Chapter 52

1. Chapter 52 Only Yesterday Politics and the Economy 1993–2009

2. Clinton and the World • President Bill Clinton • Modest background • Clinton a flexible opportunist • Clinton devotes life to politics • Hilary Rodham Clinton • Met at Yale law school • Masterful politician • Clinton begins as liberal Democrat • Clinton becomes “New Democrat” • Clinton promotes fiscal responsibility • Clinton pro-business • Enjoys giving speeches; most public appearances • His achilles heel was promiscousness

3. Up and down Co-Presidency • Clinton has conservative tax and spend policy • Clinton erases deficit; creates surplus • Clinton’s other priority is health care • Health care • U.S. health care world’s most expensive • U.S. ranks lows in health standards • Greed drives much of health industry • 39 million Americans have no health insurance, 1993 • Earlier health proposals labeled as socialism • Bill Clinton tries to compromise with insurance • Hillary Clinton in charge of campaign • Health reform fails

4. Up and down Co-Presidency (cont.’d) • Mid-term election • Republican gain control of Congress • Results part of larger trend • Republicans play on America’s unease • Clinton support of liberal causes embarrassing • Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich • Gingrich threatens Social Security, Medicare • In fight over budget, Clinton lets government shut down • Gingrich loses support • Election of 1996 • Republicans run Bob Dole for President • Clinton wins in spite of Whitewater scandal

5. Foreign Policy in the 1990s • Somalia • End of Cold War means vague foreign policy • Civil War in Somalia destroys Mogadishu • U.N. approves U.S. military intervention for humanitarian aid • Intervention fails after helicopter shot down • Haiti • Haitian refugees, president flee to U.S. • Early U.S. military intervention fails • Jimmy Carter, Colin Powell convince dictators to flee • Haiti has peaceful elections, 1996

6. Foreign Policy in the 1990s (cont’d) • Balkans I: Bosnia • With collapse of Yugoslavia area rips apart • Orthodox, Christian and Muslims fight • Europeans fail to step up • Clinton receives UN permission to bomb Serbs and force negotiated end • Balkans II: Kosovo • Another Yugoslavian province breaks away • Albanian Kosovo versus Serbians • Atrocoties on both sides but Kosovars flee • U.S. bombs Serbia and sends peacekeepers • America First Revived • Criticism of foreign policy led by Pat Buchanan • Isolationist

7. Foreign Policy in the 1990s (cont’d) • Mexico and NAFTA • Clinton pushes NAFTA through Congress • Hopes to improve Mexican economy and thus reduce illegal immigration • Labor, isolationists oppose NAFTA • NAFTA eliminates trade barriers in North America • Clinton sends financial aid to Mexico

8. The End of the Affair • Clinton’s sex scandals arise again • Kenneth Star while investigating Whitewater which goes nowhere finds evidence of Clinton affair • Monica Lewinsky testifies, has dress with proof • Clinton denies, then admits affair • Whole mess unsavory

9. The End of the Affair (cont.’d) Starr Report and Impeachment • Report details Clinton’s sex misconduct • House impeaches Clinton on perjury charges and obstruction of justice • Senate fails to convict • Republican versus Democrat contest • Clinton had been very Republican in his policies and even balanced the budget, but Republicans hated him

10. THE NEW CENTURY: NATIONAL CATASTROPHE,OPEN-ENDED WAR • Election of 2000 • Hillary Clinton becomes U.S. senator • Democrats nominate Al Gore for president • Republicans nominate George W. Bush for president • No understanding or curiosity about the world • Told what to say • Florida vote counted disputed • Takes a month to resolve • Florida Supreme Court orders hand recount • Republicans as U.S. Supreme Court to stop and they do • Bush declared winner

11. THE NEW CENTURY: NATIONAL CATASTROPHE,OPEN-ENDED WAR • 9/11 • Terrorists attack World Trade Center, Pentagon • Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaeda responsible • Al Qaeda represents Muslim fundamentalists • Attack failure of American intelligence • U.S. intervenes in Afghanistan • Taliban overthrown, Bin Laden escapes

12. THE NEW CENTURY: NATIONAL CATASTROPHE,OPEN-ENDED WAR(cont.’d) • A war on terror and in Iraq • For some Bush officials Iraq had been obsession since Persian Gulf War • Want to use U.S. position as sole superpower to bring an imperium and force small states to succumb • WMD • U.S. turns attention to Iraq • U.S. claims Iraq has weapons of mass destruction but evidence does not support • Germany, France, China refuse to support U.S. in Iraq • Opposition destroys UN sanction • Bush waits on invading Iraq, protests build

13. THE NEW CENTURY: NATIONAL CATASTROPHE,OPEN-ENDED WAR(cont.’d) • Second Iraq War • March 2003, “coalition of the willing” invaded Iraq • April 9, 2003, U.S. forces took Baghdad • European states now wanted voice in Iraqi reconstruction • Dissonant forces in Iraq continues attacks • Rebellion and civil war flourish • Few WMDs found • Bush admitted to faulty intelligence information • Bush reelected in 2004 • John Kerry attacked on military record by outside group “Swift Boat Veterans” • Approval rating below 50% • Iraq formed new government

14. THE NEW CENTURY: NATIONAL CATASTROPHE,OPEN-ENDED WAR(cont.’d) • Homefront • Bush spent surpluses into deficits • Gave out tax refunds • Softened on environmental regulations • Hurricane Katrina destroyed what little remained of Bush’s reputation • His approval ratings plummeted

15. The Longest Campaign • Endless campaign for the presidency • Television makes it ongoing event and costs skyrocket • McCain wins Republican nomination • Obama beats out Hilary Clinton for Democrats • With the economic collapse Obama wins the presidency easily

16. Discussion Questions • Look at Clinton’s foreign policy? What were his successes? What were his failures? • Examine Clinton’s impeachment. What did the proceeding reveal about Clinton, partisan politics, and the American people? Was the verdict correct? • Scrutinize 9/11. How did it change American society, culture, and politics? Is this nation better or worst since it happened? • Describe the collapse of the Bush presidency from the highs after 9/11 to the lows after Katrina.