Who is the best US President, in your opinion?

[Hoek]

NAFTA was not the only free trade issue that arose. Talks towards a Free Trade Area of the Americas and the formation of the WTO are other clear examples of Clinton's key support of free trade (he had fast-track trade authority, remember). Additionally, the Vietnam trade package and normalization of trade with China were also positive signs. The president has veto power, which makes him the most important legislator in the American government. I didn't like Clinton very much, but I believe in giving credit where credit was due.

Fiscal discipline means that you actually try to manage a budget and responsibly raise government funds. The fact that government spending increased isn't necessarily a bad thing. Fiscal discipline means you try to do something about national debt. What we need is a line-item veto amendment to the constitution to quit building budgets and tax codes that benefit narrow slices of the population instead of the country generally.

Bush's economic policies are quite poor, however. They seek to benefit pretty much only campaign contributers and are going to give us financial problems continuing for years to come. Giving the wealthiest people the biggest tax cuts is not going to spur growth, it's just going to sit in savings accounts.

[Wraith]

--"Talks towards a Free Trade Area of the Americas"

Talk is meaningless without any intention of a follow-up.

--"and the formation of the WTO"

Yet another regulatory body. This is not free trade, this is managed trade. If he wanted free trade he would have pressed for things like ending all embargoes (such as with Cuba) and ending all tariffs.

--"Fiscal discipline means that you actually try to manage a budget and responsibly raise government funds"

Fine, but the quote in question specifically said "cut spending" not "fiscal discipline".

And although I agree with you than a line-item veto would probably be a good thing, I don't think it would have the effect you predict. It's just change which narrow slices are getting the benefit (to favor whichever party the President is from).

I won't argue with you much on Bush. I haven't seen good economic policies from the party leaders of the Republicans or Democrats.

However...
--"it's just going to sit in savings accounts."

What do you think banks do with money in savings accounts? Stick in the vault? That's not how they make the money that gets put back in interest (and their salaries). They loan it out, largely in the form of business loans.

Wraith
No matter how cynical you get, it's impossible to keep up