John Dean just explained the underlying reason for all the Clinton-bashing of the 90s:

Dean (on Randi Rhodes) said that under Reagan, the conservatives were moving towards a unitary presidency. This had been put in place largly to ease regulations on businesses. When Clinton was President, he saw that he could use that unitary power to toughen regulations re: food and safety. Dean said all the Clinton-bashing was really about weakening the Presidency because conservatives were upset at the renewed regulations. I don't know if this matters to anyone else, but I feel like a missing puzzle piece is finally in place. I always thought the Clintonphobia was incredibly over-the-top, but what Dean said makes sense.

:scared:

The guy responsible for the antifreeze in the toothpaste had his head chopped off last month. Imagine how they'd have dealt with Enron?

The GOP wants America to be more like Somalia, not China.

Right on. You get the gold star.

:mad:

remember, regulations are a weapon in the class war.

And who would know better how to wage class war than the cynical ex-Marxists of the PRC?

is the estimate of how many people get some kind of food poisoning in China each year. Nearly 1 in 3! Let business be business they say. Too much government interaction hurts business they say. Not enough government hurts my lower intestine, I would say.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19649894/site/newsweek/.

of a free market economy -- and you KNOW how Holy that is! :puke:


Still adore your photo! :D
I'm hoping to get a Friesian ster mare in a year or so *crossed fingers*

I think women liked Clinton, so the more primitive Alpha males hated him.
The "unitary president" concept might apply because *they* want to be in
control, not anyone else.

I remember RWers complaints at the time that support that idea.

But I wonder if Dean sees this from a more of a DC insiders point of view. His take on it may also be valid. I don't think there is any shortage of reasons for RWers to hate.

But they were just manipulating the undereducated masses as usual.

...that always bugged me, & which I think was also at least to some degree behind the Clinton-hating, was that Wild Bill was seen as being the Baby-Boomer's contribution to the Presidency. Indeed, he was even seen as the "Counter-Culture's" contribution to the Presidency.

The right wing holds a lot of hate close to its heart, & one of the biggest chunks of it is for those damn disobedient kids of the 1960s. Doesn't matter if you were born in 1985, if you're a right-winger, you'll think of them as damn, disobedient kids. Or worse.

As someone with many of the credentials of the American 1960s ... LSD, C2 gas, #69 in the draft lottery, "is that a girl or a boy?" (answer "I don't look like a girl where it counts!") ... I resent being "represented" by a priapic, conniving, straight-arrow, corporate-bound, frat-boy like Bill Clinton. (That's not to say he's not infinitely preferrable to the current Resident.) But if you're going to hate me by proxy, jeez, at least hate someone similar to me! Hate John Lennon, or Richard Brautigan, or Gary Snyder, or somebody.

Come to think of it, they probably do.


(Edited cuz it's "proxy," not "prozy.")

But I always figured that it was even more cynical and nefarious than that. What John Dean says makes terrifying sense.

leave it like this since the next Pres will likely be a dem? That would make it easier to get the regulations back in line wouldn't it, it would work both ways. Just a thought for why impeachment may be being downplayed because it doesn't make sense.

floating around after Gulf War 1? I think the cons thought they had a lock on the government after that. Daddy Bush was riding high, America was unchallenged, the Soviets were gone, everything was lookin' swell. Then along comes this governor from Arkansas and screws everything up for them. Yeah, I think that was a huge part of it. Clinton won something they thought was rightfully theirs. And to top it all off, he was successful and popular.

Yeah, the right hated him. Mainly because he was everything they aren't and never will be: a decent president. I'm no Clinton worshipper. He did a lot of things I don't agree with and anger me to this day. But next to these limp dick Republicans, he was a freakin' saint.

The Repugs did not like any movement towards re-regulation of the marketplace, but ultimatly, the GOP believes that they have a "God given right" to the Presidency.

fell for it-------and still do!

Wingers are allergic to charisma. That's why they went nuts over FDR, JFK, and Bill Clinton.

Gore and Clinton both did things that messed up the environmental movement at the time.

Circa 1992 or '93, Gore helped get in a piece of legislation that was taylor made for the chemical companies. Whether that was what he intended - I'llnever know

The legislation basically helped "federalize" standards so that the more progressive states (like California) could not insist that their standards be met.

Personal care products (your Lysols, hair sprays, Glade air fresheners etc) were left unregulated - pessticides are more regulated than the stuff you use on your body - which is why
you can simply use your hair spray to effectively kill bugs if you run out of Raid.

Time and Time again activists had to take on Congress - I will say though that once the activists fought the battle, Clinton would sign onto it rather than veto it.

But if Clinton had been such a good guy, we activists could have hung out partying etc.

For the most part, Presidents will move where the polls tell them to, unless the issue is on their personal agenda. If people want them to do otherwise, they need to speak up.

Against the chems and toxins (all fo which add up to tons of more global warming each year)

had this sort of thing on our hands
http://tinyurl.com/2jaym4 (this URL takes a moment or two to up-load --don't double click)

The discussion of the OP was how wondrous the Clinton years were.

In hindsight yes. Clinton would have brought a victory in Iraq - and KAtrina victims would have been immediately cared for.

But in terms of pesticides etc industry still lead the Clinton administration around by the nose.

The lobbyists are the gods whom the pols worship - was then, is now, and will be forever, until we arrive at a sensible way of dealing with our election financing machine.

regulations on the banking industry, insurance and other industries that could profit off the backs of the working people.

They were very much an activist congress pushing through new banking bills for their pals.

so much control over their lives what with private schools and private healthcare..they couldn't believe anyone was in power who wasn't doing their bidding.

While he was far better then the crooks on either side of him, Clinton was at best mediocre. NAFTA, GATT, the WTO the telecom bill, welfare deform.

Longest Economic Expansion in U.S. History. In February 2000, the United States entered the 107th consecutive month of economic expansion -- the longest economic expansion in history.

Moving From Record Deficits to Record Surplus. In 1992, the Federal budget deficit was $290 billion - the largest dollar deficit in American history. In January 1993, the Congressional Budget Office projected that the deficit would grow to $455 billion by 2000. The Office of Management and Budget is now projecting a surplus of at least $230 billion for 2000 - the third consecutive surplus and the largest surplus ever, even after adjusting for inflation. Compared with original projections, that is over $685 billion less in government drain on the economy and over $685 billion more potentially available for private investment in this one year alone. The 2000 surplus is projected to be 2.4 percent of GDP -- the largest surplus as a share of GDP since 1948. This is the first time we have had three surpluses in a row in more than a half century, and it is the second consecutive surplus excluding Social Security.

Paying Off the National Debt. In July 2000, the Treasury Department announced that the United States will pay off $221 billion of debt this year -- the largest one-year debt pay down in American history. This will be the third consecutive year of debt reduction, bringing the three-year total to $360 billion. Public debt is on track to be $2.4 trillion lower in 2000 than was projected in 1993. Debt reduction brings real benefits for the American people -- a family with a home mortgage of $100,000 might expect to save roughly $2,000 per year in mortgage payments. Reduced debt also means lower interest rates and reduced payments on car loans and student loans. With the President's plan, we are now on track to eliminate the nation's publicly held debt by at least 2012.

More Than 22 Million New Jobs. 22.2 million new jobs have been created since 1993, the most jobs ever created under a single Administration -- and more new jobs than Presidents Reagan and Bush created during their three terms. 92 percent (20 million) of the new jobs have been created in the private sector, the highest percentage in 50 years. Under President Clinton and Vice President Gore, the economy has added an average of 248,000 jobs per month, the highest under any President. This compares to 52,000 per month under President Bush and 167,000 per month under President Reagan.

Fastest and Longest Real Wage Growth in Over Three Decades. In the last 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased 3.8 percent -- faster than the rate of inflation. The United States has had five consecutive years of real wage growth -- the longest consecutive increase since the 1960s. Since 1993, real wages are up 6.5 percent, after declining 4.3 percent during the Reagan and Bush years.

Household Income Breaks $40,000 for First Time in History. Income for median households rose $1,072, or 2.7 percent, from $39,744 in 1998 to $40,816, marking an unprecedented fifth year of significant growth in income. In 1999, the median income of African American households increased from $25,911 in 1998 to $27,910 -- an increase of $1,999, or 7.7 percent, which is the largest one-year increase ever recorded. The income of the median Hispanic household, adjusted for inflation, increased from $28,956 in 1998 to $30,735 in 1999 -- an increase of $1,779, or 6.1 percent, which is the largest one-year increase ever recorded.

Unemployment is the Lowest in Over Three Decades. Unemployment is down from 7.5 percent in 1992 to 3.9 percent in September, the lowest in more than three decades. The unemployment rate has fallen for seven years in a row, and has remained below 5 percent for 37 months in a row -- over three full years. Unemployment for African-Americans fell to the lowest level ever recorded, and for Hispanics it remains at historic lows.

Highest Homeownership Rate in History. The homeownership rate reached 67.2 percent in the second quarter of 2000 -- the highest ever recorded. Minority homeownership rates were also the highest ever recorded. In contrast, the homeownership rate fell from 65.6 percent in the first quarter of 1981 to 63.7 percent in the first quarter of 1993. There are almost 9 million more homeowners than in 1993.

Lowest Poverty Rate Since 1979. In 1999, the poverty rate dropped from 12.7 percent to 11.8 percent, the lowest rate in two decades. Since President Clinton and Vice President Gore passed their Economic Plan in 1993, the poverty rate has declined from 15.1 percent in 1993 to 11.8 percent in 1999 - the largest six-year drop in poverty in nearly 30 years (1964-1970). There are now 7 million fewer people in poverty than in 1993, and over 2.2 million, or over 30 percent, of this decline occurred during the past year.

Largest One-Year Drop in Child Poverty in More than Three Decades. Under President Clinton and Vice President Gore child poverty has dropped by 25.6 percent -- from 22.7 percent in 1993 to 16.9 percent in 1999. While this is still too high, it is the lowest child poverty rate since 1979 and includes the largest one-year decline since 1966, which occurred from 1998 to 1999. The African American child poverty rate has fallen 28.2 percent since 1993, and dropped from 36.7 percent in 1998 to 33.1 percent in 1999 -- the largest one-year drop in history and the lowest level on record (data collected since 1959). The Hispanic child poverty rate has fallen by 26 percent since 1993, and dropped from 25.6 percent in 1998 to 22.8 percent in 1999 -- the lowest level since 1979.

Improved Access to Affordable, Quality Child Care and Early Childhood Programs. Under the Clinton-Gore Administration, federal funding for child care has more than doubled, helping parents pay for the care of about 1.5 million children in 1998, and the1996 welfare reform law increased child care funding by $4 billion over six years to provide child care assistance to families moving from welfare to work. Since 1993, the Clinton-Gore Administration has increased funding for the Head Start program by 90 percent, and in FY 2000, the program will serve approximately 880,000 children - over 160,000 more children than in 1993.

Increased the Minimum Wage. The minimum wage has risen from $4.25 to $5.15 per hour, increasing wages for 10 million workers. The President and Vice President have called for an additional increase to $6.15 over two years.

Lowest Crime Rates in a Generation. When President Clinton and Vice President Gore took office in 1993, the violent crime rate in America had more than quadrupled during the previous three decades. Since then, America has experienced the longest continuous drop in crime on record. The overall crime rate is the lowest in 25 years, and in 1999 crime fell for the eighth consecutive year nationwide. Violent crime rate fell 7 percent in 1999 and 27 percent since 1993. Since 1993, the murder rate is down more than 25 percent to its lowest point since 1967, and gun violence has declined by more than 35 percent.

Putting 100,000 More Police on the Streets. In 1999, ahead of schedule and under budget, the Clinton-Gore Administration met its commitment to fund an additional 100,000 police officers for our communities. As a part of the COPS Program, the President announced a distressed neighborhood grant program to increase community policing in high-crime and underserved neighborhoods. To help keep crime at record lows, in fall 1999, the President won funding for the first installment toward his goal to hire up to 50,000 more officers by 2005. This year, the Clinton-Gore budget includes over $1 billion to continue the successful COPS initiative to hire more officers, hire new community prosecutors, give police the tools and technology they need to fight crime, and to fund community-wide crime fighting efforts.

More Than Half a Million Felons, Fugitives and Domestic Abusers Denied Guns. Since taking effect in 1994, the Brady Law has helped to prevent a total of more than 536,000 felons, fugitives, domestic abusers, and other prohibited purchasers from buying guns. In November 1998, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) took effect under the Brady Law, allowing access to a fuller set of records that law enforcement officials can use to conduct checks of all prospective gun purchases -- not just for handguns. As of March 2000, NICS has conducted over 10 million background checks on gun purchasers, and stopped an estimated 179,000 illegal gun sales.

Cracking Down on the Most Serious Gun Criminals. President Clinton and Vice President Gore have established a tough records of enforcement of our nation's gun laws by helping law enforcement take serious gun criminals out of our communities and put them where they belong: behind bars. The number of federal firearms cases prosecuted by the U.S. Attorneys increased 16 percent, from 4,754 in 1992 to 5,500 in 1999. And, by providing federal, state and local law enforcement and prosecutors with the tools they need to crack down on gun criminals, overall gun prosecutions have increased 22 percent. In addition, the average sentence for federal gun offenders has increased by nearly two years, and federal law enforcement is successfully targeting the most serious gun offenders. Between 1992 and 1998, the number of federal gun defendants sentenced to prison for three years or more went up 20 percent, and the number sentenced to five years or more went up 12 percent.

Largest Gun Enforcement Initiative in History. This year, President Clinton has proposed the largest gun enforcement initiative ever. The initiative would provide a record $280 million to add 500 new federal ATF agents and inspectors to target violent gun criminals and illegal gun traffickers that supply guns to criminals and juveniles, and fund over 1,000 new federal, state, and local gun prosecutors to take dangerous gun offenders off the streets. This initiative would also expand the ATF's crime gun tracing program by providing tracing equipment and training to 250 additional law enforcement agencies and by creating the first nationally integrated ballistics testing system. The new ballistics testing system will help law enforcement use the unique "fingerprints" of bullets or shell casings left at the scene of a crime to identify gun criminals -- even in the absence of a firearm.

Enacted Single Largest Investment in Health Care for Children since 1965. The five year, $24 billion State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) will provide health care coverage for up to five million children. Two million children have already been enrolled, and in October 1999 President Clinton announced new outreach initiatives to enroll millions more uninsured, eligible children. Last year, the President launched a nationwide "Insure Kids Now" campaign that will bring together major TV and radio networks, healthcare organizations, religious groups and other community-based organizations to help enroll more children in the Children's Health Insurance Program, with the goal of enrolling 5 million of the estimated 10 million children eligible for health insurance under S-CHIP within 5 years. As of June 2000, approximately 2.5 million children were enrolled in S-CHIP. This year, the budget includes sev! eral of Vice President Gore's proposals to accelerate enrollment of children in S-CHIP. The President is also proposing a new FamilyCare program, which would give States the option to cover parents in the same plan as their children.

Home ownership. almost always goes up even if Republicans are in charge, it just works that way. I believe it has also gone up under Bush. Yes the economy was better under Clinton then Bush or Reagan, no doubt! However it was not all that hot if we look at the changes since the end of WWII. Does it matter that Clinton reduced the capital gains tax rate? damn straight it does, wages from work should not be taxed at a higher rate then wages from wealth. There is just no rational reason to do so. Virtually every stat you name while I will grant they are accurate and a good thing are only relative to how crappy they were under what has been a republican dominated quarter century.
I voted twice for Clinton, I will vote for Hillery if she wins the nomination, but the fact remains Bill Clinton did a lot of crap to suck up to big money and as a result was only better in comparison to Bush and Reagan then he was if looked at in total and in isolation.

Yes the economy was better under Clinton then Bush or Reagan, no doubt! However it was not all that hot if we look at the changes since the end of WWII.

I don't see your point here unless you're saying not being able to return the economy to the post WWII era was a bas thing. The economy under Clinton, which he had much to do with, was the best since the mid 70s.

the fact remains Bill Clinton did a lot of crap to suck up to big money

Well, Clinton did do many things to help big money. But he also did many more things to help the lower and middle classes. If I could nail down the difference between "progressives," centrists like Clinton, and conservatives, in one sentence it would be this: "Progressives" are ONLY concerned with the lower class, conservatives the upper class, and centrists lift all boats.

and as a result was only better in comparison to Bush and Reagan then he was if looked at in total and in isolation.

The accomplishments of the Clinton administration not only surpassed those of Reagan/Bush but also of Carter and most other 20th century Presidents.

Hell, looking at things like the '96 Telecom Act and the repeal of the Glass=Steagall Act, it really doesn't seem like Clinton tightened up much, if anything:shrug:

For all the Republicans' success at winning Presidential elections since 1968, their performance down-ballot was - to be frank - not too impressive. After the 1968 elections, the Democrats held a 243 to 192 majority in the House and a 57 to 43 majority in the Senate. After the 1990 elections, the Democrats held a 268 to 167 majority in the House and a 56 to 44 majority in the Senate. You don't have to be a political scientist to determine that doesn't look like progress. Even Reagan, one of the most popular Presidents of the 20th century and the most effective pitch man in GOP history, couldn't prevent the Democrats from gaining a net of 25 House seats and 9 Senate seats between 1980 and 1990. So I think the Republican anger at Clinton in 1992 was because he took away their one success story; why this vitriolic hatred toward Clinton (who, in substance, was probably the most conservative Democratic president since Grover Cleveland) didn't subside after 1994, though, is anyone's guess - maybe a poltical calculation that the hyper-partisan Clinton-centric war was good politics.