The dominant foreign policy players in the Bush administration were skeptical of the Clinton-era focus on terrorism BUSH’s young presidency was over how serious he took the threat from al-Qaida before 9/11. “You mean to tell me that the success of the program and my reelection hinges on … a bunch of f-ing bond traders?' Clinton famously said at one key meeting.
Liberals thought he needn’t pay too much attention, and moderates, who won, argued that attacking the deficit would appease bond traders, thus lowering interest rates and unleashing economic growth. In 1993, the great debate in BILL CLINTON’s White House was about deficit reduction. Sometimes it’s obvious, other times it’s only apparent in hindsight. JUST POSTED - Maureen Dowd on “Johnny and Amber: Trouble in Paradise”īIDEN’S GREAT DEBATE - In the first year of most new administrations there is often one great debate that comes to define the president’s term. A new book about Janet Yellen says the Treasury secretary was an early internal dissenter on the size of the American Rescue Plan.
