GUEST 10 Jul 06 - 07:31 AM while not in total disagreement with you I point out the fact that the Clinton administration was the epitome of resource husbandry compared to the current setup. The Clinton administration had drastically lowered the deficit while being open to such world-wise policies as support for the Mexican and SE Asian economies when they went into what could have been death spirals. The Clinton Administration was bellicose to the extent of bombing Serbia and sending cruise missiles against Osama.

I think Clinton was more intelligent, more educated, more aware of the world as it is than the current President, although I do not say the current President is stupid. I think he is handicapped by:

Not enough knowledge of the world and world economic, political, historical and military trends.

A political base incorporating in part a voting block of fundamentalists who, paraphrasing Will Rogers, "it's not what they don't know that I'm afraid of, it's the things they do know that just ain't so!"

A lack of support on the part of the Western World that would be far far better off with a show of unity rather than the bickering and grand-standing that we have seen from France and Germany.

Bush could be far worse than he is, however, and the lack of fiscal discipline on the part of the present day Reps is more than matched by a lack of almost any kind of discipline from the Dems.