These speeches are typically rather bland, but Clinton outdid that with his wish list, which
may have been as much intended to shore up the left wing support in the party as anything
else. Republicans seem less  prepared -- or able -- than they perhaps should be, to offer
their own initiatives, but it is less than probable that much of this Clinton supposed agenda
will find its way through the legislative labyrinth.

One might be tempted to wonder how Clinton could show his face in public after the
revelations that have been made about him. Not surprisingly, he showed up, and put up a
front of resolve. The media saw it as boldness, but it might be termed bodacious hubris.
No less a hubris was the content of his performance. There are not problems with all that
he said. It would be difficult to be that disagreeable with anyone. And much of his talk was
rhetorical speech which by definition is not argumentative. By the time he reached the
third line of his presentation, however, all that began to change.

It is one thing to claim there have been 14 million jobs created and infer that he had
something to do with it, but it would quite another to explain how many of those jobs
were part time, temporary, or low wage jobs. Inflation has reached a 30 year low, he
added, except that this is not true. It has edged upward generally since the commencement
of the Reagan Great Disinflation. Where it has turned temporarily lower than immediately
before in the most recent period, it cannot be overlooked that there are building
inflationary forces in the economy. Behind a recent effort to create an impression that
inflation was over-measured statistically, he continues to propagate a myth that it under
control. In fact, price level increases during the Clinton Administration have been in terms
of dollars and cents almost as high as they were before Reagan policies began to bring it
down, though with the swelled base, they look lower in percentages.Of course, reigning in
the rate of inflation is in some measure due to the tackling of the budget deficit, something
else Clinton tried to take credit for in his speech, but regarding which he has been less than
forthcoming (big surprise there!). This President continued with other of his
'achievements:'

3) "Incomes are rising. . . "

For the five years Clinton has been in office, quite the opposite is the case. Real income
levels have not only slipped in comparison to the last period of real growth, the mid
1980's, but have tracked actually lower as opposed to stagnant.

4) "we have the highest home ownership in history."

A patently absurd statement, in reality, many Americans are finding it increasingly difficult
to maintain, let alone achieve, home ownership. 

5) "The welfare rolls are the lowest in 27 years . . . "

In a strict sense, this is unquestionably the case, although that may not be true with regard
to raw numbers as opposed to rates. In any event, it has not been his doing. Indeed, he has
worked adamantly against this achievement. He did sign the welfare reform package, after
having vetoed the same bill the previous year. But he did so only when it was obvious that
the legislation was going to be passed over his potential veto. Immediately upon signing it,
however, he began to speak and work to 'correct' the shortcomings, as he saw them, of the
reforms. Clinton has effected reversals of some of the measures of  reform, but it is also
relevant that much of the decline is attributable directly to efforts at the state level by such
as Michigan Governor Engler and Tommie Thompson of Wisconsin. 

6) "and crime has dropped for a record five years in a row."

Crime has been generally in decline since the middle eighties. This is in no small part due
to tougher enforcement imposed by conservative legislators and judges. His appointees
have effected pressures in the opposing direction. At the same time, drug abuse has
increased dramatically, as have drug-related crimes, since his Presidency began.

7) "Our leadership in the world is unrivaled."

Certainly since the 'end' of the Cold War, this is arguably the case, but he had nothing
whatsoever to do with that. And, in fact, much he has 'accomplished' has pushed the
ledger to the point where one must begin to wonder if the Cold War may rear its ugly
head again, if it has not already done so. His war on the American military has also
demoralized and weakened our military strength -- a course augmented by his efforts to
diminish our defense capabilities from scuttling SDI to slashing manpower levels. Iraq
clearly has questions about our capabilities which may be made manifest if Clinton
attempts to go it alone and show him he cannot do what the UN tells him not to, by
unleashing military escapades whose only purpose is to demonstrate to our citizenry that
we are capable of response. Of course, such forays will at best be a charade, even perhaps
intended to distract Americans from his personal troubles. It is true that we are 'strong,'
but there is little doubt that we are not strong enough, thanks to Bill Clinton.

Clinton proceeded at this point to list a set of wishes few Americans would question, at
least until he concluded by adding that 'government' must provide 'opportunity.' Quite
simply, government cannot do that, and where it attempts to do so actually effects the
opposite. But it sounded good -- success from hard work, safe communities, strong
families, good schools, college for all, cures for disease, internet access to every book and
symphony. Then came more platitudes, strangely couched in terms of the brave new world
Clinton is creating, followed by a return to the catch. With the help of the Vice President,
they have forged a new government, one he describes as smaller (the smallest in 35
years!?) and more progressive. What is being structured is "a government that is leaner,
more flexible, a catalysto for new ideas," "a government that gives the American people
the tools they need to make the most of their own lives." So we see the reason for the
rising expectations of Americans for good times out of hard work by American people --
government! And just as ironic from this President, what he is building is a "socity rooted
in responsibility . . .  [A]nd a nation that lives as a community."


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