Bill Clinton: “we are debating this resolution for two simple reasons. First, no matter how the lily is gilded, things are not going…”

“we are debating this resolution for two simple reasons. First, no matter how the lily is gilded, things are not going well in our war against terrorism, and there is no doubt we need new leadership. Second, this Congress has abdicated its constitutional responsibility to conduct oversight and hold the administration accountable for the decisions which it has made over the course of the last 5 years. This is quite unusual in American history because ordinarily the Congress would play that role of check and balance. In the middle of World War II, which really was a world war, then- Senator Harry Truman was the chair of a commission looking into war profiteering and other matters related to the conduct of the war. There was a Democratic Congress, a Democratic President. Yet the Congress, under then-Senator Truman's leadership, fulfilled its responsibility. During the Vietnam war, which ripped this country apart, Senator Fulbright felt compelled to hold hearings about the conduct of that war. A Democratic Congress, a Democratic President, fulfilling its responsibility. We have seen none of that, with very few exceptions. This Congress has been either intimidated or negligent in the fulfillment of its responsibilities to hold the administration accountable. Absolute power not only corrupts, but it can lead to bad decisions. This has been a very small group of decisionmakers.…”