Open Left

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Is all of that really so trivial to the millions of people whose lives have been helped by these accomplishments that it can be summarily dismissed with a throw away line about v-chips and school uniforms?

No, I don't beat my wife.

Clinton set us up for Bush.  He was a mediocre President.  Deal with it.

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by: Matt Stoller @ Wed Aug 22, 2007 at 10:36:42 AM CDT

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Answer my questions. (4.00 / 2)

This is exactly the kind of thoughtful, constructive, bridge building dialogue that I had hoped for. And I'm glad to get the truth handed down from the Stoller mountaintop, that's jut the kind of clarity I needed to complete my political education.
But clever lines aside, answer my questions:

-are the good things achieved in the Clinton years trivial?

-if our goal is getting people more excited about politics and voting and activism, does it help us to be so completely dismissive of the differences between Dems and Repubs? Does that help us build the progressive movement? 

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by: Mike Lux @ Wed Aug 22, 2007 at 10:59:42 AM CDT

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Narcissism... (4.00 / 1)

...thy name is Stoller?

Seriously, though.

If some in the netroots punditocracy think it's a good idea to run down the impressive record of the Clinton years (largest peace-time economic expansion in American history, anyone?), then what the hell do you propose we "sell" to the American public to prove our ability to steer the country in the right direction?

What's the Point?

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by: Vermonter @ Wed Aug 22, 2007 at 11:50:50 AM CDT

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meh (0.00 / 0)

-are the good things achieved in the Clinton years trivial?

Mostly, yes.

Family and Medical Leave.

Good.

The '93 budget act, which dramatically raised taxes on the wealthy, dramatically cut them on the poor, and provided more money for progressive social programs than any other budget since LBJ.

Reversed, lost us Congress.

The only two gun control laws passed in the last 40 years.

Assault weapons ban, wasn't that reversed?

The only minimum wage increase passed in a two decade span.

Kept up with inflation?  Whoa, amazing.

Standing up to and facing down Gingrich, at the height of his power and popularity, on the 1995 budget. Steady budget increases, year after year even aftert the Repubs took congress, in a variety of important federal programs like Head Start, education, and children's health care. 

Reversed

The SCHIP program. The Kennedy-Kassebaum health bill.

Good.

Strong progressive appointees at the NLRB, FCC, OSHA, HHS, DOJ, Education Dept, and dozens of other really important agencies in making everyday folks lives better.

Reversed, and these agencies weren't as progressive as you make them out to be.  Still, reversed.

-if our goal is getting people more excited about politics and voting and activism, does it help us to be so completely dismissive of the differences between Dems and Repubs? Does that help us build the progressive movement?

no, i don't beat my wife, and yes, pointing out that clinton was not a progressive is a good thing.

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by: Matt Stoller @ Wed Aug 22, 2007 at 18:40:32 PM CDT

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well (0.00 / 0)

thoughtful, constructive, bridge building dialogue that I had hoped for....

read stollers completly limited view and attack below of the entire clinton administration and you will know why so many former clintonites can bot understand just what you were thinking getting into bed with this arrogant, myopic kind of thinking.

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by: dem dem @ Fri Aug 24, 2007 at 12:21:11 PM CDT

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bs attitudes like this one (0.00 / 0)

masquerading as deep thought, created the script for many progressives that in 2000 that Bush = Gore.

That naderite thinking gave us Bush, not the Clintons.

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by: dem dem @ Fri Aug 24, 2007 at 12:16:58 PM CDT

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