Today I was grounded by what I heard on NPR's "All Things Considered". One of the news stories was about the new Clinton Library and its upcoming opening. This project has almost single handedly revitalized the Little Rock Rivermarket District. The Clinton Center (which will include the library and other things such as a school and the museum displaying presidential gifts) is expected to bring in more than $1 billion in construction projects related to the center.

One of these projects is the "Counter Clinton" Library. This project will be built within walking distance to the Clinton Center.



This site also claims:



On All Things Considered one of the Counter Clinton members claimed that this library was nothing more than an attempt to get the Clintons back into the White House in '08 and that it will be a propaganda center (this is paraphrased).

NPR Article
Clinton Center Site
Counter Clinton Site

Questions:

Is a creation of a counter center beneficial in any way?

Was a line of decency crossed or is this a disrespectful considering the Clinton Center is supposed to help the community and be a resource?

Can the Counter Center claim to have no agenda and not be a political spin center?

I heard the piece and was hoping that there is more to the story. I am unaware of any other counter sites being opened in answer to past presidential libraries. I don't think it is in great taste, but I do think that all presidential libraries become somewhat like propaganda machines. Hagiography has not been limited to the legacy of Ronald Reagan.

While the Clinton center is undoubtedly designed to be a community resource, it is also a perk of being a former president. This is a dangerous precedent in the halls of partisan politics. Hopefully counter Nixon and Reagan libraries won't be started across the street from their libraries in San Clemente? and Simi Valley.

It looks like a tabloid web site. I like the headline, How Chinagate led to 9-11.

There definitely should be critical work out there about every president. But credibility is important to be taken seriously.

I doubt the Counter Center would claim to have no agenda. It has the agenda of
"citizens who refuse to allow the Clintons to erase their White House record."

It might add more bucks to the local economy. Cha-CHING!!!



(It took many years to get Jimmy Carter's Presidential Library opened in Atlanta. It was fought at every turn. Carter finally got it, but not because his opposition stopped trying.)

A "line of decency?" Decency is a rare and precious quality in politics as it is, but IN AN ELECTION YEAR!!!?*

Those who are hell-bent on exposing a former President are not going to be concerned about whether what they are doing is decent or not. But hey, if they've got the money and the real estate to do it, don't let "decency" get in the way.

Maybe they'll even "get lucky" and have the semen-stained, blue dress on display. How edifying.



They can claim that it was founded by the archangels Michael and Gabriel...but don't count on it being true. Just check the bios on the founders and see where they are coming from. The fruit doesn't fall far from the tree.

(*We all need to bear in mind that "what goes around, comes around..."
If this venture is successful, look for a center dedicated to exposing the lies and evasions of George Walker Bush. And I just betcha that the management of the Counter-Clinton library will be properly *miffed* when Gee Dubya gets the same treatment. Anybody can be vilified, but some folks are particularly susceptible to vilification.)

I don't know if this center is a real deal or someone's pipe dream quite frankly. First I've heard of it. If so, then it's in bad taste I think and misses the point of what a Presidential Library is supposed to be all about. I've never been to the Nixon Library although it's close enough I should really go, but I have been to the Reagan Library on a number of occasions and it's hardly a political commercial for President Reagan or his legacy. To be sure, the gift shop is full of books and mementos about the Reagan years, but the rest of the library, the real library/museum part of it is a celebration of America. It's like a mini-Smithsonian. One time I was there the museum was a collection of artifacts from every President in US History. You should have seen Cleveland's bath tub! One time the theme was the Civil War and they had all kinds of things about that on loan from the National Archives. Right now, they are doing a Lewis and Clark exhibit which I haven't seen, but we'll be going there shortly I think. Next year, the hanger they are building there will house the Air Force One used during Reagan's terms in office and I really can't wait for that one! And, my kids have had a chance to touch a piece of the Berlin Wall because there's a big slab of that there as well. Nothing particularly partisan about that Library there at all and I would hope other Presidential Libraries are the same way. And, I hope the Clinton Library is too. If so, then this counter thing is just a bunch of garbage from people who can't let things go. Kind of like what we've seen the past week from some about Reagan.

This is no doubt true, not only in politics but life too. I guess my rational would be (if I were anti-Clinton) something along the lines of: Now he's out, we can get our nation back on track.

I mean Clinton can't be in office any more, why does this level of opposition against Clinton need to exist? It just seems backwards and like a waste of resources.

Q1. Yes, I think it is brilliant that somebody is countering the myth of a politician. They should do it for Reagan too.

Q2. No, it is decent to point out errors of leaders. Michael Moore does it brilliantly. I wished that more people would do it. Extensive reading has taught me that Lincoln and Kennedy were not the Gods that popular media would have us believe. But, I could never utter that in public. I would prefer the history books to record the good, the bad, and not be emotive. Let the people judge on the truth.

Q3. Of course the Counter Center has a political agenda. They probably hate Clinton and are doing it to dirty his name. However, if they only produce truth then I have no grievance with them.

Of course, the location of the site is meant to attack and offend Dems and Clinton fans. But I love how Michael Moore takes down the Republicans, and wish for his counterpart on the other side. But I have no party affiliation and enjoy seeing the deceit of politicains made public, if the denouncers tell the truth and not get into conspiracy theories.

I just want to clear up a side-point here. I lived here during most of the battles over the Carter Library and the battle wasn't so much about the library as about the highway he and the local politicians wanted built that would bisect numerous in-town neighborhoods as it passed in front of the library and continued on for several miles. The point of the road was supposedly to reduce in-town traffic because it connected downtown to the eastern suburbs. The land was condemned by the state, many houses were taken (well, sold at whatever value the owner could get from the state after numerous lawsuits), and then the land STILL sat for numerous years until everyone could agree on a design for the road.

It was never about the library itself, which locals are quite proud of. Many of the same exhibits that Aquilla talked about also came through the Carter Library. It was the stupid highway he wanted built to service the library. Which is now a quite nice limited-access boulevard through some in-town neighborhoods. Sometimes the battles are worth it.

As for the "Counter Clinton" library... I wouldn't worry so much about it. I envision a small musty room somewhere for that. It's not going to be a big draw, will lose lots of money, and eventually just shut down out of disinterest. 20 years from now, people will still be interested in the Clinton Library, but few will be looking for "spin control" over it. It's tacky and childish, though.

• Is a creation of a counter center beneficial in any way?

Not really.

Criticism that was legitimate, and had basis in verifiable fact could have made it into the library (or at least the bookstore). This center is going to be about the totally unsubstantiated junk that was in the far-right press and Wall Street Journal editorial pages. We don't need a diorama about Clinton killing Vince Foster.

If you want to bash Clinton, start on the policy, start with NAFTA.

• Was a line of decency crossed or is this a disrespectful considering the Clinton Center is supposed to help the community and be a resource?

I think that Gingrich's majority erased the line of decency; any mention of decency in politics should only be past tense. That will not keep the Right from claiming indecency when people try to tell the truth about the beatified Reagan.

If everyone who hated what Reagan did to our country got together with some far-right billionaires and started an anti-Reagan library...

• Can the Counter Center claim to have no agenda and not be a political spin center?

This is America (the USA more precisely) and they can claim to be anything they want to claim to be. In reality, they will just spread simple and complex partisan lies about Clinton (spin center).

I'd much rather have a building about the DLC sellouts as a whole, then a building about the lies the Right spouted about Clinton.

However, there will be a long standing battle between Republicans and Democrats about whose policies benefited or hurt the country.

Clinton's legacy will continue to be a hotly debated topic until someone leads the Democratic party in the White house in a much different course in terms of policies.

We will see this explode into debate when Clinton releases his upcoming book.

To me this is more of an issue of how we want our presidential library sites to be treated. I think turning these places into partisan battle grounds is a bad idea.