To: flatsville who wrote (65375 ) 12/28/2000 12:19:26 PM From: Tunica Albuginea Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 99985 OT/Clinton " shutdown " was the last attempt by Democrats to maintain the " Tax and Spend " system of Government. That system is now collapsing through it's own bloated debt weight(owned and due in future ). The only question is this:Is the collapse of Tax and Spend going to be orderly or chaotic ? GWBush is trying to make for an orderly contraction. The Dems ( the true Dems and the Dems disguised as Republicans ) will try for another shutdown, in which case chaos will result. TA =========================================Message #65376 from flatsville at Dec 28, 2000 11:16 AM The shutdown was precisely about the (Contract w/USA) balanced budget proposal issue (or deficit reduction, as Morris calls it). Clinton was at least publicly refusing any concession to the budget deficit reduction, or a balanced budget, well into '95. I remember him saying he would not commit to any timetable to reduce the deficit. That seems to conflict with the Morris version. I agree it does seem to conflict. But, I don't think that stand-off had anything to do with the budget. It had to do with who was in charge...and it wasn't Gingrich and his snot-nosed Republican revolutionaries as Clinton demonstrated. They went to the wall...and who blinked? But how much actual debt reduction has resulted from taxation increase, and are we to believe that is what Greenie wants here? Well, AG has said as much. I think we should take him at his word on this one. How much actual debt reduction? Got me. But, there's enough of a perceived budget surplus that politicians want to spend it in spades and he's obviously concerned. Don't bet me wrong here. AG would be having the same power struggle with Al Gore had he "won." I think Al would be somewhat more tractable on the issue and not come out of the meeting screaming "Tax cuts are non-negotiable!" As I said remember, George the First had to eat, "Read my lips...yaddah, yaddah, yaddah." Hope the Second has an appetite.