tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811369.post2258139598602821135..comments2023-10-24T01:23:36.470-07:00Comments on Thin Places: talk radioroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508828835908673347noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811369.post-135926703636613262009-02-03T09:29:00.000-08:002009-02-03T09:29:00.000-08:00As for the economy under Reagan/Bush 1, I was back...As for the economy under Reagan/Bush 1, I was back east then - PA & upstate NY - and I don't remember it as being nearly as rosy as you imply, Michael. Remember, the slogan Clinton ran on, and won was, "it's the economy, stupid." Certainly the blue collar sector was devastated in western PA during those years.<BR/><BR/>As for Clinton's economic policies, I think they were more in line with Reagan than with traditional Democratic policies.<BR/><BR/>The CRA may have been a piece of the puzzle, but I would lay more of the blame on deregulation and that is Republican all the way. Plus, the CRA didn't force banks to make loans to people they knew would never be able to repay them... and from what I've read, the majority of subprime loans were not made by CRA regulated banks. Check out the links from the Wikipedia article on the CRA for more info.royhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00508828835908673347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811369.post-56033149320970559882009-02-03T05:49:00.000-08:002009-02-03T05:49:00.000-08:00I'll agree with what you said, Roy. I hope this g...I'll agree with what you said, Roy. I hope this guy does like gangbusters. Sadly, I'm where you were eight and four years ago... I don't believe he will, but I hope he does. Already I look at this spend-happy, pork-loaded "stimulus" package and think "same old tax-and-spend idealism." <BR/><BR/>I don't know about California, but the economy was going great here on the east coast during the Reagan/Bush years. We all had money, we could afford to live. Clinton came in and the slide started. The Fed may have had a surplus, but we sure didn't. Not that (and I agree with you here) W did any great shakes to fix it. I still support the ideas of why we needed to go to Iraq, but the cost was tremendous, and we are only beginning to pay the price. <BR/><BR/>I still think the single biggest cause for our economic woes is the CRA. And CRA is a Democrat program all the way. This is what keeps me up at night.Michael J Mahoneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06239057043899114566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811369.post-15762843956195865172009-02-02T21:46:00.000-08:002009-02-02T21:46:00.000-08:00In mid 2002 reality to ceased to matter anymore to...In mid 2002 reality to ceased to matter anymore to the Bush apologists. The whole thing stopped being a debate about politics and ideas, about different ways to solve real problems and became mythic and chimerical.<BR/><BR/>Bush really only has one legacy, the appointment of Gen of Petraeus. The irony there is, of course, that of Petraeus is exactly the kind of strong intellectual (attuned to sociological reality and cultural difference) that was ridiculed for so long by the Bush apologists.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811369.post-47560113671979097792009-02-02T21:29:00.000-08:002009-02-02T21:29:00.000-08:00I have always thought that if Bush was to get cred...I have always thought that if Bush was to get credit for keeping us safe after 9/11, then Clinton should also be praised for preventing another attack on our soil after the first twin tower bomb attack.<BR/><BR/>Consistency is not a hallmark of politicians... of either party.<BR/><BR/>PS Congrats on the Steelers.Dave Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04272431500457083818noreply@blogger.com