Clinton's High Approval Ratings

Three weeks ago I was in DC and walked a million miles around the centre of town.

I stopped to look at the White House but didn't think deeply about the interesting occupants.

I didn't spend much time imagining the early April evening in 1865 when Abraham Lincoln stepped out onto the lawn of his home and chatted vigorously with the joyous crowd milling around. They would have been full of happiness at the end of the civil war as well as enlivened by the soft spring air and lighter evenings. He would have been enjoying the last Sunday night of his life.

Lincoln was shot dead at the theatre a few short blocks away on Good Friday the 14th April. The basement museum of the Ford Theatre has the pistol used, not much bigger that an ipod.

No, all I could think was "so that's where Clinton got up to no good with Monica".

Clinton had very high approval ratings, especially in 1998!

Here's a little list of the uniqueness of ex-President Clinton (thanks Liz):

- The only president ever impeached on grounds of personal malfeasance
- Most number of convictions and guilty pleas by friends and associates
- Most number of cabinet officials to come under criminal investigation
- Most number of witnesses to flee country or refuse to testify
- Most number of witnesses to die suddenly
- First president sued for sexual harassment.
- First president accused of rape.
- First first lady to come under criminal investigation
- Largest criminal plea agreement in an illegal campaign contribution case
- First president to establish a legal defense fund.
- First president to be held in contempt of court
- Greatest amount of illegal campaign contributions
- Greatest amount of illegal campaign contributions from abroad
- First president disbarred from the US Supreme Court and a state court