|
| |
February 18
Here we are celebrating President's Day. A day to honor great leaders of our
country like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow
Wilson, Harry Truman, John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. Notice I didn't
include Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, or Bill Clinton on the list of great
American leaders. President George W. Bush won't make my great leader list
because of the bumbling of FEMA in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. I thought
he should have left Crawford, Texas and get to Louisiana to see what could be
done to aid Americans in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast that were desperate
and dying. Many folks from New Orleans had to leave their homes forever and have
settled in in other parts of the country. I hope I never have to leave my home
in Tallapoosa. I did meet Jimmy Carter once when he ran for the nation's highest
office when I was working in radio in Asheville, North Carolina. I told him I
was from Tallapoosa, Georgia and he looked at me like I owed him money. I admire
all he has done for Habitat for Humanity but I remember an inflation rate of 20%
during his watch and the fiasco with Iran.
I also met President Gerald Ford and he was a terrific guy. The most charismatic
person I ever met was William Jefferson Clinton. When you get to be President of
the United States you all of a sudden get three names. I introduced Bill Clinton
at the CNN Center in when he was on a good will trip to Atlanta a year after he
took office. Mayor Bill Campbell asked me to do it and years later got sent to a
federal correctional facility in Miami. I understand that former Atlanta Mayor
Bill Campbell is adjusting to the "country club prison". As punishment he is
only allowed to play 18 holes of golf a day.
Bill Clinton is indeed a charming individual. He said to me "Rhubarb, Zell has
told me all about you and I look forward to having you come visit us at the
White House". I was thrilled and then I thought that I might not tell him that I
voted for Ross Perot.
The recent Super Tuesday voting helped to shape the direction Americans are
leaning for the highest office in the land. I read where Mitt Romney had spent
millions and millions of his own money for his campaign. I don't understand why
a person would spend that much money on a job that doesn't pay as much as a
rookie professional baseball player. I think Senator John McCain is a true
American hero who is ruled by his sense of what is right and not party politics.
It think that there is too much being made about Hillary Clinton going back in
the White House. I understand when she and Bill moved out they left a bottle of
Woolite and a blue dress behind. Obama has a tremendous opportunity of
attracting first time voters. I think that Obama won't get the vote of fans of
Auburn because if you put a G in front of his name you get GOBAMA.
Mike Huckabee had the discipline to loose a hundred pounds and keep it off. He
is also the best bass guitar player of all the candidates of either party. I had
him on my show a couple of years ago promoting his book on health and he is a
very personable chap that is a great guy. America needs someone we can feel good
about, be inspired by and truly move us in a positive direction through
leadership.
The whole presidential election process is about one five letter word. That word
is MONEY. Whoever raises the most money is probably going to win the election.
I hope President's Day in 2009 we have something to celebrate other than a
mattress sale at Rooms To Go.
| |
|
