Reply #13: No flame here... [View All]

[ikojo]

You give an excellent analysis of the Clinton years. People like to say that the economy was good during his years and while that may be true, the disparity in wealth increased greatly under the Clinton administration.

Clinton signed welfare "reform" into legislation: this pushed many low-skilled welfare recipients into the work force where they competed for wages in the low-wage job market. Employers were given tax incentives if they hired former welfare recipients and in some cases were not even required to pay them minimum wage but could get by with a training wage.

Clinton also pushed NAFTA through a Democratic controlled congress. Yes, he had to sell the farm to get it through but he was successful. He also pushed through PNTR (permanet normal trade relations) with China as well as partied with the WTO reps in Seattle while the REAL Democrats were in the streets protesting the corporate agenda (I was there.)

There was also no real increase in the minimum wage under his watch.

Need I even mention "Don't ask don't tell?" this from a "liberal" president?

Basically, Clinton was the best Republican president the Democrats ever elected.

I know he won two terms but fewer people voted in 1996 than voted in 1992. When he ran AND WON in 1992 I was so hopeful that it meant a sea change from 12 years of Reagan/Bush. I was disappointed when I saw him cave to the right-wing time and time again. First it was nominees as Attorney General and then it was the gays in the military.