head the ticket and help us capture some more Senate and House seats. I wish the Clintons all the best. However, for the party's sake, we need Obama. Hell, as much as I despise Limbaugh he is right in this matter. Obama is by far the strongest candidate for the party.

Tom Foolery said...

Barely differ..

gsmith said...

Hillary's ties to the corporations who are literally tearing America apart are disturbing. Her negative attacks on Obama and her praise of McCain are not only troubling, but show that she only cares about herself, because as you point out, they are identical on most issues, except how to fund and finance a campaign and healtcare. Obama's ability to draw new, young voters is the key to maintaining what little of our democracy is left after 8 years of the criminal enterprise known loosely as the "Bush administration."

Vote Barack, or it's more of the same, except Clinton will likely pick better judges than McCain.

Chris Miller said...

Bernie
Bill Clinton is a Rogue scholar. He is certainly no intellectual. The man could not keep his hands off a girl a few years older then his daughter. He didn't even have the decency to keep his whore undercover. We were treated to a press that constantly referred to oral sex as not being sex and we now have middle school kids telling us the same thing and referring to oral sex as a Lewinsky. He is a permier example of his narcissus generation. He is a whoremonger who was impeached, was found guilty of perjury, lost his law license, and paid a $100k fine. He is very likely a rapist of more than one woman---put some ice on that. Is this what you wanted to be when you grew up. Smart, this man is dumber then the stuff you find on the bottom of my shoes after I walk through a fully loaded cow pasture. He was a disgrace to the office and to the nation and the only reason he looked anywhere near smart was the fact that the Republicans took over the House and pushed him into a balanced budget and welfare refrom. And let's not forget the bombing of the Tower and the Cole incident. I asked the good Lord to let me live for two centuries so I can harass this bastard that long and no one forgets him.

Chris Miller said...

Tom foolery
You have fallen right into the Progressive trap. The conservatives have been attacking Hillary thus they become the Hitlers and Nazis. Meanwhile Hillary is putting a massive health care plan into place, working to wipe out the first and second amendments, spending gigantic amounts of money on education and using identity politics to keep us from remembering that we are all Americans. She works to stop people from smoking, eating fatty food and forcing us to wear helmets. None of this is found anywhere in that document known as the Constitution. And then let's take a look at who is attacking her now--the mean old Left Wing Conspiracy. Stop and look at what is going on.Slowly but surely our rights are going away not under the conservatives but under Progressive politicians from both parties.

gsmith said...

our rights have been taken away by Bush, not by any progressives.

his three trillion dollar war has undermined the underpinnings of our entire economic structure and caused global damage to the US.

there is no such thing as a progressive Republican, not if they support Bush/McCain"more of the same"

9/11 was used as an excuse to reconfigure the entire government by politicizing every agency in a way heretofore unseen, this wasn't "progressive" but purely destructive.

Blah Society said...

I just want to remind everyone that Bill Clinton is not running for president.

Anonymous said...

"I can't vote ro anyone who voted to authorize the war in iraq.

I'll agree that was a huge mistake, but let me ask you a question - how did you feel at that time? Most of us were marching up and down and saluting each other at that time. I opoosed it, but was one of very few."

i thought we were making a mistake of historic proportions (unrivalled only by not having you interred in commerce center boulevard when they were pouring the cement). i also hoped i was wrong, but history has proven otherwise.

i watched it on CNN, and told my son when she voted, i could not vote for her, if another candidate was available who opposed the war. i still feel that way.

Anonymous said...

To Mr. Miller,

YIKES!!

Bernie O'Hare said...

Anon 5:49,

I must respect your thinking in this matter. You are certainly being consistent.

Like you, I opposed the war before it started and really caught hell on a talk radio show at the beginning stages of the conflict. I am disgusted that Hillary voted to support that war, but I will nevertheless vote for her. A lot of good Americans thought it was the right thing to so.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Anon 7:49,

Chris Miller is a good guy with very extreme views. Now I've got to follow that debate.

Anonymous said...

A few boos for Panto out of 2,000 people seems reasonable. I live in Palmer Township and must say that I felt the Mayor's remarks were superior to both other Mayors. Yes this was the third time I have seen the former President. Panto showed that he knew the issues and the reason he is supporting one candidate over the other. He also pepped the crowd up with his fervent and well delivered remarks. I read today that he found out and hour before that he was going to introduce Clinton. Easton can finally be proud of their Mayor. As for the president -- he is one of the best orators I have ever heard and both he and Chelsea serve as a great surogate ofr Hillary. And for all you naysayers I was still in the crowd when Panto came out of his meeting with the president and announced that Hillary was coming to the Valley on Sunday. Get your tickets, they will go very fast!!!

Anonymous said...

You Democrats are a curious lot.


Scott Armstrong

Anonymous said...

Bernie,
You did not have to pledge an oath of allegience or text hope from you cell phone? Wow!

Thank you for the very insightful reporting. If this was the mainstream press, you would not get this kind of reporting...even from a steenkin blogger.

BTW, I recieved 9 piece of lit in the mail from Obama including one CD package. 5 of the Obama adds were negative adds against Clinton with some inaccurate/stretch suggestions.

I recieved 4 pieces of lit from Clinton. 3 mentoined Bush an/or McCain. None of them mentioned Obama.

I appears that Obama has the money to buy his way with negagtive adds. For a person who calls out "same ole Politics" when someone challenges him, he certainly does not hesitate to use the US postal service to delvier his gutterballs.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Scott, We are totally screwed up. No argument there, buddy. The only thing we have going for us is Republicans.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Anon 10:44,

Mayor Sal gave a great speech on very short notice. I was shocked by his grasp of national issues, especially as they relate to cities. Even Bill noticed.

Chris Miller said...

Bernie
If standing up for those silly little things like the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Declaration of Independence makes me an extremist, so be it. This is exactly the tactic that the Progressives like Hillary and Obama want you to do. Take a look at their agenda, it is one regulation after another and they divert attention by calling those of us who are conservative or actually Classical Liberals, Hitlers and Nazis. Go back to the Progressive Era at the beginning of the 20th century, Dig into the background of Teddy and Woody. Check out FDRs Bill of Rights. These folks have been on a long, long mission covering at least 11 decades. I suggect you start at www.ncpa.com and look up Classical Liberalism and then hit Jonah Goldberg's "Liberal Fascism". You can then move onto War on the Weak by Edwin Black and maybe read Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. That should keep you up late at night. And keep in mind that I am an active extremist.

Chris Miller said...

Glenn
I'm goning to surprise you. Bush and his compassionate conservatism is a Progressive along with Hillary and Obama. Note that being a Progressive has nothing to do with progress it is all about unity and government can do it better then you can. They favor regulation of everything, particularly those pesky things like the first and second amendment.

Anonymous said...

Bernie, I too was impressed with Panto and I live in Bethlehem Township. The feeling is mutual for you as well because I have heard Panto say good things about you and your blog. Her must ne a reader.

Bernie O'Hare said...

That's high praise, aqnd I appreciate it. Sal is a very good mayor. More importantly, he is a very good man.

Anonymous said...

Did anyone ask Bill why he let the brazen attack on the USS Cole go unanswered?

Did anyone ask Bill to itemize the satellite and missile technology he let China take from us?

Did anyone ask Bill what the cost would be for the decadence of the 90's to the next generation. Hint: we're seeing some of it now.

Did anyone ask him if his wife was going repeat his mistakes?

Bernie O'Hare said...

We can ask those questions, but here's a bigger one - how can a fiscal conserfvative like GW indebt this nation $1 trillion for an unnecessary war? All those other questions look a little silly in comparison.

Anonymous said...

Yes, we can ask those questions but W isn't running for President. Clinton42 is actively campaigning for his wife and, thus, should be asked questions on how Hillary would handle a terrorist attack, what her China policy would be, and how she would address economic issues that we caused ourselves through years of indulgence, allowing our companies to send jobs overseas, and allowing unions to force major corporations into bankruptcy or near bankruptcy.