Greenspan said Clinton the best Republican President in modern times, insult or compliment?

Question

Insult to Clinton for calling him a Republican or just stating a fact that Clinton was better at acheiving goals like reforming welfare and balancing a budget than the Republican Presidents?

Not sure how I ended up posting the same question twice. Must have got impatient waiting on my computer and clicked a second time.

http://www.newshounds.us/2007/09/18/alan_greenspan_bill_clinton_was_the_best_republican_president_we_ever_had.php

Am I the only one who watches Meet The Press?

Answer 1

Coming from Greenspan it's clearly a compliment.It also once and for all destroys all claims of the far right the Clintons have anything to do with socialism.
Greenspan,the Modern day God of capitalism has spoken

Answer 2

It was a compliment, but the "Modern Times" thing mutes the praise a bit. The more Presidents I see, the more I appreciate Nixon.

GOPer. Your reality checks are bouncing again. Link is a video game character. He has nothing to do with Greenspan or Clinton. But here's one of the many stories about Greenspan's book that you somehow managed to miss. Why is it you Republican Know-it-alls always have to depend on Literate Liberals to do your research for you? Is that Kriztein Croosaid Agaenst Litri C having THAT big an effect on you guys?

If Gingrich really was the cause of the Clinton Boom, Bam--then why did Republicans completely abandon fiscal responsibility the minute they got one of their own in the White House?

Edit
You likely are the only one who watches "Meet the Press." I know that if I'm up that early on a Sunday, I'm either on the internet or at a mexican restaurant getting outside of a bowl of menudo.

Answer 3

It is a compliment. Clinton was able to get the economy on track without penalizing the poor.

Bush's prescription drug program is balanced on the backs of the poorest people in America -- thousands of permanently disabled people. Before drug "reforms" they were able to get their medication for free. Now they pay $3 out of their meager $603 per month. After rent and living expenses they may have $15 per week.

Answer 4

He didn't mean it as an insult, and he has a point, however Clinton didn't go after terrorists. Had he done that, spending would have increased under him. Clinton was somewhat of a wuss when it came to war, it seems only 1 American death was enough to make him throw in the towel.

He certainly exercised fiscal restraint though, which is what Greenspan's compliment is meant to highlight.

Answer 5

But it was not Clinton who achieved these goals.

Yes, these things happened on Clinton's "watch"
but he initially opposed them, then took credit
after they became inevitable.

The real credit belongs to New Gingrich,
who rode the backlash after two years of Clinton rule,
took back House (and Senate) away from Democrat control,
and forced the administration to go along with cutting spending, balancing the budget, reforming welfare, etc., etc.

Too bad Newt didn't stick around to finish the job (i.e term limits, tax cuts, etc. and the rest of "Contract With America"). Maybe Gingrich will run, next year, to resume making the U.S. government smaller, less extravagant, and less intrusive. I think Greenspan would really like that!

.

Answer 6

Greenspan stole that from me - I've been saying it for YEARS.

It's neither an insult or a compliment, it's just the truth.

Answer 7

Yep, our borrow and spend republican friends should learn from his success...but the pork does not fall far from the pig as in the 6 years of the republican controlled congress.

Answer 8

I personally think it's a compliment. The Republicans used to stand for responsibility, fiscal and otherwise, but their leaders seem to have lost their way in this regard.

Answer 9

He had a responsible and attainable fiscal policy. Something Conservatives are supposed to believe in.

Answer 10

link?