Slick Willie

On Henry Rollins' live spoken word album, A Rollins in the Wry, he makes the following observation:

"...he is just like an eel in the weeds in the ocean, man. He's like an eel going through the Sargasso Sea, man. You know? He's slick and slippery; you can't get to the guy. And he's not Teflon, he's just oily. He's like a Dukes-of-Hazzard-kinda-yahoo guy, and he's getting it, you know?"

Who was Henry speaking of? Why none other than former President Bill Clinton. And though this quote was in reference to Clinton's 5-hour Monica Lewinsky testimony, I believe that the description is just as relevant today...and I mean that as a compliment. A week ago, Bill Clinton accomplished what I think was a magnificent feat: he walked into North Korea -- probably the most unstable and unpredictable country in the world -- slipped through the weeds, and walked out with Laura Ling and Euna Lee, two North Korean-convicted U.S. journalists. And this was not a covert mission. He went, he met with leaders (including the elusive Kim Jong Il) out in the open, he got it done, and he left saying, "This is how it's done, folks. Sit down and take notes."

Now, there are some who feel that Bill Clinton's meeting and photo-op with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il was a mistake because it legitimizes Kim in a way that should not be allowed. I, however, disagree. Situations like this are how things change. A world-renowned dignitary travels to the doors of an enemy with a request, and the enemy acquiesces. This could be the beginning of a whole new dialogue between our government and North Korea, and you never know what might come of that.

Slick Willie, at it again.