"It is imperative that respect for the rule of law be restored."

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Two words: Newt Gingrich

Three more words: Contract with America

4 more words: Clinton taking the credit.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

thats exactly right: with all three branches controlled by the republicans, you can only give credit where its due - to the republicans. since we have a republican congress now, and its spending like no other, you cannot say that a republican congress is fiscally responsible (under clinton, or otherwise) Therefore, NO CREDIT can be given to the republican congress under clinton for the turnaround of the budget, since we know from today that a republican congress is not fiscally responsible. We must therefore give all the credit to CLINTON.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

It has much more to do with a party coming into power needing to affect change by setting the agenda. However, once in power any party tends to pander in order to buy votes.

Very little to do with it being Repug or Demonrat per se. It would be intersting to see if Demonrats become the party of small government (I doubt it since they still are the party of entitlement) whilst the Repugs look to be the big tent party (i.e the party that buys votes).

It ultimately comes down to one of my deeply held beliefs that no collection/group of men (political, social, religious) ever hold to their founding principles as the need for the group to survive and/or expand its influence will at some time come at cross purposes to its original puposes.

[Odin]

Clinton forced the repubs to play by his tune after he humilliated them during the '95 government shutdown, IIRC.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Sure if you say so..... bwaahaahaa

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Ogie Oglethorpe
Sure if you say so..... bwaahaahaa

--

Btw, the easy thing to do is compare the Clinton Administration in 1994 and the Clinton Administration in 1996. Vastly different beasts (one that pissed off die hards like Carville to no end). Clinton was a very smart politician. He knew the way the winds were blowing and moved strongly to the right and co-opted a lot of Republican proposals, like welfare reform.

[Odin]

If Clinton was sucking up so much to Republicans they would of never tried to impeach him over a blowjob.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Who the hell are you kidding? Even if you are getting your way pwning the executive doesn't mean that the Repugs weren't attempting to set themselves up for a run at teh whitehouse in 2000. Granted it was a terrible PR failure but it was a calculated gamble that the repugs thought would gain them an overwhelming public outcry of support for their cause. Instead it caused Saint Willy to be Martyred (and rightly so as the Repubs were a) Morons and b) wasting taxpayer money and c) Causing Clinton to expend all his political capital to the exclusion of everything else can you say gathering threats gone unheeded because of this useless tripe).

The ability to actually impreach him if anything showed how strong the Repubs were. They vastly overestimated their strength in thinking it would result in a resignation (or perhaps they overestimated the moral character of Clinton thinking he would be at least as honorable as Nixon )

Seriously pulling off an impeachment (in the face of Meh national polling opinions) easily shows how strong the repubs were and how desperately weak Clinton was.

[DaShi]

Originally posted by Ogie Oglethorpe
Two words: Newt Gingrich

Three more words: Contract with America

4 more words: Clinton taking the credit.

Most republilcans don't like to talk to people about the Contract with America. Mostly because people will start comparing it to America today.

What promise in the Contract have republicans kept?

[MosesPresley]

The ten bills of the Contract with America. I don't see how any of these led to the Clinton recovery.

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT - A balanced budget/tax limitation amendment
(H.J.Res. 1) and a legislative line-item veto (H.R. 2) to restore fiscal responsibility to an
out-of-control Congress.

TAKING BACK OUR STREETS ACT - An anti-crime package including stronger
truth-in-sentencing (H.R. 667), "good faith" exclusionary rule exemptions (H.R. 666),
effective death penalty provisions (H.R. 729), and cuts in social spending for this summer's
"crime" bill to fund prison construction and additional law enforcement (H.R. 728)
to keep people secure in their neighborhoods and kids safe in their schools.

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT - Discourage illegitimacy and teen pregnancy by
prohibiting welfare to minor mothers and denying increased AFDC for additional children
while on welfare, cut spending for welfare programs, and enact a tough two-years-and-out
provision with work requirements to promote individual responsibility. (H.R. 4)

FAMILY REINFORCEMENT ACT - Child support enforcement (H.R. 4), tax incentives
for adoption (H.R. 1215), strengthening rights of parents in their children's education
(H.R. 1215), stronger child pornography laws, and an elderly dependent care tax credit to
reinforce the central role of families in American society.

AMERICAN DREAM RESTORATION ACT - A $500 per child tax credit, begin repeal
of the marriage tax penalty, and creation of American Dream Savings Accounts to
provide middle class tax relief. (H.R. 1215)

NATIONAL SECURITY RESTORATION ACT - No U.S. troops under U.N. command
and restoration of the essential parts of our national security funding to strengthen
our national defense and maintain our credibility around the world. (H.R. 7)

SENIOR CITIZENS FAIRNESS ACT - Raise the Social Security earnings limit, which
currently forces seniors out of the work force, repeal the 1993 tax hikes on Social Security
benefits and provide tax incentives for private long-term care insurance to let Older
Americans keep more of what they have earned over the years. (H.R. 1215)

JOB CREATION AND WAGE ENHANCEMENT ACT Small business incentives,
capital gains cuts and indexation, neutral cost recovery, risk assessment/cost-benefit analysis
(H.R. 9), strengthening the Regulatory Flexibility Act (H.R. 450) and unfunded mandate
reform (H.R. 5) to create jobs and raise worker wages.

COMMON SENSE LEGAL REFORM ACT - "Loser pays" laws (H.R. 988, H.R.
1058), reasonable limits on punitive damages and reform of product liability laws (H.R.
956) to stem the endless tide of litigation.

CITIZEN LEGISLATURE ACT - A first-ever vote
on term limits to replace career politicians with citizen
legislators. (H.J.Res. 73)