By The Prowler on 2.4.03 @ 12:04AM
It was all about him -- but when isn't it?
Democrats on retreat in Pennsylvania late last week came back
grumbling that President Bill Clinton didn't give them their
money's worth. Of course, he was working for free, so what did they
expect?
"It was all about him. His administration, what he did, would
have done," says an attendee. "It's nothing we haven't heard
before, it's just that there wasn't much constructive about
it."
To be fair, Clinton did lay down some markers for the current
legislative session and the 2004 campaign season, but those markers
must seem pretty familiar to a Democratic caucus that has been
wandering around in circles for the last couple of election
cycles.
Clinton pressed his Democratic brethren not be bullied by
Republicans who have impugned his party's patriotism. The ex-prez
told the audience, which according to attendees hung on his every
word, to hit back, not to take such charges lightly.
Any additional guidance was built on the classic class warfare
rhetoric of Democratic races past. "It was all about the Bush tax
cuts and how everything we should be debating, all the issues we as
Democrats should be forcing, flow out of those tax cuts for the
rich," says the attendee. "He's right. Social Security, health-care
reform, balanced budgets, education, all those issues that we care
about are in play. But we're too defensive."
Clinton was said to be at his best, speaking without notes,
flitting about from subject to subject, deftly tying up loose ends
and extraneous ideas.
"It was great to see him on top of his game," says the attendee,
no longer as upset as he initially seemed. Clinton can evidently
still wow them.
topics:
Education, Bill Clinton, Social Security
