National Debt Chart...

[fauxpaxfauxreal]

I should not 'paug when I should be asleep... right idea wrong words...
head hurts more looking it up... Bill threatens shut down over 1% budget discrepency... 

I was about to say, it was moves like that that Clinton made that guarnteed that he got a balanced budget with a Republican House in place, and part of the reason some consider him among the "greats" as far as Presidents are concerned.

From what you were typing, it sounded like you were saying that Clinton wouldn't have balanced the budget if it weren't for the Republicans in Congress, which is probably the most ass-backward hypothesis that I'd ever heard considered.

If you are trying to say that Clinton sucks for threatening a Gov't shuttdown, I think you're way wrong.  Clinton was the one who won that political battle in the eyes of history.

[okelnard]

 :shakehead:  I was thinking along two different paths... neither made sense.
Way too tired last night to have entered this thread...


Clinton was a masterful politician which just drove the GOP crazy.  He would have balanced the budge no matter (I spent a bit of time catching back up on his era) and the GOP had to play catch-up and attack whatever pork they could find (there's always been pork in the budget no matter who's in charge) which wasn't much.

I know Obama has inherited a bigger pile of shit than Bill did too.  His is a deeper climb out, and yes I do agree it will take more than 6 months into his term for things to turn around.  I've had these sorts of conversations with some of my co-workers (most of whom are GOPers but hey, I'm in the upstream Oil and Gas Biz so it's not too surprising).   They love to attack Obama and the stimulus package (which W started last fall before he left office). 

I misspoke (mis-remembered?) in my first post, and my second post was just how I was falling asleep after starting to read about the budget showdown, not how I think Bill owed it all the GOP... 

[sls.stormyrider]

It was ironic the way the GOP used to hate on Clinton, and call Dems fiscally irresponsible and tax and spend liberals, etc.

Every Clinton budget, including the 93 and 94 budget when the Dems controlled congress, was balanced. The GOP didn't force Clinton to balance it, he did it himself.