Posted on 07/25/2002 7:30:08 PM PDT by HAL9000
Clinton critiques Bush's policies at political dinner in Portland
The social icon talks about the economy and terrorism while helping raise campaign funds for two Oregon politicans
PORTLAND -- Deep inside Portland's Hilton Hotel, more than 800 gatherers sat in candlelit circles, eating their $150 to $1,000 dinners and talking quietly. Shifty-eyed security agents wandered the room, making sure nothing was out of place. High-rolling politicians with white name tags pasted fake smiles on their faces and acknowledged one another in the dim light. All around, the sound of voices, silverware and smooth jazz permeated the room.
On the ticket for Friday night was former President William Jefferson Clinton, with a twofold purpose for his appearance: to raise money for U.S. Senate hopeful Bill Bradbury's and U.S. Representative Darlene Hooley's elections.
Clinton began his speech, which covered the economy, the war on terrorism and corporate scandals, with acknowledgments to Bradbury and Hooley, and he then wasted no time making a crack about the disputed 2000 election.
"One thing (Bradbury) has done here is to make sure Oregon at least counted the votes," Clinton said. "I think he should put that in his brochure."
On that note, Clinton charged into a scathing critique of President George W. Bush and his administration, saying Washington has turned into an "evidence-free zone," where politicians don't give evidence to support their arguments about policy. He blasted Bush's economic and environmental policy, two of Clinton's major focuses in office.
"(Bush's) economic plan promised big changes -- it did. It took us from the biggest surplus in history back to deficits," he said. "They told us they would go after the environment with a vengeance, and they kept their word."
Switching to corporate malfeasance, Clinton said that his administration warned in 1998 and 2000 that corrupt corporate accounting practices would lead America into trouble. He also said the Bush administration is spending too much money on the war on terrorism instead of focusing on Social Security, Medicare and other programs.
"We tell the middle class people, 'You have to give up your Social Security and retirement because we have to go back to deficits so people like me can have a tax cut,'" he said. "I told somebody the other day, this is reverse-Titanic economics. You throw the women and children overboard; the captain and crew go off to Tahiti."
Despite Clinton's disagreements with current policy, he stressed the need to support America in defending itself from terrorists, saying Democrats should work to bring America together in the face of adversity.
"What happened to us on Sept. 11 was an act of religious and political hatred," he said. "I believe the world is in a conflict between those who are trying to put things together and those who are trying to tear things apart. We Democrats -- we have to be the ones trying to put things together."
Clinton also said political leaders should work together to overcome America's problems and ultimately bring the world together as a whole.
"It is not enough for us to criticize our adversaries; that is what, after all, most of them did to me for eight years," he said. "I think we should send people to Washington who want to accomplish things, who want to work with people across party lines."
To ensure that the United States remain united, it has always been an unwritten rule in American politics that no President criticise his successor. The only politicians to violate this rule, as far as I'm aware, have been Harry Truman, Jimmy Carter and now Bill Clinton.
The modern Democratic party is populated by a collection of classless animals.
Social icon??? LOL! Socialist shyster is more like it.
No media bias, is there? LOL!
That would be something Clinton would admire, now, wouldn't it? the
Lest Americans ever forget why the clintons, and all their enablers need to be hectored, hounded, and harried into silence, until "clintonese is only spoken in Hell," look here:
The Holiday *Best* of Bill Clinton & his Friends!
-Some old strange clinton "stuff"--
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Shrinks should be having a field day analyzing this reprobate but most of them are probably too busy paying for those $150 to $1000 plate dinners.
In sum, it all may not be a bad thing.
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