Bill Clinton: Unlikely Hero of the Liberal Netroots

[Beacool]

How times have changed. In his own era, the 1990s, Bill Clinton was hardly the flag-bearer for the nation's fledgling liberal "netroots" -- the grassroots blogosphere -- let alone the darling of the Democratic left.

For starters, the man didn't even know how to use a computer. And during the 1992 presidential campaign, then-Gov. Clinton signed off on the execution of a brain-damaged African-American inmate, baited Jesse Jackson, and promised to "end welfare as we know it" – all while vowing to be a "different kind of Democrat." As president, he refused to end discrimination against gays in the military, signed a federal law in time for his 1996 re-election that was aimed at barring gay marriage, and failed to get a single vote in the Senate for the Kyoto climate accords.

That was then. This was now.

Reincarnated as a gay rights-supporting, climate change-touting, netroots-loving apostle of liberal bloggers and progressive politics, Clinton made his appearance Thursday night at the Netroots Nation convention in Pittsburgh, where an adoring crowd didn't seem to mind a bit that in one respect Clinton hadn't changed at all in two decades: He was still late.

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/08/13/bill-clinton-unlikely-hero-of-the-liberal-netroots/

:D

[Bragi]

1. A somewhat contrary view

[Beacool]

17. The Clintons were the poorest couple to enter the WH in decades.

Bill was making 35K as governor, Hillary was the one who had to work to earn the family's money. So I don't begrudge Bill for getting some corporate critters to pay him a hefty fee for a speech. He sure as hell does enough for humanity through his foundation and the AIDS Global Initiative.

;-)

[jasi2006]

21. I agree.. Was it the peace or prosperity we didn't like about Bill? nt

[blm]

22. and don't begrudge him the tens of millions he's taken from same Dubai royals protected when BCCI

matters were deepsixed throughout the 90s.

And the millions from Jackson Stephens and Co. who were also protected from BCCI matters deepsixed in the 90s.

And the millions from Saudi royals protected by the deepsixing of BCCI matters.

[ronnykmarshall]

2. Oh this is gonna be FUN!

[Beacool]

9. I know..........

:D

Although, I don't agree with some of what the author said, such as Bill's supposed "refusal" to end discrimination against gays. That is pure B.S. Bill tried, but 1993 was not 2009. It would be a lot easier nowadays to have done away with the ban of gays in the military and gay marriage since these two issues have become much more acceptable to the general public. In 1993 Bill was getting it from all sides, including some in his own party. Historical perspective should not be so easily dismissed.

[ronnykmarshall]

11. Oh looky .... right on time

See below.

[Beacool]

13. Yeah, like clockwork.............

LOL!!!

The following article is strictly for Big Dawg's fans, I don't want the battle that would ensue otherwise:

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/08/10/bill-clinton-back-on-top-of-the-democratic-party?icid=sphere_blogsmith_inpage_poldaily

[Control-Z]

19. Oh, and what a battle that would be. n/t

[Beacool]

20. Yep, I get clobbered enough as it is around here.

I don't need any more grief. LOL!!!

:7


:hi:

[OwnedByFerrets]

3. Its easier being Progressive when you dont have to

depend on corporate campaign donations. Very little he did while in office helped middle america.

[onehandle]

4. 22.4 million jobs created...

November 3, 2000

The Clinton-Gore Economic Record: The Longest Expansion In History And Over 22.4 Million New Jobs

Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Released a New Employment Report Showing that Over 22.4 Million Jobs Have Been Created Since January 1993. In 1992, when Bill Clinton was elected President, the American economy was barely creating jobs, wages were stagnant, and the unemployment rate was 7.5 percent. President Clinton’s bold, three-part economic strategy has focused on three objectives: fiscal discipline, investing in education, health care, science and technology; and opening foreign markets. This strategy has helped create over 22.4 million jobs and contributed to the longest economic expansion in U.S. history.

22.4 Million New Jobs Created Under the Clinton-Gore Administration. Since January 1993, the economy has added 22.4 million new jobs. That’s the most jobs ever created under a single Administration -- and more new jobs than Presidents Reagan and Bush created during their three terms. Under President Clinton, the economy has added an average of 240,000 jobs per month, the highest of any President on record. This compares to 52,000 per month under President Bush and 167,000 per month under President Reagan.

92 Percent -- 20.6 Million -- of the New Jobs Have Been Created in the Private Sector. Since President Clinton and Vice President Gore took office, the private sector of the economy has added 20.6 million new jobs. That is 92 percent of the 22.4 million new jobs -- the highest percentage since Harry S. Truman was President and presiding over the post-World War II demobilization.

The Unemployment Rate Was 3.9 Percent in October -- Nearly the Lowest in Three Decades. The unemployment rate stayed low at 3.9 percent in October -- nearly the lowest in three decades. The unemployment rate has fallen for seven years in a row. It has remained below 5 percent for 40 months in a row. For women the unemployment rate was 3.9 percent -- nearly the lowest since 1953.

African American and Hispanic Unemployment Rates Are the Lowest on Record. The unemployment rate for African Americans has fallen from 14.2 percent in 1992 to 7.3 percent in October 2000 for an average of 7.6 percent in the first ten months of 2000 -- the lowest rate on record. Unemployment for Hispanics has fallen from 11.8 percent in October of 1992 to 5.0 percent in October of 2000 -- the lowest rate on record.

Most Rapid Growth in Construction Jobs In 50 Years. After losing 662,000 jobs in construction during the previous four years, 2.2 million new construction jobs have been added during the Clinton-Gore years – that’s a faster annual rate (5.4 percent) than any other Administration since Harry S. Truman was President.

Fastest and Longest Real Wage Growth in Over Three Decades. In the last 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased 4.0 percent. The United States has had five consecutive years of real wage growth -- the longest consecutive increase since the 1960s. Since 1993, real wages are up 6.9 percent, after declining 4.3 percent during the Reagan-Bush years.

Inflation – Lowest Since the 1960s. Inflation remains relatively stable, with the underlying core rate of inflation at 2.5 percent in the last 12 months -- nearly the lowest rate since 1965. For 1999, the GDP price index grew only 1.5 percent. In the last two years, GDP inflation was lower than at any time since 1963.



More...


Clinton-Gore Administration Accomplishments

Progress By The Numbers

Jobs & The Economy:


Jobs

22.2 million new jobs created since 1993 -- the most jobs ever created under a single Administration,administration, and more jobs than Presidents Reagan and Bush created during their three terms. Under President Clinton, the economy has added an average of 245,000248,000 jobs per month, the highest of any President on record. This compares to 52,000 per month under President Bush and 167,000 per month under President Reagan.

Unemployment

Down from 7.5 percent in 1992 to 3.9 percent in September, the lowest in more than three decades. The unemployment rate has fallen for seven years in a row, and has remained below 5 percent for 37 months in a row -- over three full years.

Income

Median family income has increased from $42,612 in 1993 to $48,950 in 1999 - an $6,338 increase. In contrast, median family income fell from $44,354 in 1988 to $42,490 in 1992.

Wages

Real wages have risen 6.66.5 percent since 1993, compared to declining 4.3 percent during the Reagan and Bush years. Real wage growth in 1998 reached 2.6 percent -- the largest increase since 1972. Wages have increased five years in a row -- the longest consecutive increase since the 1960s. In the last 12 months, average hourly earnings have sustained growth since the early 1970s.increased 3.8 percent -- faster than the rate of inflation. 6/00]

Tax Cuts

15 million additional working families receive additional tax relief through the President’s expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit. In 1999, the EITC lifted 4.1 million out of poverty -- nearly double the number who were removed from poverty in 1993. Over half of the people removed from poverty by the EITC (2.3 million) were children under the age of 18.

$500 per-child
tax credit

27 million families with 45 million children receive the $500 per-child tax credit.

Minimum Wage

10 million Americans received an increase in wages thanks to the President’s leadership in raising the minimum wage from $4.25 to $5.15 per hour.

New Businesses

More than 5.9 million new businesses have been created since 1993.

National Debt

Paid off $360 billion of the national debt over three years, and public debt is on track to be $2.4 trillion lower in 2000 than was projected in 1993. There is $25,000 less debt for each family of four than in 1993. With the President's plan, we are on track to eliminate the nation's publicly held debt by at least 2012.

Home Ownership

Reached 67.2 percent in the second quarter of 2000 -- the highest ever recorded. Minority homeownership rates were also the highest ever recorded. In contrast, the homeownership rate fell from 65.6 percent in the first quarter of 1981 to 63.7 percent in the first quarter of 1993.

Expanding Educational Opportunity: Elementary and Secondary Schools


Teachers

Nearly 30,000 new, well-prepared teachers were hired for fall 1999 with funds from the first down payment on the President’s seven-year plan to reduce class size by hiring 100,000 teachers.

After School Programs

850,000 school-age children in rural and urban communities will have safe and educational after-school opportunities in 2000 because of the expanded 21st Century Community Learning Centers program -- 375,000 more than last year.

Education Technology

30 million children and up to 47,000 schools and libraries are being connected to the Internet though the E-rate. In the fall of 1998, 891999, 95 percent of public schools were connected to the Internet. In 1994, just 35 percent were connected. Internet -- up from 35 percent in 1994. In 1999, 63 percent of all public school classrooms were connected to the Internet -- up from 3 percent in 1994. Stats in Brief NCES 2000-086, 2/00]

Title I

1111 million low-income students in 13,000 school districts now benefit from higher expectations and a challenging curriculum geared to higher standards. And through better targeting of federal funds, Title I funds now reach 95 percent of highest poverty schools, up from 79 percent in 1993-94.

Charter Schools

Increased the number of charter schools from one in 1993 to 1,7002,000 today. More than 250,000 students nationwide are now enrolled in charter schools in 30 states and the District of Columbia. Won $145 million in the FY00 budget, to provide startup funding to as many as 2,400 charter schools. Charter schools help expand choice and accountability in public schools.

America Reads Challenge

1,400 colleges and universities joined the President's America Reads Challenge, and 26,700 college work-study students now serve as reading tutors to help every child to read well and independently by the third grade.

Mentoring

Won a 67 percent funding increase so that 482,000 middle school students will be prepared for college this year through expanded mentoring efforts as part of GEAR UP.

School-To-Work

516,000 high school students and nearly 178,000 employers participated in school-to-work programs in 1998.

Scores Are Up

Since 1992, average SAT scores have increased by 15 points. In 1998, students posted the highest math scores in 27 years on the SAT. And the number of high school students taking Advanced Placement exams tripled between 1984 and 1997.

Expanding Educational Opportunity: Postsecondary Education and Training

Tuition Tax Credits

In 1999, an estimated 10 million American families claimed the HOPE Scholarship and Lifetime Learning Tax Credits to help pay for college.

Pell Grants

3.9 million low-income students will receive a Pell Grant award to help them attend college. In the FY00 budget, the President increased the maximum Pell Grant award from $3,000 to $3,300 -- the largest maximum award ever. The maximum award has increased 43 percent since 1993.

Direct Loan Program

More than 5 million student and parent borrowers have received direct loans since the program began.

Reduced Loan Fees

Since 1993, students have saved $8.7 billion through lower student loan fees and interest rates.

Student Loan Default
Rate Declines

The student loan default rate declined from 22.4 percent in 1990 to 6.9 percent today, the lowest rate ever. Collections on defaulted student loans have tripled, from $1 billion in 1993 to $4 billion last year.

AmeriCorps

More than 150,000 volunteers have earned money for college by serving their communities and their country in the AmeriCorps program since the program began in 1994.

Work Study

One million students will be able to work their way through college this year thanks to the President’s expansion of the Work Study Program.

College Enrollment Up

67 percent of high school graduates went on to college in 1998, compared to 62 percent in 1992. The percentage of African American high school graduates enrolling in college increased from 48 percent in 1992 to 59 percent in 1997 -- the highest number ever.

Retrained Workers

An estimated 836,000 American workers will benefit this year from the dislocated worker program. President Clinton won a $190 million increase in FY 2000, bringing the total investment to $1.6 billion and allowing the program to serve more than three times as many dislocated workers.

Crime and Public Safety

Declining Crime Rates

Under the Clinton-Gore Administration, America has experienced the longest continuous drop in crime on record. The overall crime rate is the lowest in 25 years, and in 1999 crime fell for the eighth consecutive year nationwide. Violent crime rate fell 7 percent in 1999 and 27 percent since 1993. Since 1993, the murder rate is down more than 25 percent to its lowest point since 1967, and gun violence has declined by more than 35 percent.

Juvenile Arrests Down

In 1998, the nation saw an 8 percent drop in the juvenile violent crime arrests.

Community Policing

Reached the President’s goal of funding 100,000 more community police officers for our streets in May 1999 -- ahead of schedule and under budget. President Clinton won funding in the FY00 budget to begin hiring an additional 50,000 officers by 2005.

Brady Bill

More than 470,000536,000 felons, fugitives and stalkers have been stopped from buying guns since the Brady Law was enacted.

Improving Officer Safety

In its first year, the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act helped state and local law enforcement purchase 92,500 bulletproof vests.

"Zero-Tolerance" for Guns In Schools

Over 13,500 students have been expelled from public schools for bringing weapons to school under zero tolerance policies established by the Gun Free Schools Act, which was passed in 1994.

Domestic Violence Hotline

More than 458,000 calls have been received by the nationwide, 24-hour domestic violence hotline President Clinton established.

Strengthening Families

Family & Medical Leave

Nearly 91 million workers are covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act -- 71 percent of the American labor force. Millions of Americans have taken job-protected leave.

Welfare to Work

7.8 million fewer people are receiving welfare benefits today than in 1993, a 56 percent decrease. The percentage of Americans on welfare is the lowest since 1965, and millions of Americans have moved from welfare to work -- 1.3 million in 1998 alone. The percentage of adults on welfare who were working reached an all-time high of 33 percent in 1999, nearly five times the percent in 1992.

Head Start

Head Start will reach a total of 880,000 children in FY 2000 and will serve one million children and their families by the year 2002. The President and Vice President have expanded Head Start funding by 90 percent since 1993.

Child Care

Child care funding has increased by 80 percentmore than doubled under the Clinton-Gore Administration, helping parents pay for the care ofmore than one million children. An average of 1.25 million children were served by states under the child care block grant in FY 1997 -- a 25 percent increase from the estimated 1 million children served in FY 1996. The 1996 welfare1.5 million children and the1996 welfare reform law increased child care funding by $4 billion over six years to provide child care assistance to families moving from welfare to years. 59]

Child Poverty

The child poverty rate has dropped from 22.7 percent in 1993 to 16.9 percent in 1999 -- the biggest six-year drop in nearly 30 years, and the lowest child poverty rate since 1979.

Increasing Adoptions

In 1999, 46,000 foster care children were adopted – more than a 64 percent increase since 1996 and well on the way to meeting the President's goal of doubling the number of adoptions from 28,000 in 1996 to 56,000 by 2002.

Teen Pregnancy

The teen birth rate has fallen eight years in a row, dropping by 20 percent from 1991 to 1999 to the lowest rate ever recorded in the 60 years this data has been collected. The teen pregnancy rate is also at a record low.

Child Abuse

Child abuse has declined for five years in a row, down approximately 11 percent from a record 1,018,692 in 1993.

Child Support Collections

Federal and state child support programs broke new records, nearly doubling records in 1999, collecting nearly $16 billion -- doublethe amount collected in 1992. The number of child support cases with collections more than doubled during the Clinton Administration, from 2.8 million in 1992 to 4.5 million in 1999. support payments -- more than double the number found during the previous year.
Improving Our Nation's Health

Patients’ Bill of Rights

85 million people covered by Federal health plans, and Medicare and Medicaid, received patient protections -- protections included in the President’s Patients’ Bill of Rights -- thanks to executive action taken by President Clinton.

More Americans Have Health Insurance

From 1998 to 1999, the number of Americans with health insurance rose by 1.7 million -- two-thirds of them children. This is the first decline in the number of uninsured in 12 years.

Health Insurance Reform

As many as 25 million people will benefit from the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which helps millions of Americans who move from one job to another, are self-employed, or have pre-existing medical conditions keep their health insurance.

Eliminating Fraud

Health care convictions have increased 80 percent since 1992, saving more than $500 billion in health care claims thanks to the Clinton-Gore Administration's efforts to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse. Since 1993, the Administration has assigned more federal prosecutors and FBI agents to fight health care fraud than ever before.

Children’s Health Care

As many as 5 million more children will receive health insurance under President Clinton’s State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). As of June 2000, approximately 2.5 million children were enrolled in SCHIP.

Infant Mortality

There has been a 15.2 percent decrease in the infant mortality rate -- to the lowest level in history -- from 8.5 in 1992 to 7.2 in 1997.

Immunization

Childhood immunization coverage rates in 1998 were the highest ever recorded. Over 90 percent of America’s toddlers received the most critical doses of each of the routinely recommended vaccines in 1996, 1997, and again in 1998. With childhood vaccination levels at an all-time high, disease and death from diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella and Hib are at or near record lows.

WIC

7.3 million women, infants, and children -- 1.4 million more than in 1993 -- have access to health care, supplemental foods, nutrition and breastfeeding education thanks to WIC.

Biomedical Research

Two years ago, the President called for an increase of almost 50 percent over 5 years in the NIH budget as part of his Research for America Fund. Since then, the NIH budget has increased by over $4.3 billion and with the funding proposed by the President this year, the Administration will be one year ahead of schedule in reaching the 50 percent goal.
Food Safety

Two years after President Clinton's meat and poultry inspection system went into place, the number of Americans stricken by the most common forms of foodborne illness has declined by almost 20 percent. Overall, 855,000 fewer Americans became ill from bacteria in their food in 1999 than two years before.

Government That Works Better

Reinventing Government

The Vice President's National Performance Review recommended and Congress adopted savings of about $136 billion since 1993.

Smaller Government

There are 377,000 fewer employees in the Federal government workforce than in 1993 -- nearly a fifth -- giving us the smallest Federal workforce since 1960.

Lower Government Spending

At 18.5 percent, Federal Government spending as a share of the Gross Domestic Product is at its lowest level since 1966.

Motor Voter

28 million new voters registered to vote -- and voting was made easier for millions more Americans -- since 1995 because of the National Voter Registration Act.

Environment

Toxic Waste Sites

Completed cleanup at more than 510530 Superfund sites, more than fourthree times as many as completed in the previous two Administrations.twelve years. Cleanup of more than 9091 percent of all sites either completed or in progress. The Administration's brownfields redevelopment initiative has leveraged over $2.3 billion in private sector investment and generated 6,400 jobs. <[Environmental Protection Agency, Superfund NPL Construction Completions Since 1/20/93 to 6/22/99>EPA, Construction Completions at National Priorities List Sites, as of 7/27/00; EPA, www.epa.gov, 8/24/00]

National Parks

The National Park System has increased by about 4.56 million acres during the Clinton-Gore Administration. The President has also created 13 new national park areas and has significantly expanded others, like Joshua Tree and Death Valley National Parks in California.

Preserving Our National Treasures

Protected tens of millions of acres, from the red rock canyons of Utah to the Florida Everglades. Reached historic agreements to protect Yellowstone from mining and save the ancient redwoods of California’s Headwaters Forest.

Safe Drinking Water

Since 1993, 22.5 million more Americans receive drinking water that meets all federal health standards. Ninety-one percent of America’s tap water from community drinking water systems meets all federal standards. 33]
Clean Air

Since 1993, the number of Americans living in communities that meet federal air quality standards has grown by 43 million.

Encouraging Recycling

Americans recycle 22 million tons more material than in 1992 -- thanks to that effort, the United States will discard less waste in 2000 than in 1992. We recycle more of our municipal waste than any major country in the world.


1/00October 2000

[ccharles000]

5. +1

[niceypoo]

6. Yeah, balancing the budget was just a publicity stunt

:rofl:

[ProSense]

7. I think you meant NAFTA, DADT and DOMA

hilarious.

[Beacool]

10. Really???

22M jobs was none too shabby.

;-)

[Captain Hilts]

14. Except bring tax rates down for the middle class and establish CHIP. nt

[karynnj]

33. His only role in SCHIP was to include funding for it in the

budget after Kennedy wrote it and got it through a Senate which had 45 Democrats. It was Hillary Clinton who pushed him to do so.

[PatSeg]

29. I moved from poverty to middle class during the

Clinton years. I knew a lot of people who had been on welfare during Reagan/Bush years, and their lives were vastly improved during the nineties. Where I lived, there were always more jobs than qualified employees, and I recall not having a problem FINDING a job, but deciding which one I wanted. That was the only time in my adult life I had seen anything like that.

When Bush came into office, I got a check for $300 and lost a well paying job. My initial reaction was, "I don't want a TAX CUT! I would rather pay higher taxes on an income that allowed me to have a decent lifestyle."

[ProSense]

8. "He was still late" and still

triangulating

[Bragi]

12. Here's an activity update on Bill...

Here's Bill in May in Toronto. Bill's role here was to provide cover so Bush's appearance would be sold-out, so no-one would boo Bush, and to make it look like is W and his war criminal colleagues are free to travel abroad, which they aren't.



A good day'$SS work for Bill, for sure.

[question everything]

15. Things change

First, as we see with Obama, a Presidential candidate has to appeal to the center. Or, rather, to people's day to day's concerns, not just to lofty liberal ideas that are the wishful thinking of many DUers.

Even the RWers, who, when the economy is humming and federal money come their way vote on abortion and gay rights, when the economy is bad - as it was in 1992 and in 2008 - priorities change.


Even Nixon ended up being an "elder statesman" whose opinion was sought by all following presidents including, yes, Bill Clinton.

[OHdem10]

16. Can anyone who was lucky enough to be there , tell me exactly

where Pres. Clinton stands on the Public Option?????

[Lord Helmet]

18. 'then' is when it would have made a difference --- 'now' is just lip service

[Hekate]

23. The Big Dog brought us a long national nightmare of peace and prosperity, didn't he?...

Good grief. The RW keeps telling their lies about Bill and seeing what will stick. Finally those on the left start repeating some of the slurs.

The truth is he disappointed a lot of us with welfare "reform" and DADT and by not keeping his zipper up. But can we at least try to keep his actual record and the actual times and the actual Congress he had to deal with straight here?

On the other hand, why spoil a good fight? Pass the butter willya, Beacool?

Hekate
:popcorn:

[blm]

24. There should never have been a GOP congress in 95.....

http://consortiumnews.com/2006/051006.html

But, let's keep it real why there was, eh?

[Beacool]

25. Could I please have some white cheddar on my popcorn?

Thank you...........

:popcorn:

[CTLawGuy]

26. self delete

NT

[MasonJar]

27. I only have one thing to say. Bill Clinton was a great president. I loved

him then and I still do. He gave us so much and so many here a DU only remember the things he couldn't do because just like Obama today he was consistently and continuously vilified. And one poster is right; he did all he could at the time for the gay community. He brought peace, prosperity and jobs. Bill Clinton is a man who truly cares about other people.

[Ishoutandscream2]

30. Preach it!

[palindrome]

28. And KOS hooks up with big labor.

All this unity and people still want to talk about the SOS' demeanor and clothing choice.

[Mass]

31. Why is it unlikely? When was the last time that the liberal netroots were rational in whom they

worship or not? Clinton has been working on his image during the last 8 years. Bush is a pretty bad successor. We are talking about the same liberal netroots that wanted John Edwards as the nominee in 2006-2007? So, no offense to Bill Clinton, but why is it unlikely that something as amorphous and unthinking as the liberal netroots would endorse now somebody they thought was evil last year?

[karynnj]

34. well said

They even wanted Jim Webb to run for President and though he was more progressive - even after his votes said otherwise.

[Bragi]

32. I have no problem with Clinton's Presidency...

But I do have a problem with the way he has conducted himself since leaving office, particularly how he supported Bush's war in Iraq, and is now trying to rehabilitate Bush from the loathing he so richly deserves.