Equating Clinton's "scandals" with Bush's - Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com

"The stain Bill Clinton left on Monica Lewinsky's dress isn't remotely comparable to the stain George Bush and Dick Cheney have left on the Constitution, our political values and our national image -- to say nothing of the indelible bloodstains on their hands. But for so long, Beltway journalists have treated those things as though they're equal; more accurately, they were -- and remain -- far more offended by the former than the latter. To this day, David Broder still insists that Bill Clinton should have been forced to resign over the sex he had with Monica Lewinsky, whereas nothing that George Bush did merits removal from office or even resignation, and especially not criminal investigation and prosecution (holding lawbreaking Bush officials accountable is to commit the ultimate Beltway sin of "criminalizing our politics").

There are numerous reasons for this false equivalency and for the refusal to internalize the true extent of criminality and extremism that has taken place over the last eight years. Vapid reporters are more interested in, and capable of understanding, titillating sex scandals than they are dreary, boring matters like lawbreaking, torture, surveillance, and pretexts for wars. They still perceive George Bush as political royalty and a strong and Serious protector, an inherently good man. Many of them were supportive of these criminal policies, were vital in enabling them, and thus want to avoid any recognition of how extraordinary, how unique, they were. But most of all, internalizing the full extent of lawbreaking, bloodshed and radicalism of the last eight years would compel us to hold the wrongdoers accountable and come to terms with what has really been done by our Government. The overriding goal is to avoid that."