Clinton went ape-dung on Fox News Sunday this week. He wagged the Monica finger and tried to blame "neo-cons" and "conservatives" for his troubles. It might be helpful at this point to note what those problems are, since most people probably don't know or don't care.

1) His administration was offered Osama Bin Laden by Sudan and turned them down because they didn't want to start international trouble (sounds eerily like the Democrats approach still).

2) The recent movie about the build-up to 9/11 presented his administration as caring more about how things looked to the outside world - and to not starting any trouble - than about getting the guys who were out to attack America (sounds eerily like the book written by his former FBI Director, Louis Freeh, who was stonewalled by the administration in getting movement on terrorism issues

3) He's been accused of not doing enough to get Bin Laden once he was an established terror figure.  A former secret service agent wrote a book about him being distracted by Monica at a critical point - which led to America not getting the bad guys (this is my weak paraphrase as I haven't read the book).

4) He's been accused of not having a plan to fight terror at all.  He said he left the foremost expert - Richard Clarke - in place with a dead-on plan to fight terror.  The only problem with that is that when the pompous one (Clarke) was testifying to Congress about a plan to fight terror Clarke said "we don't have a plan, we don't need a plan".  The current administration found the Clinton "legal" approach to fighting terrorism completely ineffective and was developing their own without any input from Clarke who wouldn't attend meetings because he felt he should have greater access to the admistration (this is from multiple stories patched together).

Feeling defensive, Clinton went on the attack on Fox News Sunday.  There's no doubt the true-left believers will be filled with righteous indignation from his tirade.  But those who remember that finger and the facts about all of this, will remember a very different Clinton and an ugly period that we've all put behind us.  For good.

sharp

There are strong rumors out. If he's not then the word is that he's very, very sick and close to death.

How does this affect the war on terror?  Does it begin to demoralize those who see him as their ultimate leader?

It might not matter.  But it could matter a lot.

sharp

The Democrats have been certain of victory. They've tapped into America's "pain" - as Bill Clinton would put it - at the pump.  And they haven't developed a real plan for anything else.

Nancy Pelosi said yesterday that Americans won't be "fooled" by lower prices at the pump.  She said we're still held hostage by Saudi Arabia and OPEC.

I have a couple of issues with this. 

First, the high price of oil has had everything to do with rising world demand vs. flat supply (economics seems a lost art for the Democrats leaders) as well as Hurricane Katrina's damage, Iranian threats, Argentinian government instability and many other issues.  Their solution to the crisis has been to stop drilling in Alaska and...not much else.

Second, we don't get much oil from Saudi Arabia.  What we do get from them is a promised increase in output when things get tight (they're up significantly over 2 years ago).  As politically expedient as it is to hate the Saudis if you're a Democrat (an unnerving idea on its own) is highly misguided.

But this illogical gobbledy-gook is as mainly result of a lack of ideas and political expediency. They've relied on something they have no (and no one group really has) control over. 

And then when the price of oil goes down and people start to feel better about the future, they are hard-pressed to say why they want to replace their Congressman.  They haven't been given much of a reason.

And that's deadly if you're fad fades.

sharp

After three full years of being accused of not having a plan to address the problems they've identified, it probably hasn't escaped your notice that Democrats still don't seem to have a plan.

Well, actually, they do.  But they're hesitant to tell you about it.  At least in detail.

It looks something like this:

• National Insecurity. Eliminate programs like the Patriot Act that help the government stop terror before Americans die.  After all, I should be really worried about someone listening in on my phone calls......right?
• Leave Iraq.  That shouldn't embolden the Islamic would-be-world dictators to try to take any other countries....should it?
• Raise taxes.  It's just wrong that people get to keep more of their own money.  And anyway, they'll have to raise taxes to pay for.....
• Port searches.  They've made it clear they're willing to spend limitless hundreds of billions to search for....well...we're not quite sure since no problem has arisen there in the five years since 9/11, but the soundbite sure seems effective.  And they'll also need to pay for...
• More and more free drugs.  A huge increase in promised free drugs for seniors wrapped in nice new trillion dollar bills.  The Republicans Medicare bill is an unwieldy economic monster - which stole the thunder from those who usually create such things.  Now the Democrats will be forced to raise the bid
• Insane funding for "faux" natural disasters.  Since the whole Katrina episode happened, look for the Democrats to promise billions in tax dollars and government attention to every trailer park fire.  They learned they can win on this issue, but they'll have to pony up when they're in charge.
• Gay Marriage anyone?  With control of Congress will come the opportunity to prove to the world that they're solidly behind one of their key constituencies. 
• Abortion anyone?.  Democrats were solidly behind partial-birth abortion on principle - even though the AMA has no use for the procedure.  And that pureness of ideology means there's no abortion too egregious to vote for.
• Apologies to terrorist...um...foreign countries.  The first break with Bush policy will be to go, hat in hand, to countries like Venezuela and apologize for our President, "the devil" and beg their forgiveness.  Oh, and forgive the debts and offer "humanitarian aid" as they've stripped their own countries of resources.
• Investigations of.....most everyone.  They'll drag oil companies before Congress first with the "smoking gun" of an eight-year old email (which they've been holding for the day they return to power) from a fired executive and erstwhile Democratic activist accusing them of favoring the Bush administration (or Reagan or Nixon if necessary to get the Congressmen on TV).  Then they'll investigate....every Bush administration official, every visitor to the White House, every evil blogger like me, every Nun who opposes abortion, etc.
• More rights for terrorists.  Not satisfied with respect for their over-the-top religious demands, good food and a soft environment for those who tried to kill the masses, Democrats will promise "humane" treatment like massages, 49 virgins and weekend passes to terrorists.  Along with American taxpayer funded lawyers - mostly former Carter administration officials.

So, you see, even though it doesn't seem like they have a plan.  They have communicated a clear one.  Just not to the voters.

sharp

This could lead to more easing of worldwide tensions that have kept stock markets muted, oil prices high and the threat of war at the doorstep of the Middle East.

The benefit will be immediate for the Palestianian people - most of whom work for the government and who haven't been paid for 8 months - think about that for a minute.  How would your financial situation look in those circumstances?  Then realize they were in dreadful shape to start with.

The glut of oil on the world market should continue to drop the price of oil with some analysts saying it should get from about $62 a barrel today (after a mild technical correction from its plummet from $78) to about $55 before OPEC responds.  Even then, if there is a glut of oil on the market it would take quite a while (particularly with the way cartel members cheat on quotas) to turn the trend back up from its current direction.

World news is shaping up like this.

The Good:

• Israel/Lebanon war is over
• Israel & Hamas-led Palestinian government reach an agreement to co-exist
• Oil is abundant and will continue to drop in price
• World economies are strong and dropping oil will boost them further
• Iran is willing to negotiate - and will be more likely to compromise as their only source of revenue falls - oil
• Pakistan and India are resuming talks about the disputed Kandahar region
• Terrorists are seeing their major source of funding - expesnsive oil - evaporate.

The Bad:

• The Middle of Iraq is devolving into civil war
• The slow-down in housing (predicted for 36 straight months by doomsday analysts) is finally here and will be a slight drag on the economy
• Afghanistan is now fighting a resurgent Taliban
• Pakistan is having increased problems with terror groups emboldened by Afghan success 

What does all of this mean to America?  Unless the Iraqi or Afghan governments are toppled, there should be peace and continued economic growth while oil prices fall.  And Republicans should see continued improvement in their prospects for November.

sharp