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COPYRIGHT 2001 Society for the Advancement of Education
EVENTUALLY, Bill Clinton will fade into the background. His legacy of scandals and the reckless abuse of the office of the president will linger, as will the damage he has done to our conception of political life. Clinton played politics as a game of gotcha--getting the drop on his opponent(s) as the end in itself. He outmaneuvered Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and kept the Republican Congress on the defensive even while he was being impeached. He glided from issue to issue--health care reform, school uniforms, prescription drugs for seniors, and HMO and campaign finance reform--gaining political points, but achieving little. With the Cold War over and the economy booming, the public made few demands on him. His scandals did not affect his approval ratings, and his opponents couldn't lay a glove on him. Politics in the Clinton years was about entertainment and good times, not substance.
Liberal...
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