Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Clinton's Scandals: Is this corruption the worst ever? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Mo Chips who wrote (2269)	8/20/1998 1:26:00 PM
From: John Hensley	Respond to of 13994

Mo- <<Who was in charge of spending during the 80's? Only the House of Representatives can pass spending bills. It was controlled by Democrats throughout that period. If you are unhappy with their spending patterns, blame them. >> I've heard this argument since 1988, and I think it's clear that it was BOTH their faults. I think Reagan was a great president, but this was a crucial mistake on his part. He did close down the government (I think twice) for one day to prove a point, but he didn't pull a Clinton and close it down and blame the other side.

To: Mo Chips who wrote (2269)	8/20/1998 1:35:00 PM
From: j_b	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 13994

As someone else has already pointed out, there is plenty of blame to go around. However, just because the President has influence, he actually has very little power (other than the veto). Congress blames the President whenever they take an action they know won't be popular, but the truth is, only they can pass spending legislation. All the bullying in the world can't make Congress do something they think is wrong - only they can. The tax cuts were proposed by Reagan, but put into law by Congress. They are Congress' tax cuts and Congress' defense spending bills. Much of the defense spending is pork (from both sides of the aisle), which leads to less useful spending on defense. However, if it's deficits you are discussing, remember that the defense spending is an extraordinarily small portion of the total spending. There is very little in the budget that is discretionary - it's becoming all entitlements. Congress passes those entitlements so that they can say with a straight face that there's nothing they can do about the spending. In other words - blame Congress - only they have the ability to change either spending or taxes. If they are so weak that the President can bully them, blame Congress for being weak, not the President for being strong.