Eight years ago, the Clinton-Gore years began with great promise. An issue of great importance to me was on the top of their to-do list: Health care reform. A health plan was quickly hammered together, and while far from perfect, it was our best chance at universal coverage since Harry Truman left office forty years previous.
The health care plan went down to tremendous defeat in 1993. The administration vowed to keep trying. Nothing happened. The 1994 election brought in the Contract on America, and nothing happened. In 1996, Clinton and Gore vowed that if given another term, they'd try again at health care reform. In four more years, nothing has happened.
In the first term, Gore served as Clinton's main mouthpiece and cheerleader in the fight to ratify NAFTA. "It's not perfect," Gore said. "But in our second term, we'll fix the omissions. We'll make sure that the Mexican border towns do not become environmental wastelands. We'll help clean them up." Four years later, nothing has happened.
The Clinton-Gore administration succeeded in doing what Ronald Reagan only dreamed of: They eliminated the social safety net. Five year lifetime limits on aid. The administration admitted that this was short-sighted, and would need to be remedied. In the second term. "Give us another four years, and we'll fix it. We'll restore fairness along with toughness." Four more years, and nothing has happened.
Have they said word one about corporate welfare? Have they put a lifetime limit on billion dollar companies that pay less tax than your or I? Or have they continued to make a mockery of campaign finance reform by taking record numbers of corporate donations?
Finally, on another issue of vast importance to me, Al Gore has shown himself to be a political player who will go against his own conscience and ethics if there's a few votes in it for him. He has readily admitted that innocent people have been, and will continue to be, put to death for crimes they did not commit. Still, he stands behind the death penalty. It wouldn't be prudent to take a stand against it.
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