Clinton Rains On Dubya's Parade

It wasn't easy to get a clear view of George W. Bush's inauguration. There was too much fog and drizzle. Too many water spots on the camera lenses. And there was too much Bill Clinton. There was even too much George H.W. Bush and Al Gore in the picture. It just didn't feel like the new president truly captured the day.

Perhaps it is because inaugurals are as much farewells as they are welcomings.

Perhaps it is because Bush didn't win the popular vote and the legitimacy of his ascent is still being questioned.

Perhaps it is because the cold rain forced the people seated behind Bush at the Capitol to wear funny hats and strange clear plastic ponchos.

Certainly the outgoing president managed to cast some long, dark shadows on the incoming president's day in classic Clintonesque style. On the eve of the inauguration, he cut an immunity deal with the independent counsel. And hours before the ceremony, Clinton issued scores of pardons to various felons and relatives, including his brother, Roger.

What an apt finale to the Clinton Regime - negotiating plea bargains and issuing pardons.

And within an hour of the conclusion of Bush's inaugural Address, Clinton was at Andrews Air Force Base making another farewell address. And it was probably longer than Bush's speech.

It's no wonder that in a CBS News poll conducted on the eve of the inauguration, 70 percent of those asked said Bush shares "America's moral values" and only 34 percent thought Clinton does.

But just having a more upright image than the other guy doesn't make you a star. Maybe it's because of the bizarre circumstances of the November election, but Washington is simply not awash in the contagious celebration palpable in 1980, 1988, or 1993. A minor case in point: on Inauguration Day, the hometown paper, The Washington Post, does not have a single story about George Bush or his inauguration in the op-ed section. Weird.

The weather didn't help either. It forced people to dress oddly.

Hillary Clinton was wearing a scary black leather overcoat that made her look like a lady Gestapo officer on Hogan's Heroes. Chief Justice William Rehnquist wore a plaid English driving cap that clashed horribly with the striped robe he had designed when he presided over Clinton's impeachment trial. Justice Souter, wrapped in a clear plastic rain garment looked like an unhappy Seattle Seahawks fan. Gore looked sedated. And there were so many male Senators with cowboy hats that it looked more like little George W's 10th birthday party in Midland, Texas, than the inauguration of a President.

But President Bush did not help his cause much with his speech. It was serviceable, but just barely. It was not emotional, nor was he. In fact the most emotional moment came from his Dad, who teared up when his son entered and hugged him.

Bush's oration was a valedictory recitation of the importance of civility, courage, compassion and responsibility. Three C's and an RPretty catchy. The biggest ovation (and it wasn't huge) came when he pledge to cut taxes. Given the Republican crowd, I'm sure the cheers would have been louder if he had vowed to cut the estate tax.

There were a few phrases in the speech I just didn't get. One was, "When we see that wounded traveler on the road to Jericho, we will not pass to the other side." The other line I couldn't decipher came right at the end: "And an angel still rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm." I hope there's not a quiz.

But still, it would have been nice if it hadn't rained on President Bush's parade.

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