Open Left

Mike Is Right

Mike - I worked on the Hill during the first couple of years of the Clinton Admin and I agree with your premise.  While the Clinton Admin screwed up a lot of stuff in the first couple of years it is not as though they didn't try to enact some major progressive policies.  You don't have to like all details of the Clinton Health Plan but it was a big idea and it was the ONLY real attempt in the past 35 yrs to reform our health system and provide universal coverage.  According to Bill Kristol, the Rs were so scared of it that set out to destroy it immediately.

I know it wasn't single payer but single payer was never a reality - it had 90 votes in the House which isn't even halfway to the 218 you need to pass something.  It had even less support in the Senate.

Clinton didn't move to incrementalism until after the 1994 elections.  I do believe Clinton was a bit of narcissist and that he should be faulted for not doing more to build the party in the 1990s. 

However, I think it is really easy to Monday morning QB in 2007 while ignoring the fact that country was more attracted to conservative policies and rhetoric at that time.  All you have to do is look at the election results from 1980-2000 to see that.  I am thrilled that progressive ideas and policies are being well received today but the fact of the matter is that was not nearly as true in the 1990s. 

---

by: John Mills @ Wed Aug 22, 2007 at 12:13:48 PM CDT