by Mark Silva
Bill Clinton says Barack Obama is "off to a good start.''
Clinton, who left his successor with a federal budget surplus, offers George W. Bush's successor high marks for winning a $787-billion economic stimulus one month in office - a spending plan that pushes an already swollen Bush-era federal deficit well past $1 trillion.
The former president, in an interview aired this morning on NBC's Today show, says the new president and his economic team have handled a controversial stimulus well - "given the fact that they had to do it in a hurry.''
The nation will get through the current economic crisis, Clinton says, suggesting that the stimulus will be "our bridge over troubled waters.''
In the interview with NBC's Ann Curry, Clinton is asked if the greatest threat to U.S. security now is the global economic crisis - as the Obama administration's director of national intelligence has reported.
"In the short tern,'' yes, Clinton says, yet terrorism remains a longer-term threat. In the face of the short-term threat, he says, Obama has gotten a good start. He also has offered Obama some private advice, but declines to discuss it in this interview. He gives Obama's team high marks.
"Given the fact that they had to do it in a hurry and he had to deal with Congress and the inevitable compromises, I think he got quite a good bill out of this,'' Clinton says. "This package that he's going to sign is our bridge over troubled waters.''
Clinton also suggests that the economy would not be in the shape it is in today, if his economic team still had been in place.
Comments
What else can Bill say? He's smart enough to keep any doubts he has about Obama to himself in this politically shaky period for the new administration.
And maybe there is a touch of sympathy from Bill, as he remembers his own partisan battles with an obstructionist GOP?
http://www.political-buzz.com/
Posted by: matt | February 16, 2009 8:07 AM
As the above article shows, recycling what Democrats say is what the Swamp is all about.
Just out of curiosity, I did a search of Mark Silva's columns this month (February). 73 columns were about Democrats. Only 16 were about Republicans (and 10 about both or nonpartisan).
4.5 to 1 Democrat. And among the articles about Republicans were several hit pieces.
Doesn't seem to matter to Swamp journalists which party controls the White House or Congress. Swamp journalists are all Democrat, all the time. They were in 2006, when the GOP controlled. They are in 2009, when the Dems control.
Posted by: Bruce | February 16, 2009 8:31 AM
Bill 'the pantless prez' Clinton should be allowed to speak as loud and often as he wants just so the country can see what an STD does to the brain...
What a clown and the rest of the democratic circus.....
Posted by: Laffing at Lefties | February 16, 2009 9:01 AM
Bruce....big deal.....Faux News has 100% stories about democrats. How bad they are!
Posted by: bill r. | February 16, 2009 9:05 AM
The Democrats are visibly nervous as their financial Frankenstein comes to life.
Unfortunately for Obama, they now own this clunker- they were looking for co-conspirators in the GOP to share the blame with when this redistributionist nonsense "stimulates" nothing but inflation... and of course, the deficit.
And it will also stimulate the Republican Party... who will clean the Democrats' clocks in 2010 and 2012.
This bill likely presages the death knell of the mindless "Obamamania" phenomenon- a lot of you out-there are going to feel pretty silly in 12 mos or so.
http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Reaganite Republican | February 16, 2009 9:31 AM
Bruce is one of these frustrated Republican whiners.
He doesn't realize the GOP lost big time (twice) because of the failed policies of the Bush administration and the rubber stamp Republican Congress (up until 2006). The changes will be a comimg. The Republican will lose more seats, in both Houses, in 2010.
Posted by: Doug R. | February 16, 2009 10:46 AM
Japan had 8 stimulus bills in 10 years for government spending like ours', only to make matters worse. The only chance we had was to cut the payroll tax and capital gains tax to 5% with the hope that companies would expand and hire, and people would spend the higher amounts of cash they would immediately get. You will not get a strong, long lasting recovery at $13.00 a week and $8.00 a week next year. This will be disaster after about 8 months. The Dems are hoping that the scraps they throw out will assure their political life for another cycle.
Posted by: Don B. | February 16, 2009 10:53 AM
Just out of curiosity, I did a search of Mark Silva's columns this month (February). 73 columns were about Democrats. Only 16 were about Republicans (and 10 about both or nonpartisan).
Posted by: Bruce | February 16, 2009 8:31 AM
-------------------------------------------------------
Face it, Bruce. The current crop of Republicans have turned the GOP into today's Whigs. There are few who have the principles of an Eisenhower, an Earl Warren or a Barry Goldwater. Their only objective, it seems, is to regain power for themselves. They have little interest in the future of the nation except to see their "enemy" fail.
Posted by: Kenneth Janowski | February 16, 2009 11:05 AM
Good to know I've written 90 columns this month.
Posted by: Mark Silva | February 16, 2009 11:18 AM
Good to know I've written 90 columns this month.
Posted by: Mark Silva | February 16, 2009 11:18 AM
Don't worry, Mark. With your proven devotion to Democrats, you'll get that Obama administration job someday, just like your Swamp colleague Jill Zuckman has!
Posted by: Bruce | February 16, 2009 12:07 PM
Bruce,
You've outdone your usual lunacy.
True to your geekish self, you've created your own poll, surveying past articles in the Swamp, addiction to which as one concludes from your protestations, you can't seem to overcome.
While you're at it, check the articles dated November 2008. That's right, the Democrats won and are calling the shots in Washington and are therefore more likely to have press coverage. More power, more coverage, more articles. Get it? I didn't think so...
Posted by: Kenny Bunkport ☯ | February 16, 2009 12:20 PM
Brucebot will never get it. Fewer articles about Republics directly correlates to their demise as the extreme minority fringe party void of anything newsworthy other than their obstructionism.
Posted by: Bubba ✔ | February 16, 2009 1:46 PM
I love seeing the same Reds who "predicted" that McLame would clean Obama's clock in Nov. "predicting" again that the Repugs will clean the Dem's clocks in 2010 & 12. Gives me that warm fuzzy feeling all over again. Keep it coming.
Posted by: FrankK | February 16, 2009 2:27 PM
Gives me that warm fuzzy feeling all over again. Keep it coming.
Posted by: FrankK | February 16, 2009 2:27 PM
Hey Frank: here's some warm fuzzy all over for you..... the generic congressional balloting is now dead even, last week it was 42% Dem. and 38% Rep. a 16% swing from last year. Let's see now, the Messiah has been in office for a month or so now, it was +7% Dems'. Barry sure is instilling a lot of confidence with the voters so far, you may want to wrap yourself in ice packs Frank, it's going to get a lot warmer for Barry and the Dems' in Congress. One big plus though....a whooping 38% of the public think the stimulis bill will have an impact on the economy. Please have another glass of kool-aid on me Frank !
Posted by: Don B. | February 16, 2009 4:25 PM
Hey Bruce, I think this Don B. guy is more obnoxious than you. And almost as uninformed. You two could be real buds.
Posted by: mort | February 16, 2009 4:37 PM
Donny Boy,
You just keep taking solace in your statistics (though I'm sure you don't understand them). I believe odds on "Barry" were about 1000:1 when he decided to run. Seems he just keeps managing to make you fools eat your words. Wasn't it just a week or so ago that you & Rush and the fellas were just slobering all over yourselves because "Barry" was gonna get his butt handed to him on the stimulus by you tough guys on the right. Hmmm...how'd that work out for you? You all just keep underestimating "Barry". It makes it so much easier for him to kill you softly. Your party is dead, Donny, y'all just don't know it yet. Mmmm this Koolaid is gooooood! How's yours, kinda bitter?
Posted by: FrankK | February 16, 2009 4:48 PM
Donny Boy,
You just keep taking solace in your statistics (though I'm sure you don't understand them). I believe odds on "Barry" were about 1000:1 when he decided to run. Seems he just keeps managing to make you fools eat your words. Wasn't it just a week or so ago that you & Rush and the fellas were just slobering all over yourselves because "Barry" was gonna get his butt handed to him on the stimulus by you tough guys on the right. Hmmm...how'd that work out for you? You all just keep underestimating "Barry". It makes it so much easier for him to kill you softly. Your party is dead, Donny, y'all just don't know it yet. Mmmm this Koolaid is gooooood! How's yours, kinda bitter?
Posted by: FrankK | February 16, 2009 4:57 PM
"Barry" was gonna get his butt handed to him on the stimulus by you tough guys on the right. Hmmm...how'd that work out for you?
Posted by: FrankK | February 16, 2009 4:57 PM
My mistake Frank, he did get 3 Republicans out of about 216 in Congress...now that's what i call a real butt kicking, that would be a little over 1% in case big numbers trip you up a little bit. I seem to recall 2 times that number in Dems. voting against it, I'm sorry Frank i guess i shouldn't of brought that up. Never drank the kool-aid Frank when i use to be a Dem., i found that it turned peoples' brains to mush, clouded their thinking if you will. By all means belly up though Frank, you'll make it much easier for the right party in '10 and '12. Frank you only have to hit the post button once, it's actually smarter than you. See what i mean about the kool-aid, it makes you get stuck on stupid.
Mort: Thanks so much for your compliments, I'm deeply appreciative. I guess by uninformed your referring to the generic Cong. polls...there readily available for fact checking by people who would like to disseminate truthful and accurate statements, i guess that would leave you out Mort.
Posted by: Don B. | February 16, 2009 6:26 PM
Bill's got the house to himself, lock up your daughters
Posted by: Terry | February 16, 2009 6:46 PM
You put out a lot of words, Don B, and say nothing. Over 2 days you've posted so many inaccuracies I can't even begin to run them down. But by all means, you think you're a comic.
Posted by: mort | February 16, 2009 7:21 PM
Over 2 days you've posted so many inaccuracies I can't even begin to run them down.
Posted by: mort | February 16, 2009 7:21 PM
Mort: One can only interpret that as you can't dispute any of the facts, perhaps a late night date with your pal Frank for a couple of tall, cold glasses of kool-aid may help jog some of your grey matter to come up with just one, a collaboration of the "Mental Titans" may be in order.
Posted by: Don B. | February 16, 2009 7:39 PM
Interpret it any way you want, Don B; no doubt you will be wrong, obnoxious boy. I thought Frank was your fuzzy friend.
Posted by: mort | February 16, 2009 9:37 PM