Robert Reich: Why we should disregard Bill Clinton's favorable view of taxcut deal

[kentuck]

<snip>
But the economy's underlying structure remained as it had been before, including stagnant wages for most Americans. Within a few years the middle and working class was treating their homes as ATMs, borrowing trillions of dollars in order to maintain their standard of living, and at the same time demand enough goods and services to keep almost everyone in jobs.

Those days are over. The Democratic Party can no longer ignore critical investments in the productivity of average workers. Nor can it ignore the increasing concentration of income and wealth at the very top, and the inability of America's middle and working class to get the economy moving again.

<snip>
Continuing the Bush tax cuts of 2001 and 2003, including a sharp cut in the estate tax, violates these core principles. Doing so in the midst of an economic emergency that demands bold measures to rescue America's vast middle and working class adds further insult. For President Obama and former President Clinton to tell America there's "no other choice" or that "this is the best we can do" -- when Democrats remain putatively in control of the House, Senate, and the presidency -- is misleading.

I admire Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. I advised the former and worked for the latter. They are good men. But they have either been outwitted by the privileged and powerful of America, or seduced by those on Wall Street and the executive suites of America into believing that the Republican nostrums are necessary, or succumbed Democratic advisors who think in terms of small-bore tactics rather than large and principled strategies

.....more

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/why-bill-clintons-favorab_b_795405.html

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. I don't need Reich to tell me that.

[glitch]

4. I don't need it but I sure appreciate it. Someone needs to tell the ignorati.

Not that the ones who need to hear it will listen -- but maybe with enough repetition from people like Reich and Galbraith and Baker (and Krugman and Hudson and Johnson and Stiglitz) they'll realize we're not buying their neofeudal BS.

[katnapped]

6. The cheerleaders aren't going to listen

We're the unrealistic and juveline extremist bomb-throwing left who doesn't "understand" the way things are.

[AndrewP]

8. Yes, we need to sit down

LOL. Reich makes a good point.

[kentuck]

9. And what is the counter point?

??

[AndrewP]

11. ??

Anyway, Reich makes a good point.

[Jefferson23]

2. Outwitted, I doubt it., seduced is more likely imo. Thanks for posting. n/t

[myrna minx]

3. K&R n/t

[sasha031]

5. thanks for posting, Reich is correct

[SnoopDog]

7. Yes, the same Bill Clinton that brought us ...

NAFTA, repealed Glass-Steagal, and the TeleCommunications act...

Sorry folks, these three things allowed for the final destruction of our country.

We can't let Obama do the same damage as Clinton....

[TheKentuckian]

12. Yet that is the batty argument of some. Clinton was allowed to do his damage

so it is "racist" if Obama isn't allowed to at least fuck up as much.

[glitch]

16. I've seen that here. Boggles the mind...nt

:crazy:

[me b zola]

10. K&R

[Truth2Pwer]

13. Any defense of this GOP tax cut bill should be disregarded...

[jannyk]

14. k&r!

[KG]

15. best to just disregard Bill Clinton in general.

[upi402]

17. Glad he's no longer in service to that Republican

Now if he'd pronounce a few thousand mia culpas...
I doubt he really thinks they are innocent victims of wily players though.

[Faryn Balyncd]

18. K&R . . . . Thanks.

:kick:

[unkachuck]

19. K&R for the wisdom of Mr. Reich....n/t