Posted by Dan Ewert : 6/16/2003 11:18:00 PM (Archive Link)
I’m a little behind in my blogging. In fact, there was a Washington Post story I was going to comment on but you now have to pay to access it. It concerned Bill Clinton’s continued influence in the Democratic party and how their various candidates are getting constant advice from Bill. As I recall, one of my favorite parts was a quote from one of the folks complimenting Clinton on his many successes as president. He cited North Korea as one of them. That’s like saying you had great success at disciplining your child by grounding him to his room filled with toys, a computer, a tv, and a Playstation. Considering what an unmitigated failure the NK agreement has turned out to be, it’s really quite amazing that some (prominent) Democrats believe it otherwise. It’s also frightening. Bribery of dictators has never really worked too well.

A few of the candidates also complimented Clinton’s handling of the economy. This is similar to how Hilary Clinton, in the Barbara Walters’ interview, said that it broke her heart what Bush had done to the Clinton economy… the economy that Bill had “turned around.” This is an old canard. Can anybody give me specific examples of how Bill Clinton’s policies were responsible for the economic boom of the 90’s? Anybody? Or was the boom… could it be?... the result of market forces related to technology and the internet? Also, let’s not forget that the economy had already started to turn at the end of 1992 before Clinton had a chance to do squat and that it solidly started on its downturn during 2000 when he was still prez. This is an aspect that Clinton has unfairly appropriated. However, since the good economy is the only real positive thing that occurred during his two terms (even if he was in no way responsible for it), he’s desperate to take credit for it. Then he can delude himself into thinking that a century from now, he’ll be remembered as something more than that president who got impeached for lying about an improper ual relationship and who passed the buck on terrorism so that we wound up with 9/11.