Some of the most beautiful words I have ever heard uttered, from the pen of a true genius of the enlightenment:
And for the support of this declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our Fortunes, & our sacred Honor.
This reference, closing President Clinton's astonishing speech last night had many meanings, some of which may not have been apparent at first. It was his response to the Grand Old Party's perpetual abuse of the truth, and an important rebuttal. However, besides the "up-yours" aspect of that, it pointed out one of the most fundamental lessons the Founders handed to us, and a lesson with respect to which President Clinton taught us, no begged us, tonight to return.
More below the fold:
As I mentioned, these closing words to the Declaration of Independence have particular meaning in the context of President Clinton's nomination speech for President Obama. At one level, it could be seen as a mere inspiration and sop to the Founders, but it has a particular meaning for the hell he endured during his impeachment.
In his opening arguments at the trial, Henry Hyde argued that the accusations were not about sex and infidelity, but of falsehood and lying, and of the rule of law. He invoked at the beginning and end of his talk these famous words, proposing that a President is not above the truth or the law because our Founders dedicated themselves to same in this way.
Whatever the merits, President Clinton was acquitted by the Senate, found his approval ratings higher than they were beforehand, and the nation, at least as measured by pollsters, found the charges to be frivolous. The GOP sought to establish itself as the party of truth, but ultimately were found to have charged the President unjustly. Rather than being forever despised because of the mark of impeachment, the nation found the pageantry of the trial to be an embarrassment, and the President later arose as a hero of his party, literally beloved by its supporters, and given due attention by the moderates who still have his ear.
Tonight proved the point, and President Clinton invoked the accusatory charge, this time at the former presumptive "party of truth," dismantling a tissue of lies that fact-finders, at least, uniformly call for what they are.
This time, it was Bill Clinton indicting Mitt Romney and his campaign for violations of the truth, reminding them that our Founders pledged, their lives, their fortunes and their Sacred Honor. If this election is about truth, it was won tonight.
OK, that's the politics. Now, how about some history? The Founding Fathers are too often invoked to divide us as a nation, as people posture that history is on "their" partisan sides. The truth, as the President profoundly taught in his most teachable moment -- even more than the surgical take-apart of the GOP case against Obama -- when he explained that Americans are not enemies, no matter how hard we fight, and about the importance of the issues with which we disagree.
Our nation and its success depends upon Compromise.
Our Founding Fathers, both as they debated the Declaration and later the Constitution, understood that their differences, which were "non-negotiable" and "fundamental" were not as important as their common ground.
These brilliant men knew that despite fundamental issues on which they would never agree, NEVER, and without the resolution of which they would not find in their lifetimes, COMPROMISE over the issues of the day -- the formation of a nation and then the formation of a Republic, meant they had to stomach what they found to be enormously moral issues.
These men were visionaries and statesman, who genuinely loathed one another personally in some cases. But they overcame those issues to create a new nation and government, and ultimately the foundation of all of our lives today.
They pledged their lives, their Fortunes and their Sacred Honor so that we, today, might learn that our differences matter less than our similarities. That our jealousies and dislike for one another, and even our concern over the moral turpitudes of the other side, matter less than providing for the future of our nation and our progeny.
Bill Clinton got this. He got in his "up-yours" to Henry Hyde, and he got in his amazing dismantlement of GOP disinformation (at least to the undecided among us). But he took some time to teach us a lesson. How he works now with those he didn't like and doesn't agree with to make meaningful and lasting change, even well after his 15 minutes had faded.
Bill Clinton taught us something tonight. Is anybody listening? We must work together, or face ourselves metaphorically in the noose of which Franklin spoke. Can we invoke balance and compromise once more, though we may despise the others, and even in some cases our own party's President for engaging in that practice?
And for the support of this declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our Fortunes, & our sacred Honor.