Bill Clinton slams GOP economic record

Mon, 02/16/2009 - 10:00pm — Misty

This video is from CNN's American Morning, broadcast Feb. 16, 2009.

CNNs John Robert talked with Bill Clinton about President Obamas economic policy. Clinton said that Obama is doing exactly what he would do in the same situation.

"I find it amazing that the Republicans who doubled the debt of the country in eight years and produced no new jobs doing it, gave us an economic record that was totally at any benefit of any productive results are now criticizing him for spending money, he said.

Part One

Part Two

The right wing will say or do anything to get the blame off of themselves. Clinton now is their target for agreeing to end the GlassSteigel Act in the final budget --- a move which was pushed by everyone of them at the time -- now it is a convenient way to blame Clinton and get the heat off themselves. The current climate is about whose side you are on -- not about honestly doling out blame. Dems have to wise up and make sure that they understand this is political war more than it is about philosophy or issues specifics.

The Economy

Mon, 02/16/2009 - 10:24pm — RRA

Oh yes, Clinton the Devil

Oh yes, Clinton the Devil to the GOP....wasn't he the same one who was more fiscal conservative than the last 3 GOP Presidents combined?

Tue, 02/17/2009 - 12:41am — lephead4obama

I couldn't believe my eyes

I couldn't believe my eyes when I read that they're trying to blame Clinton for the last eight years. I think, they're also trying to forget who was in office during the last eight years too.

Fri, 01/15/2010 - 12:51pm — MIforObama

Do you blame them for

Do you blame them for wanting to forget who was in office the last eight years? lol

In all seriousness though who in their right minds would believe that President Clinton was the one responsible for the recession that we are right now pulling ourselves out of and here we are NINE years after Clinton's administration came to an end with one of the biggest, if not the biggest budget surplus on record.

Mon, 02/16/2009 - 11:09pm — Suzi LeVeaux

Ah, but it gets

Ah, but it gets better....They are calling the mess we are in "Obama's economy". Soooo, did the last eight years just not happen? Was it all a bad dream?? Did we go from a balanced budget, with a surplus, to a trainwreck of an economy, without any fault belonging to the last administration? Do they really expect the American people to believe that? If you do....

I've got some ocean front property in Arizona.....

Mon, 02/16/2009 - 11:16pm — magus_melchior

That's especially

That's especially considering Obama campaigned against the GOP and Bush's policies so effectively. It's as if they're waving their arms wildly and saying, "NO NO NO NO! IT'S THE TAX-AND-SPEND DEMOCRATS!! IT'S THE DEMOCRATS THAT DID THIS!!!"
----

It's sad that we've reached a point where 'government service' is a dirty word... If we're the greatest country on earth, maybe we can have the greatest government.

Lewis Black

Mon, 02/16/2009 - 11:26pm — Suzi LeVeaux

I guess they have no idea

I guess they have no idea how absurd they sound. And look with the GOP approval ratings at 31%....even after their showdown over the stimulus.

Tue, 02/17/2009 - 12:20am — Misty

David Frum: CNN ask the

David Frum: CNN ask the public whether Republicans are doing enough to cooperate with President Obama, 60% said no. Asked whether President Obama is doing enough to cooperate with Republicans, 74% said yes.

Last week the Republicans looked not only irrelevant, but clueless and silly. Quite a job for a little mouse.

Yeah because we all know how

Yeah because we all know how TERRIBLE Clinton's economy was!! All those jobs and surpluses *involuntary shudder*. I don't know how we made it through those tough times (sarcasm)!! =)

Tue, 02/17/2009 - 8:27am — Warsame

Hey bubba! We would never

Hey bubba!

We would never have had Bush if you had kept your penis in check!

Tue, 02/17/2009 - 9:38am — alina

Are you saying it IS all

Are you saying it IS all Clinton's fault? ;)

Tue, 02/17/2009 - 10:17am — Brandon

Warsame is 100% right. Al

Warsame is 100% right. Al Gore should have won in a landslide and the scandal of Bill Clinton is the reason he did not.

Not much of a choice in 2000. I voted for Bush because I knew Al Gore wasn't smart enough to be president and I only suspected that Bush was incompetent.

Tue, 02/17/2009 - 5:25pm — lephead4obama

Gee Brandon, you're on a

Gee Brandon, you're on a roll. Gore did in fact lose in 2000 because of Clinton's scandals. Wow. is this like the first or second true statement you've posted? LOL

FYI I voted for Nader in 2000 because I was tired of the continuous mergers and deregulation. I think there was something there to worry about.

Tue, 02/17/2009 - 9:51pm — BlakeyV

He had it checked, daily and

He had it checked, daily and it still fit.

Tue, 02/17/2009 - 8:49am — MaryMoo

Time magazine named Clinton

Time magazine named Clinton as one of the Top 25 people to blame. Sounds more like he is deflecting more to the GOP to redeem himself in the wake of this article.

Seems that that the signing the Commodity Futures Modernization Act that exempted all derivatives, including CDS from federal regulation is more to blame then removing barriers between commercial and investment banking. It's doubtful that Clinton could have forseen the fallout from this legislation. Someone however should have asked the question what could possibly happen. There is always unintended consequences to government action.

Time faults his actions (including rewriting the CRA) as aiding the permissive lending environment. Not a terrible indictment but I guess hurt his ego since he feels the need to defend himself.

Good article that cites all of the factors going into this crisis and it is much more complex than simple tax cut and spend politics of the last 8 years.

Makes me wonder if there is ever any long term critical thinking that goes on in DC about possble consequences or is it solely about addressing today and not thinking about tomorrow?

Tue, 02/17/2009 - 9:24am — Nightporch

The Commodity Futures

The Commodity Futures Modernization Act is another example of a bill the Republicans want to pin on the Dems that was actually their baby, and again it's Graham that was a key player. Slipped into a must pass 11,000 page ominbus bill after Bush won the election, given no hearing or debate in either Republican controlled house:

"Given the above-stated chronology, it would appear that the House and Senate versions of the bill were introduced just prior to the Christmas holiday in December 2000, following George W Bush's (first) election (in November 2000), while then-President Clinton was serving out his final days as President. The bill was never debated by the House or Senate. The bill by-passed the substantive policy committees in both the House and the Senate so that there were neither hearings nor opportunities for recorded committee votes. In substance, it appears that the leadership of the Republican-controlled Senate and House incorporated the deregulation of credit default swaps into an omnibus budget bill (without hearings or recorded votes)at a time when the outgoing president was in no position to veto anything. The following article suggests that Bill Clinton and Alan Greenspan endorsed this law The Bet That Blew Up Wall Street though Clinton's position in 2000 is only suggested, not confirmed or made clear in the report."

Tue, 02/17/2009 - 9:58am — MaryMoo

Just as I have read about

Just as I have read about Bush - it happened on his watch.

Time is assigning this to Clinton as well.

Tue, 02/17/2009 - 10:35am — Suzi LeVeaux

If we are totally fair

If we are totally fair here, "blame" can be assigned, in some way, to all presidents going back to Carter. The bottom line, IMO, is that although the Bush administration is the main culprit, there were policies put in place during the Clinton years that led to this mess...mainly in the housing market and deregulation.

Tue, 02/17/2009 - 5:07pm — SG8970

( :

Tue, 02/17/2009 - 6:23pm — dbmcgaw

Nate Silver has a good

Nate Silver has a good analysis of this at: http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/02/clinton-economic-record-and-rising.html

Thu, 01/14/2010 - 10:49am — Phyl

You know what guys, they are

You know what guys, they are all to blame and we, the american people are to blame for letting them continue. What do you think about impossing term limits on all senators and congressmen. Only let them serve a specific number of terms, keep them from building up too much good ole boy favors, and send them home. What do you think.?

Thu, 01/14/2010 - 11:28am — Suzi LeVeaux

Term limits have both

Term limits have both positives and negatives, although our Founding Fathers never intended politics to be be a career, but rather an unslefish time of giving to the nation.

Thu, 01/14/2010 - 11:52am — Texas Grandmother

an unslefish time of giving

an unslefish time of giving to the nation.

Oh that it were so.

Thu, 01/14/2010 - 1:10pm — Suzi LeVeaux

Bill Clinton slams GOP economic record

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