Clinton // Current TV

Former President Bill Clinton blasted the “non-fact-based political debate” surrounding the Republican primary race and Tea Party economic policies which advocate for limited government services and low taxation.

Clinton, who met with a small group of bloggers on the sidelines of the Clinton Global Initiative’s annual meeting in New York City today, responded to a question from ThinkProgress about Texas Gov., and GOP presidential frontrunner, Rick Perry’s position that Social Security is unconstitutional, and about the Tea Party’s anti-social spending sentiment more generally. Clinton blamed the “continuing dominance of non-fact based political debate,” saying:

"You can stand up and say anything and nobody rings a bell if the facts are wrong. There’s no bell ringing. It’s crazy, we’re living in a time when it’s more important than ever to know things. And not just to know facts but to put them in a coherent. sensible pattern. And we live in a time, if you just want to talk about the economy, where the model that works for economic growth and prosperity is cooperation. But the model that works in politics is conflict."

Clinton went on to challenge the emerging GOP consensus that government size and spending require dramatic cuts, observing that the most prosperous parts of the U.S. “look nothing like the anti-government ideal of the Tea Party crowd”:

"You know, there’s not a single solitary example on the planet, not one, of a country that is succesful because the economy has triumphed over the government and choked it off and driven the tax rates to zero, driven the regulations to nonexistent and abolished all government programs, except for defense, so people in my income group never have to pay a nickel to see a cow jump over the moon. There is no example example of a succesful country that looks like that."

While blasting the Tea Party’s economic policies, Clinton also acknowledged that the media plays an increasingly dangerous role in fanning the flames of partisan rancor.Former President Bill Clinton blasted the “non-fact-based political... more

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Far Left Malcontents, Good or Bad ?

In response to "The Malcontents: Volume 1",

http://current.com/1m13ukc

I suggest the following:

History evidenced that like slavery and women's rights, the establishment will never yield power, control, wealth, position, and will never grant others their due rights unless those who are entitled to them stand up defiantly and demand them. Even Mahatma Gandhi was compelled to go "far left" in order to achieve some degree of liberty from Britain for the Indians. It was not women's or the Indian's responsibility or obligation to concern themselves with the inconveniences that their demands for their equal rights created for some others. If they only acted from a perspective of concern for the inconvenience of others, they could never initiate the first action to achieve what belongs to them. That Clinton mistook what the fallout from promoting the gay agenda, to the degree that he initially did, would cause him, was his responsibility singularly. From the perspective of gays, they are one of the last institutionally oppressed groups in this country who are being systematically deprived of their constitutional rights. While it surprises me that they have not been more demanding and proactive than they are; because they certainly could have become more belligerent or violent, they will be given nothing within this society unless they demand it, and leave it to others to assuage their own issues with the facts.

In fact, I consider myself to be on the far left, and to be fiscally and constitutionally conservative, while supporting very progressive solutions to very aggressively progressive problems. From my perspective of being conservative, the left's keynote positions and policies are for the welfare of this country's people, constitution, responsible and accountable government, environment, economy, security, and individual freedoms and liberties. I know of no one of my ideology who would sacrifice their beliefs for a few dollars. In fact, most of those who share my beliefs sacrifice far better paying occupations so that they can work in fields which they believe will protect and promote the welfare of all that they believe in, other than money. We do not eschew or reject wealth, and in fact embrace it, but not unjustly at another's expense. However, I proudly concede that I am a "MALCONTENT"! I adamantly object to the status quo while believing that business has corrupted our government to the degree that the ballot box is temporarily ineffective, and I refuse to accept or resign myself to it without making every effort to rectify it. I believe it is my obligation to Jefferson, Franklin, Washington and every patriot who has laid down their life to preserve the "OPPORTUNITY" to revive, reclaim, and reaffirm the freedoms and liberties which their efforts afforded us, to make every effort to fight the compromise on these values which userers, exploiters, thieves, liars, and the corporate right types will always make.In response to "The Malcontents: Volume 1", http://current.com/1m13ukc... more