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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
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Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
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The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
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Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
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Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
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Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
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Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
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Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
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Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
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January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
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Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
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January 11, 2012
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Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Oct. 14, 2008 / 15 Tishrei 5769
Longing for the Clintons
By
Tom Purcell
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
I never thought I'd say it, but, boy, am I longing for the Clinton years.
Sure, the Clinton administration was rocky early on lots of stumbling and
embarrassments. There was the travel office scandal, the Whitewater scandal,
the White House security hack who pulled up FBI records on Clinton
opponents.
A handful of Clinton cronies got pinched and sent to the clink, but nobody
much cared.
I remember, too, the agitation I felt when Hillary tried to nationalize our
health-care system. But that effort helped pave the way for a massive
Republican takeover in the House and Senate in 1994.
Initially that made me happy. The Republican Congress combined with a
pragmatic Clinton brought us restraint, a surplus and a commonsense welfare-reform
policy.
The welfare-reform idea was simple enough: Give a man a hand up, not a
handout, and while we're at it let's teach him to fish.
Critics said the poor would be destitute. The opposite occurred. The poor
did extremely well. Their success reminded me of a bumper sticker: "Liberalism
The haunting fear that somehow, somewhere people are able to care for
themselves."
For the most part, the Clinton years were a lot of fun. The economy did well
the dot.com bubble was a great ride. Republicans, for the most part,
acted Republican.
Better, the Cold War was over and nobody worried about much. We dropped
bombs on people now and then we waged a war in Kosovo solely from the air
but did nothing too messy that might make for scary images on the news.
Sure, there was that incident in 1993 with the World Trade Center a
handful of radicals tried to blow the place up so we took them to court and
sent a few of them to jail.
Nobody knew then that seeds of 9/11 were being planted, in part, by our
lawyerly response. Nobody seemed to know that the masterminds who arranged that
terrorist strike decided they were safe and so they began planning a more
fatal strike.
Nobody paid much attention in 1990's, either, when the Clinton
Administration pressured government-sponsored organizations Fannie Mae and Freddie
Mac to
loosen their standards.
Fannie and Freddie buy up packages of loans that are originated by banks,
thrifts, mortgage companies, etc. to enable lenders to lend more.
According to a 1999 New York Times article, the banks, thrifts and mortgage
companies were also eager for Fan and Fred to loosen standards. Once they
knew Fan and Fred would buy up the riskier loans they issued, they could issue
more loans to more people and make more dough without taking on the
increased risk.
Most folks didn't worry then that the change would be one of the causes of
the financial mess we now find ourselves in a mess that would grow well
beyond Fan and Fred and eventually swallow up many private institutions done in
by their own greed.
No, most folks were fat, dumb and happy and amused. For entertainment
value alone, we had a president who was the gift who kept on giving:
"Monica Lewinsky was on 'Larry King Live,'" said David Letterman. "She
really liked Larry King. Actually, she likes any guy with a desk."
Nobody much cared what our president did the impeachment thing was an
annoyance so long as stocks kept rising and our collective nap went
undisturbed.
It's true the economy and the dot.com bubble started to tank in the last
year of Clinton's term. It's true, too, that soon after Bill left, 9/11 would
hit, we'd go to war and the Fed would unleash easy dough to try and stave off
recession.
Unfortunately, conditions would be perfectly set a perfect storm of sorts
to create and eventually explode a housing bubble that would cause our
global financial system to melt down.
Who knows what is next. All I know is that I'm longing for the Clinton
years. I'd give anything for a Monica Lewinsky scandal about now.
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© 2008, Tom Purcell
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