Oct 7, 2008 6:19pm

McCain’s Risky Move For Tonight’s Debate

ABC’s Ron Claiborne reports from Nashville:

We’ve been hearing for several days now how McCain is going to go the offensive at tonight’s debate. Trot out one of hoariest of political clichés, that he is going to take off the gloves (McCain was asked last week when he was going to take off those gloves and he said "Tuesday" — tonight.

We’ve seen his running mate Sarah Palin pounding Barack Obama for his purported "association" with Bill Ayers, the former leftist radical who bombed government buildings in 1960s.

And yesterday, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, McCain went after Obama with what was unquestionably the harshest, most ferocious single attack of the campaign; one that verged on and probably crossed the line to the personal.

But McCain is in a delicate position in the debate tonight. Striking an aggressive pose, attacking his opponent while looking him in the eye (if he looks him the eye; in the first debate he didn’t) is a risky move. It can easily come across as nasty and disrespectful. McCain knows that he has to shake up this race and the two remaining debates are the only single event opportunities to do that.

But — to mix metaphors — going to the big score is a high wire act fraught with risk. The risk is coming that in attacking Obama, he comes across as desperate and, well, political. McCain’s brand is that he is a different kind of politician. Straight shooter. Maverick. The guy who promised to raise the level of political discourse, who said again and again he would run a "respectful" campaign on the issues. Going after Obama too hard could easily tarnish the brand. Yes, McCain will go after Obama in an aggressive fashion, but it may be more subtle than some are predicting.

Also, when taking questions from citizens, there is more pressure to actually answer the question, to satisfy the questioner than in a tradition debate forum. Moderators — who are after all members of the media, not a profession held in high regard by the public — can be ignored. Ignoring the question of an (self-described voter standing 20 feet away can easily be perceived as insulting).

In particular, if Ayers doesn’t come up in a question, I suspect McCain will not bring him up himself. That task may end up consigned to Palin in the attack dog role. And invoking Ayers might cause Obama to bring up the Keating 5 scandal. As McCain’s aides will tell you, McCain was ultimately found to have used bad judgment in intervening with federal banking officials on behalf of savings and loan exec Charles Keating, but was cleared of any ethnical violations. But does he really want to have that brought up with tens of millions of people watching on television? There’s a generation of voters who don’t know or have forgotten about that tawdry affair. McCain may decide to keep that out of the debate by keeping Ayers out.

Where the McCain campaign thinks they can hit Obama is to raise questions that essentially say this: "Who is this guy? You know me. You don’t really know him, do you? What’s he really for? What’s he ever done?"

The notion is to make this election a referendum on Obama and exploit reservations swing voters may have about this relative newcomer. Look for McCain to exploit those doubts, lay the groundwork for more aggressive attacks on the stump more than go for a knockout punch in one night.   

User Comments

WHY MCCAIN HAS NOT BEEN SEEN IN PUBLIC IN THE LAST 2 DAYS.
McCain apparently had a dizzy spell and almost collapsed, but was caught by one of his FBI Security details.
Investigations are on trying to force McCain to release his latest medical records.
McCain has either developed prostate cancer or his skin cancer is back.
If any of this is true McCain has less than 3 years to live. And don’t talk to me about his mother because she does not have cancer.
At what ages did McCain’s father and grandfather die?
Just think about it for a moment my friends.
McCain will die in office if elected and Sarah Humpty Dumpty Palin will be President.
God Save America.

Posted by: Steve_NJ | October 7, 2008, 6:21 pm 6:21 pm

“You know me” says McCain.
Unfortunately we begin to know too much. McCain is demonstrating a wanton abandon for lies and dirty politics. What happened to your ethics and principles? John McCain claims to be a moral standard but only shows how low and poor a campaign can become when desperate.

Posted by: JR | October 7, 2008, 6:27 pm 6:27 pm

hahaha Good eye John McCain’s conscience! That one went right over my head when I read it.

Posted by: Fairfax | October 7, 2008, 6:50 pm 6:50 pm

McCain is old and very sick, he is in this race because of his very big ego, but unfortunately he is not intelligent enough to be president of the greatest nation on earth. McCain’s IQ is very low and he has very poor judegment. That is the reality he has to accept. God save America from McCain/Palin. God bless America and God bless Obama/Biden.

Posted by: BKMC | October 7, 2008, 6:51 pm 6:51 pm

I hope the negatives gives him what he is looking for a trip with Palin out of this race…..

Posted by: NH voter | October 7, 2008, 6:53 pm 6:53 pm

McCain is no longer what used to be 8 years ago. Now he looks like a boring politician repeating the same old tirade all over again.
The McCain reform ship have sailed years ago, now it’s time for some new ideeas.

Posted by: thinker | October 7, 2008, 6:54 pm 6:54 pm

Because of our current economic crisis directly related to Bush and McCain’s deregulation support with it’s inherent lack of government oversight, I hope that we can discuss McCain’s notorious and direct involvement in the huge Eighties savings and loan collaps. McCain was one of infamous Keating 5, and was humiliated to sit before congressional investigators and hearings, being grilled like the current day ultra-rich criminal CEOs. He was found to have engaged in unethical conduct, accused of very poor judgment in lobbying for a notorious criminal, Charles Keating. McCain himself has said that his unethical involvement was the worst mistake of his life.

Posted by: Jerrod | October 7, 2008, 6:54 pm 6:54 pm

I like the fact that Obama and Biden have totally ignored the Moose Lady dispite her daily reading from script attack, which leave old McSame running around like a chicken with lip stick with its head cut off. I think, I Think, I hear the fat lady warming up her voice.

Posted by: Vietnam Vet | October 7, 2008, 6:54 pm 6:54 pm

He can try the smear stuff tonight, but really, will us voters really want to hear it? What’s your stance on the issues, John? Since you’ve already abandoned running on issues, you’re toast in my opinion, but can’t you at least TRY to run an above board campaign?

Posted by: HeidiL | October 7, 2008, 6:55 pm 6:55 pm

About time McCain showed the whole country who Obama really is, an inexperienced politian with questionable ties. And talk about Humpty Dumpty, God save us if Obama becomes president.

Posted by: Dennis | October 7, 2008, 6:58 pm 6:58 pm

McCain sold out to have achance to be President. His gambling and erratic behavior cost him. There’s never been an issue that he has not reversed course on, taxes, drilling, reform, the list is huge on the things that he has flip-flopped on. Sometimes he flops over a two week period, and sometimes after several years. There is nothing that he truly believes in, other than dying to be President.

Posted by: Jeff | October 7, 2008, 6:58 pm 6:58 pm

Mr. Claiborne: “Unquestionably the harshest, most ferocious single attack of the campaign” ??? Spare your readers the melodrama. Americans face the most important presidential election of the last fifty years, at least. Americans want to see these two confront one another and may the best man win. If Americans are turned off by any candidate’s tactic then the advantage goes to the opponent. Trust the American people to judge what is fair and what is not, and kindly refrain from trying to color the facts and circumstances. Americans are sick and tired of the media spinning and putting in their own two cents each time one of candidates draws a breath of air to speak.

Posted by: jcarob | October 7, 2008, 6:58 pm 6:58 pm

At some point, McCain will have to back off all of incessant his MSM complaining and baseless vile and racist attacking- just like Hillary had to- just to save face and try to restore some semblance of a positive image to return to Congress with. Right now is image is toast in Congress.

Posted by: Jack | October 7, 2008, 7:02 pm 7:02 pm

McCain’s argument that “we know who he is” assumes voters have the memories of gnats. (Unfortunately, true) Since 200 he has more flip flots than an IHOP restaurant and the campaign just repainted the bus, “The Forked Tongue Express.”
Finally, this media driven argument that there is some kind of immoral equivalency when Obama brings up Keating is bogus. First, the Keating 5 scandal is remarkably similar to what is happening now. Second, McCain was officially reprimanded by the Sen. Ethics Committee, and Third, if Obama won’t stand up for himself, how can I expect him to stand up for me.

Posted by: B. Bear | October 7, 2008, 7:04 pm 7:04 pm

I’m affraid that John McCain was “programmed” by his communist captors; he is a ticking communist timebomb waiting to to be set off by his commie programmers once he’s elected.

Posted by: scared_of_john | October 7, 2008, 7:04 pm 7:04 pm

The attacks, lies, smears, fear and hatred McCain and Palin are creating in their desperate attempt to get elected are turning people vicious towards the media and Obama.
With people shouting out “Kill” and “Terrorist”, McCain is deliberately encouraging an assassination of his opponent.
Given his association with the Iran-Contra conspirators, it is no surprise.
These criminals will do anything.

Posted by: susan | October 7, 2008, 7:05 pm 7:05 pm

Questioning someone’s credentials that wouldn’t pass a background check for employment with the FBI is risky? Keep his feet to the fire and make him explain his associations. Why befriend the most radical members in the community? What is your real political agenda?

Posted by: Mack | October 7, 2008, 7:07 pm 7:07 pm

Reports from the McCain camp are out this evening that he plans to wimp out tonight, other than trying to scare the American voters. He will present no new specifics, on how to help us. Palin will do his nasty pitbull fighting for him on the stump later. Don’t look for any fire at all from little mac tonight, just that same old dull, troll, monotone, disdainful, and condescending lifeless McCain debate style that we saw throughout the last debate.

Posted by: Jennifer | October 7, 2008, 7:09 pm 7:09 pm

I am very concerned about what Sarah Palin is doing at her rallies. I believe she could be accused of inciting riots after getting people all worked up into a frenzy, and one man even saying “kill him!” For the good of our country, cannot someone make her stop doing this? She did not even say anything. She should encourage people to be respectful, but then I guess she would have to be respectful. Maybe she could be arrested before something bad happens.

Posted by: Elaine | October 7, 2008, 7:10 pm 7:10 pm

I have never seen so many lies as from the communist scum on this site. How can any one get the truth from people like you. We need to investigate OB and the low life he surrounds himself with.

Posted by: 35bart | October 7, 2008, 7:11 pm 7:11 pm

Did you all ever hear of a process called the Cloward-Piven Strategy of Orchestrated Crisis?
Are you aware that it is happening in front of your eyes?
Are you prepared to move our country toward socialism?
Is the future of my great America, which I served faithfully as a career military person, going to be left in the hands of an administration and president who has so many times demonstrated that he does not value the ability of Americans to work hard and gain their just rewards?
Can anyone, just one person, tell me, besides being skilled speaker, how Obama is going to lead our great country out of our present mess?
Maybe you all are a lot smarter than I, but when I look at the situation, I am reminded of the “lambs to slaughter” story told to me over and over again by my grandparents and parents.
I cannot distinguish between Obama and a Judas goat. Maybe some of you smart folks can help me with that.

Posted by: JPVH | October 7, 2008, 7:12 pm 7:12 pm

“At some point, McCain will have to back off all of incessant his MSM complaining and baseless vile and racist attacking- just like Hillary had to”
Speaking the truth is not “baseless vile and racist attacking”. He won’t have back off since unlike Hillary, who put party before country, McCain/Palin have no such restraints.

Posted by: Mack | October 7, 2008, 7:12 pm 7:12 pm

I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THE ECONOMY AND WHAT ARE THEIR PLANS TO FIX IT!!!!
NO NEGATIVE ATTACKS!!!
JUST THE ECONOMY!!!

Posted by: sisterdearest09 | October 7, 2008, 7:20 pm 7:20 pm

It seems, that now is the time to listen and analyze the scarce facts. Do the algebra on the rhetoric. Don’t disregard the facts you don’t like.
We are Americans, we are smarter than this. Rise above the stupidity, lies and media propaganda. Obama or McCain, Vote for the right person for the right reasons. Not because you have been bullied into some perspective of fear and ignorance.

Posted by: JPVH | October 7, 2008, 7:24 pm 7:24 pm

I am hoping that sensible and responsible dialogue is a possibility. Does anyone else have the same hope?

Posted by: jpvh | October 7, 2008, 7:34 pm 7:34 pm

I don’t know why everyone is pretending that it isn’t important who Obama choses to spend his time with over the decades. I know Obama was only 8 when Ayers bombed America, but how old was Obama when Ayers held a party at his house for Obama to announce his decision to run for the Illinois Senate?? 38 or 40?? In my opinion this tells us more about a person than anything he/she says.

Posted by: reality801 | October 7, 2008, 8:19 pm 8:19 pm

Senator Obama’s “anti-American” radical friends make me wonder if the Senator won’t “owe” them favors should he be elected. Bill Ayers, Father Flannigan?, Rev. Wright, etc.

Posted by: John Right | October 7, 2008, 8:24 pm 8:24 pm

Mack-
I suspect that The Economy will somehow fix itself, despite the bail-out. Now I hear American Automakers (or was it retailers) were saying they needed a bail-out…. It may take 4-6 years, but it will make a comeback. Meanwhile my retirement savings are down 40% so I am feeling the pain.
I really wish Congress would hold meaningful hearings on the LACK OF OVERSIGHT that Congress is guilty of for the Toxic Twins (Fanny and Freddie).
Unfortunately since there is a lot of blame that would fall on a lot of Democrats (and some Repub’s also) that we will only get lip service hearings since the Democrats are in power.

Posted by: John Right | October 7, 2008, 8:28 pm 8:28 pm

McCain should stick to the issues at hand their campaign has gone to negative they are being very divisive lets see what they are really offering to America.We don’t need smear that cannot help us out this hole.

Posted by: damehen | October 7, 2008, 8:34 pm 8:34 pm

this is crazy that mcCain only wants to hash the same things, i’m mr. big guy who loves war. i

Posted by: rachel | October 7, 2008, 8:48 pm 8:48 pm

McCain is no hero……he broke under pressure…told all he knew……turned on his own…..became one of the Cong’s “pets”. All he can say in his defense is “I should have been stronger!”
Everyone says, well, you don’t know the kind of torture he went thru…..well…..you people think about the thousands that died under torture rather than do what John McCain Did!
If he broke once…..He will do it again !!!

Posted by: Dave Peck | October 7, 2008, 9:17 pm 9:17 pm

obama isn’t playing by the rules now how can he or will he later? what has really done even as a congress mn.

Posted by: terry | October 7, 2008, 10:30 pm 10:30 pm

jarrode i hate to tell u that the current situation started with pres. carter

Posted by: terry | October 7, 2008, 10:34 pm 10:34 pm

jarrode i hate to tell u that the current situation started with pres. carter

Posted by: terry | October 7, 2008, 10:34 pm 10:34 pm

way to go dennise at least there is someone who knows something

Posted by: terry | October 7, 2008, 10:36 pm 10:36 pm

dear jane how clean is OBAMA?

Posted by: terry | October 7, 2008, 10:38 pm 10:38 pm

no mcCain no pain I mean palin///

Posted by: kb | October 7, 2008, 10:52 pm 10:52 pm

no mcCain no pain I mean palin///

Posted by: kb | October 7, 2008, 10:52 pm 10:52 pm

It’s over. Americans are demanding Marxism, Obama is the one willing to deliver. That’s Democracy, Mob rule.

Posted by: Uncle Moe | October 7, 2008, 11:07 pm 11:07 pm

This is exactly what happened tonight. McCain stump speech was great in NM on Monday, but the debate tonight was not any one two punch….gloves coming off?
Not very evident tonight.
I am assuming the next four weeks will heat up, and both candidates will attack each other more and more on the campaign trail.
NOT AS GOOD AS THE PALIN/BIDEN DEBATE.
STILL FOR McCAIN/PALIN

Posted by: hanna | October 7, 2008, 11:12 pm 11:12 pm

OBAMA HAS A TOLERANCE LEVEL FOR RADICALS THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR C.I.C….NEVER BEFORE IN HISTORY HAVE WE HAD A RADICAL LIBERAL SUCH AS THIS BLACK MAN, AND I’M NOT VOTING FOR HIM JUST BECAUSE HE’S BLACK….YES AMERICA IS READY FOR A BLACK PREZ….NOT THIS CANDIDATE….WRONG GUY.
HILLARY SUPPORTER FOR McCAIN/PALIN

Posted by: hanna | October 7, 2008, 11:23 pm 11:23 pm

barack obama without question. obama answered questions more cogently than john mccain, and had to waste valuable town hall minutes to refute mccain’s inaccurate accusations.

Posted by: mike | October 7, 2008, 11:57 pm 11:57 pm

McCain Never said he was a different
kind of politician!
Obama said he was a different kind of
politician who would transcend race!
Obama is the one who got down in the
mud and proved he was as bad or worse
than any other politician by constantly
playing the “race card”!
It was Obama who lied and went back on
his word about taking public financing
for his campaign!
Obama has been changing his positions
and flat-out lying in this campaign,
about Wright, Ayers, Plegar, Jim Johnson, Franklin Raines etc!
Obama deserves everything he gets from
McCain! Obama is going down!

Posted by: reaganfan | October 8, 2008, 12:25 am 12:25 am

Watching the previous debate, I could not help but be bothered by Obama continually ‘butting in’ while Senator McCain attempted to present his point. It was not much different tonight when Obama told Tom Brokaw, rather defiantly, I might add, that he needed to take additional time to make his point. He, in my opinion, is very rude, inconsiderate, and nowhere near ready to lead the country. I now have even less respect for his views than I had 2 weeks ago. His ideas just seem to leave a very bad taste in my mouth.
Have any of you read either of Obama’s books?
THAT ONE is a very racist person.
I would not want him to be the decisionmaker for the United States of America.

Posted by: Lisa A. Wilson | October 8, 2008, 12:33 am 12:33 am

hanna: I agree with you. I am very familiar with City Hall and its politicans. I live in Chicago, born and raised here and know about their dirty politics. And Obama is one of them. He has good ties to City Hall. Obama ran for the senate in 2000 but lost to another radical named Bobby Rush and he was another one like Ayers but didn’t do any bombing. Obama ran again and won in 2004 because Bobby Rush went on to other things. If I am correct I think that Bobby Rush has passed away. Obama campaign donations were by Ayers whom he met in 1995 and had close ties to him. And I mean close ties. Obama can deny it all he wants to but it was all shown on Video by Fox News two days ago. They should keep playing it for the people to understand who the real Obama is. He is a good wheeler and dealer plus a sincere liar. And this country will suffer if he is elected. We need somone to run this country with excellent experience the kind McCain has. Hillary had ten times more than Obama hasn’t learned yet. Its time for the people to stop and think before they vote for the wrong candidate.

Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | October 8, 2008, 12:43 am 12:43 am

terry: Obama isn’t clean at all. Just read his full background and you will all his crooked anti-american associates including the worst one namely William Ayers who bombed here three times and said the other day he wished he had done more. Ayers should have spent 25 years in prison or life for killing three people. The judge threw it out. If Ayers was black God help him in the 60′s. I believe the courts should decide the punishment and race should not be a factor. And Obama saying Ayers was just a neighbor? Why was he on the same board as Ayers. Ayers lives in Hyde Park close to Ayers and Ayers lives next door to Farrakhan. They are all anti-americans and should not be in this country.

Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | October 8, 2008, 12:51 am 12:51 am

MY FRIENDS, I done think THAT ONE from Arizona done shot himself in the foot!
My wife and I had to turn it off about half way into the debate, it was embarrassing to watch. I think it’s time to put together his concession speech because come November 4th THAT ONE from Arizona will be needing it fairly early on into the evening.

Posted by: Hansi | October 8, 2008, 2:01 am 2:01 am

All you conservatives talking about Obama wanting to create socialism here in America – how has the private sector done so far? Not good. You’ve lost a lot of money under the private sector and greedy Wall Street executives. Many people have lost their health insurance under the private sector and still many more cannot afford it. So – tell me again how the “free” market will improve our lives? Jobs going overseas. Minimum wage service jobs. Credit markets frozen. No money for college, car or home loans. Businesses laying off people. Don’t want people on welfare. Landlords increasing rent on squeezed tenants. Sounds to me like the people in America are ready to explode in revolt from the pressure cooker they’re in. If you are a Republican/Conservative – you’d better keep an eye over your shoulder. Your “free” market hasn’t worked. Your rich buddies have walked away with millions/billions leaving America in the dust. So much for “country first” eh?

Posted by: Bob | October 8, 2008, 9:29 am 9:29 am

terry…. “jarrode i hate to tell u that the current situation started with pres. carter”
I was just wondering if you can explain the comment that you posted above.
If I’m not mistaken after Jimmy Carter there was Ronald Reagan (2 terms), then there was George H. W. Bush, then Bill Clinton (2 terms) and then the IDIOT we’ve had for the last 7+ years.
I don’t understand how you can blame our current crisis as starting with Jimmy Carter when we had the economy that we did under Bill Clinton??? In the year 2000, the nation was on track to be debt free for the first time since 1835 all again under Clinton…albeit with the help of many people both Republicans as well as Democrats.
Under Reagan:
Prior to the Reagan Administration was a roughly ten year period of economic stagnation and inflation, known as stagflation. Political pressure favored stimulus resulting in an expansion of the money supply. Nixon’s wage and price controls were abandoned. Under Ford the problems continued, but policy was more prudent. The federal oil reserves were created to ease any future short term shocks. Carter started phasing out price controls on petroleum, but created the Department of Energy. Much of the credit for the resolution of the stagflation is given to two causes: a three year contraction of the money supply by the Federal Reserve under Paul Volcker, initiated in the last year of Carter’s presidency, and to long term easing of supply and pricing in oil during the 1980s oil glut. By the time Reagan took office, stagflation was near its end and for the remainder of his presidency the economy performed well. There was a renewed emphasis on prudent macroeconomic policy; Nixon’s price controls and similar heavy handed species of government intervention had fallen out of favor, while subtler forms such as prudent monetary policy gained favor.
Under Bush Sr.:
Early in his term, Bush faced the problem of what to do with Reagan’s leftover national debt. At $220 billion in 1990, the deficit had grown to three times its size since 1980. Bush was dedicated to curbing the deficit, believing that America could not continue to be a leader in the world without doing so. He began an effort to persuade the Democratic controlled Congress to act on the budget; with Republicans believing that the best way was to cut government spending, and Democrats convinced that the only way would be to raise taxes, Bush faced problems when it came to consensus building. In the wake of a struggle with Congress, Bush was forced by the Democratic majority to raise tax revenues; as a result, many Republicans felt betrayed because Bush had promised “no new taxes” in his 1988 campaign. Perceiving a means of revenge, Republican congressmen defeated Bush’s proposal which would enact spending cuts and tax increases that would reduce the deficit by $500 billion over five years. Scrambling, Bush accepted the Democrats’ demands for higher taxes and more spending, which alienated him from Republicans and gave way to a sharp decrease in popularity. Bush would later say that he wished he had never signed the bill. Near the end of the 101st Congress, the president and congressional members reached a compromise on a budget package that increased the marginal tax rate and phased out exemptions for high-income taxpayers. Despite demands for a reduction in the capital gains tax, Bush relented on this issue as well. This agreement with the Democratic leadership in Congress proved to be a turning point in the Bush presidency; his popularity among Republicans never fully recovered, however.
Coming at around the same time as the budget deal, America entered into a mild recession, lasting for six months. Many government programs, such as welfare, increased. As the unemployment rate edged upward in 1991, Bush signed a bill providing additional benefits for unemployed workers. 1991 was marked by many corporate reorganizations, which laid off a substantial number of workers. Many now unemployed were Republicans and independents, who had believed that their jobs were secure.
By his second year in office, Bush was told by his economic advisors to stop dealing with the economy, as they believed that he had done everything necessary to ensure his reelection. By 1992, interest and inflation rates were the lowest in years, but by midyear the unemployment rate reached 7.8%, the highest since 1984. In September 1992, the Census Bureau reported that 14.2% of all Americans lived in poverty. At a press conference in 1990, Bush told reporters that he found foreign policy more enjoyable.
Under Clinton:
Clinton’s presidency included a great period of economic growth in America’s history.
The Clinton years were unquestionably a time of progress, especially on the economy Clinton’s 1992 slogan, ‘Putting people first,’ and his stress on ‘the economy, stupid,’ pitched an optimistic if still gritty populism at a middle class that had suffered under Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. By the end of the Clinton presidency, the numbers were uniformly impressive. Besides the record-high surpluses and the record-low poverty rates, the economy could boast the longest economic expansion in history; the lowest unemployment since the early 1970s; and the lowest poverty rates for single mothers, black Americans, and the aged. In proposing a plan to cut the deficit, Clinton submitted a budget that would cut the deficit by $500 billion over five years by reducing $255 billion of spending and raising taxes on the wealthiest 1.2% of Americans. It also imposed a new energy tax on all Americans and subjected about a quarter of those receiving Social Security payments to higher taxes on their benefits. Republican Congressional leaders launched an aggressive opposition against the bill, claiming that the tax increase would only make matters worse. Republicans were united in this opposition, as it were, and every Republican in both houses of Congress voted against the proposal. In fact, it took Vice President Gore’s tie-breaking vote in the Senate to pass the bill. After extensive lobbying by the Clinton Administration, the House narrowly voted in favor of the bill by a vote of 218 to 216. The budget package expanded the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) as relief to low-income families. It reduced the amount they paid in federal income and Federal Insurance Contributions Act tax (FICA), providing $21 billion in relief for 15 million low-income families. Improved economic conditions and policies served to encourage investors in the bond market, leading to a decline in long-term interest rates. The bill contributed to dramatic decline of the budget deficit in the years following its enactment–in 1998, for the first time since 1969, the nation achieved a budget surplus. The surplus money was used to pay down the national debt, which had risen to $5.4 trillion by 1997. The economy continued to grow, and in February 2000 it broke the record for the longest uninterrupted economic expansion in U.S. history—lasting ten years. In the year 2000, the nation was on track to be debt free for the first time since 1835. After Republicans won control of Congress in 1994, Clinton vehemently fought their proposed tax cuts, believing that they favored the wealthy and would weaken economic growth. In August 1997, however, Clinton and Congressional Republicans were finally able to reach a compromise on a bill that reduced capital gain and estate taxes and gave taxpayers a credit of $500 per child and tax credits for college tuition and expenses. The bill also called for a new individual retirement account (IRA) called the Roth IRA to allow people to invest taxed income for retirement without having to pay taxes upon withdrawal. Additionally, the law raised the national minimum for cigarette taxes. The next year, Congress approved Clinton’s proposal to make college more affordable by expanding the financial-aid program known as Pell grants and lowering interest rates on student loans. Clinton also battled Congress nearly every session on the federal budget, in an attempt to secure spending on education, government entitlements, the environment, and AmeriCorps–the national service program that was passed by the Democratic Congress in the early days of the Clinton administration. The two sides, however, could not find a compromise and the budget battle came to a stalemate in 1995 over proposed cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, education, and the environment. After Clinton vetoed numerous Republican spending bills, Republicans in Congress twice refused to pass temporary spending authorizations, forcing the federal government to partially shut down because agencies had no budget on which to operate. In April 1996 Clinton and Congress finally agreed on a budget that provided money for government agencies until the end of the fiscal year in October. The budget included some of the spending cuts that the Republicans supported (decreasing the cost of cultural, labor, and housing programs) but also preserved many programs that Clinton wanted, including educational and environmental ones.
President Clinton’s Latino Appointees in 1998
The Clinton presidency claims responsibility for the following:
Average economic growth of 4.0 percent per year, compared to average growth of 2.8 percent during the previous years. The economy grew for 116 consecutive months, the most in history. Creation of more than 22.5 million jobs—the most jobs ever created under a single administration, and more than were created in the previous 12 years. Of the total new jobs, 20.7 million, or 92 percent, were in the private sector. Economic gains spurred an increase in family incomes for all Americans. Since 1993, real median family income increased by $6,338, from $42,612 in 1993 to $48,950 in 1999 (in 1999 dollars). Overall unemployment dropped to the lowest level in more than 30 years, down from 6.9 percent in 1993 to just 4.0 percent in January 2001. The unemployment rate was below 5 percent for 40 consecutive months. Unemployment for African Americans fell from 14.2 percent in 1992 to 7.3 percent in 2000, the lowest rate on record. Unemployment for Hispanics fell from 11.8 percent in October 1992 to 5.0 percent in 2000, also the lowest rate on record. Inflation dropped to its lowest rate since the Kennedy Administration, averaging 2.5 percent, and fell from 4.7 percent during the previous administration. The homeownership rate reached 67.7 percent near the end of the Clinton administration, the highest rate on record. In contrast, the homeownership rate fell from 65.6 percent in the first quarter of 1981 to 63.7 percent in the first quarter of 1993. The poverty rate also declined from 15.1 percent in 1993 to 11.8 percent in 1999, the largest six-year drop in poverty in nearly 30 years. This left 7 million fewer people in poverty than there were in 1993. The surplus in fiscal year 2000 was $237 billion—the third consecutive surplus and the largest surplus ever. Clinton worked with the Republican-led Congress to enact welfare reform. As a result, welfare rolls dropped dramatically and were the lowest since 1969. Between January 1993 and September 1999, the number of welfare recipients dropped by 7.5 million (a 53 percent decline) to 6.6 million. In comparison, between 1981-1992, the number of welfare recipients increased by 2.5 million (a 22 percent increase) to 13.6 million people.
Under the current IDIOT…..
Well, we know where we stand as of right now.

Posted by: Hansi | October 8, 2008, 4:21 pm 4:21 pm

We all need to ask honest John McCain about him being 1 of the 5 senators that interferd with federal regulators in the 1980s in the saving and loan crisis which cost 1.3 billion dollars

Posted by: phil | October 8, 2008, 4:49 pm 4:49 pm

As to my earlier post 1.3 billion dollars cost the tax payers Geoge Bush brother was the head of all of. Of course was not indited

Posted by: phil | October 8, 2008, 5:00 pm 5:00 pm

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