In the wake of the news that Bill Clinton tried to stop Raines from resigning, Andrew Sullivan writes:

CLINTON KNEW: One thing the former president understands is power, and he knew full well that the resignation of Howell Raines at the NYT could hurt Democrats. The news might not be spun as ruthlessly as in the past; the campaign against the Bush administration under the guise of news coverage might not be as relentless; and so, apparently, Clinton intervened. This story, Clinton reminds us, wasn’t just about journalism. At a deeper level it was also about politics; and Clinton wanted to protect a huge victory that the left had won with Raines’ advancement. He lost. Journalism won.

I applaud Andrew’s cynicism. After all, cynicism is always warranted when discussing the Clintons. And, I think Sullivan’s probably right. But I can’t shake another angle. Clinton does not believe in personal responsibility in the conventional sense. He believes character is a “journey not a destination.” He claimed to run the most ethical administration in history (stop laughing) but he never punished anyone who acted unethically. With the exception of the forced Lewinsky apologies, when he’s sorry it’s never because he did anything really wrong. His mistakes are always the product of his virtues: he “cared too much” to compromise is one of his preferred refrains. Or, his apologies are the product of the other side’s venality. “I underestimated how determined the Right was to turn back the clock and deprive Americans of their rights and health care. I’m deeply sorry.” (These aren’t direct quotes, but if you watched any of his post presidency interviews they’re pretty much what he says).

Also, Bill Clinton is deeply invested in the idea that personal responsibility is something you verbally “take” in order to seem decent but not something that involves actually doing anything. Remember how opposed he was to Bob Livingston actually relinquishing power when he got caught doing less than what Clinton did?

So, perhaps Bill Clinton believes that Howell Raines shouldn’t face any real consequences because that simply runs against the grain of everything Bill Clinton stands for?