May 17, 2001

9:53 AM

I still can't get over the fact that the U.S. President and Vice President have been arrested five times between them. For those keeping score, that's 2 DUIs for Cheney and one for Bush, and two disorderly conducts for Bush. I know, I know, many other presidents have committed far greater crimes, these were mistakes of youth, etc. etc. But five arrests between them? Sigh.
posted by luser (25 comments total)

Bush was 30 when he was convicted for DUI and remianed an alcoholic until his fourties. Mistakes of youth? Nope. Mistakes of voters? Yup.
posted by saturn5 at 10:05 AM on May 17, 2001

It's convictions that are important, not arrests.

And don't give me that "they got off because of inside connections." All of us have or will or might use any connection we have, pull any string, cash in any favor, anything, to get charges dropped, to stop a conviction, to reduce a sentence, to curry favor with a judge.

Arrests? Nothing. An arrest is like an unfounded accusation. A conviction, well, that's the best proof you're whatever you've been accused of.
posted by Mo Nickels at 10:17 AM on May 17, 2001

And don't give me that "they got off because of inside connections." All of us have or will or might use any
connection we have, pull any string, cash in any favor, anything, to get charges dropped, to stop a conviction, to
reduce a sentence, to curry favor with a judge.

Yeah, but for most of us we're lucky if we can get a PBA sticker. Were talking about an Ambassador's/CIA Director's / Congressman's son, and a person with real political connections.
posted by brucec at 10:22 AM on May 17, 2001

"Arrests? Nothing. An arrest is like an unfounded accusation. A conviction, well, that's the best proof you're whatever you've been accused of."

except for in the case of a DUI. if you're not drunk and driving, you WON'T GET ARRESTED FOR IT.

it's an attitude like that which has allowed a goddamned drunk driver to become the leader of this country.
posted by jcterminal at 10:30 AM on May 17, 2001

Pardon me...

::snicker::

Okay, you all carry on whining. The rest of us have agendas to implement.
posted by aaron at 10:34 AM on May 17, 2001

And don't give me that "they got off because of inside connections." All of us have or will or might use any
connection we have, pull any string, cash in any favor, anything, to get charges dropped, to stop a conviction, to
reduce a sentence, to curry favor with a judge.

But the fact that one would do that hardly makes one fit for higher office, now does it?
posted by DiplomaticImmunity at 10:35 AM on May 17, 2001

Would it make you feel any better if they had committed a few cases of adultery or possibly slept with an intern or two?

I think it takes a lot of balls for anybody to run for anything anymore knowing that every dumb mistake you made in your past is going to be criticized by a majority who has had the fortunate circumstances of not getting caught in similar circumstances.

While I'm sure there are a number of people who can claim to never have been arrested, I imagine there are VERY few people who can claim that they have never done anything that they couldn't have been arrested for if they have been caught.
posted by fluxcreative at 10:42 AM on May 17, 2001

Sorry kids, this topic of conversation has been around the barn four times now and it's still the same flamebait it was back then. Let it go.
posted by briank at 10:43 AM on May 17, 2001

I totally agree. It is not an arrest but a conviction that really counts---thanks for your support, and keep the faith and keep on golfin: O.J. Simpson
posted by Postroad at 10:54 AM on May 17, 2001

And don't give me that "they got off because of inside connections." All of us have or will or might use any
connection we have, pull any string, cash in any favor, anything, to get charges dropped, to stop a conviction, to
reduce a sentence, to curry favor with a judge.

True...but all of us aren't the leader of the free world...
posted by magellan at 11:06 AM on May 17, 2001

So any time a client calls me and I call in a favour or work a deal with a friend in the DA's office (the few I have left) to let someone off light for something because it was a first offense or there was extenuating circumstances, that should automatically deny that person the right to hold office?
posted by Dreama at 11:09 AM on May 17, 2001

Well thats something for the public to decide. Yes I personally think it is unfair that criminal convictions can keep you from working numerous places in our country but not in the oval office. Apparently many people thought that Clinton's unwillingness to discuss his sex life in a federal court were grounds for impeachment...
posted by magellan at 11:13 AM on May 17, 2001

maybe it is convictions that count and not arrests, but Bush also outright lied about his arrest record (as in saying he had none). and we all know what trouble a lying President can be. what's shadier to you, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman," or, "I have not done cocaine in the last seven years," {and everything before then is before my being born-again and absolved of all my sins?}

I'll take the adulterer over the DUI (who knows what Influence) any day.
posted by whoshotwho at 11:22 AM on May 17, 2001

"Would it make you feel any better if they had committed a few cases of adultery or possibly slept with an intern or two?"

Yes. They wouldn't have been operating a multi-ton vehicle in an impaired state on the same roads that I'm driving on. (Making allowances for where the adultery occurs and the size of the intern.)
posted by joaquim at 12:50 PM on May 17, 2001

If we're going to trot out Bush's drunk-driving arrest, it's a shame not to mention the fact that he was driving drunk with two teen-agers in the car: his 17-year-old sister Dorothy and her 16-year-old friend.
posted by rcade at 2:38 PM on May 17, 2001

I thought we were finished with the Bush-hating. Someone please tell me what in this post has not been mentioned 800 million kajillion times in the past?
posted by swank6 at 2:48 PM on May 17, 2001

but I voted for gore/nader/chuckles the clown
/whine
posted by Mick at 3:36 PM on May 17, 2001

I thought we were finished with the Bush-hating.

Not for another 1,343 days.
posted by rcade at 3:50 PM on May 17, 2001

Plus four years.
posted by aaron at 6:00 PM on May 17, 2001

I keep forgetting that aaron is, in fact, the President of the United States.
posted by lagado at 7:08 PM on May 17, 2001

> The rest of us have agendas to implement.

I think he meant legends to invent. Like an energy crisis and the dire need to find more oil.
posted by pracowity at 4:45 AM on May 18, 2001

Plus four years.

You must have missed the news: Florida has decided to start counting votes again.
posted by rcade at 5:55 AM on May 18, 2001

You’ve stumbled on my version of hell.
posted by capt.crackpipe at 12:20 PM on May 18, 2001

Aaron, are you still running for office?
posted by pracowity at 1:31 AM on May 19, 2001