1/11/01 4:45 p.m.
His Campaign Continues
A final indignity from the Oval Office.

By NR’s John J. Miller & Ramesh Ponnuru

ne of President Clinton's last presidential acts is also one of his least: His persistent joking about the recent election, and the insistence that Al Gore really beat George W. Bush. On Tuesday, Clinton publicly congratulated Gore campaign chief Bill Daley: "I think he did a brilliant job in leading Vice President Gore to victory." He went on to add, "They thought the election was over, the Republicans did. By the time it was over, our candidate had won the popular vote, and the only way they could win the election was to stop the voting in Florida."

It is true that many Democrats feel this way, and Clinton may in fact be sincere when he says these things. But as the nation's chief executive officer, he has a special responsibility to respect the lawful election outcome. Former presidents make a habit of avoiding provocative comments about their successors. It is a dignified practice. So was not renting out the Lincoln Bedroom.

But let us be generous: Everybody's tongue slips from time to time, and perhaps Clinton won't repeat this mistake. Alas, he's a serial violator. Just yesterday, he remarked, in reference to the Washington State Senate recount, "They have this unusual system in Washington State. They actually count all the votes." Today, the New York Times reports what Clinton said last week in eulogizing Democratic party chairman Terry McAuliffe's late father: "I like the fact that he didn't lose his spirit when it didn't all work the way he thought it should," said Clinton. "I mean, he thought Notre Dame should never lose, and he had what in this year turned out to be a bizarre idea: He thought all votes should actually be counted." In November, at the height of the Florida controversy, Clinton insisted (according to the Ottawa Citizen): "If the votes were counted, Al Gore would carry the state."

Clinton has diminished the presidency over the course of eight years, and this latest behavior is merely part of a pattern. Perhaps we can at least believe that trashing the legitimacy of his successor is the final act of indignity he'll commit while still in the Oval Office. But don't hold your breath. There are nine days to go.