>True a golden opportunity missed and down "right" shameful. However, the Clinton surplus to me is a myth perpetuated by the Clintonistas and the media. If there was such a surplus, why did the federal debt continue to rise every year?
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>http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2005/sheets/hist07z1.xls
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>That is a link to an OMB web site Excel spreadsheet and is virus-free to go ahead and open. Mind you, I am no accountant but I do not see any reduction in the Federal debt in ANY year regardless of Prez. The only difference is the different rate of GROWTH in the debt.

I don't think you can blame Clinton for Reagan and Bush 41's debt! Well, I know some Republicans will :-).

I give Clinton and Robert Rubin a lot of credit for their efforts and successes in balancing the budget. I think there are a number of economists who recognize that Clinton made some tough choice in presenting his budget plans to Congress, and a think a number of those economists attribute that fiscal discipline to the boom we had in the 90s. Ah, the good ole days.