The Clinton and Obama campaigns have sparred over President Reagan all day, with Sen. Hillary Clinton's surrogates questioning Sen. Barack Obama's laudatory remarks about Reagan, but former President Clinton once offered his own praise for the Republican.
Washington Times Arts and Entertainment editor Danny Wattenberg interviewed Bill Clinton in 1991 when he was chairman of the centrist Democratic Leadership Council.
According to his account of the interview in this National Review piece, Clinton said Reagan "accelerated the trend" that led to the collapse of the Soviet bloc.
Here's the key grafs:
"I asked him whether he believed that Ronald Reagan's security policies — the military build-up, the Reagan Doctrine, the anti-Communist rhetoric — deserved credit for the collapse of the Soviet bloc.
And he said: "I think it had something to do with it … The kind of system they tried to have in Eastern Europe just doesn't work very well in the world we're living in, and as soon as the people found out just how terrible it was and what their alternatives were, it was more or less doomed. But I think precedent to that you had to have the willingness of the Soviet Union to let it happen in Eastern Europe, which I think was at least in part a function of their own internal problems, but those internal problems were certainly aggravated by the enormous stresses we put on them because of the military build-up. They had to match what we did … And also the rhetoric of rolling back Communist regimes, changing the preconceived notion that once you go Communist you can never turn it back, which Reagan had something to do with, played a contributing role … Reagan's policies … certainly accelerated the trend."
In a press conference just now, Hillary Clinton hit on the topic, reminding reporters: "We're running for the Democratic nomination."
She specifically keyed off on his "party of ideas" comments, wondering if he would want to privatize Social Security or block increases in the minimum wage.
"It's a fair question to ask him which ideas he's praising," she said.
-- Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times
Comments (4)
This is your response? Obama praised Reagan's way of changing the country, not a way he dealt with a crisis. Clinton praised his dealing with the Cold War.
Good reporting, Christina. Next for you is the Pulitzer.
Posted by Kyle | January 18, 2008 6:50 PM
I am getting tired of reading or hearing what Bill Clinton has said in the 80s.
What Bill Clinton said 20 years ago is relevant to us ....because????
I did not see his name on the ballot. did you? recognize
At least, recognize that a woman, Senator, can think for herself and ask fair questions even if it is Hillary Clinton. She has the right to play any political card she has in hand and use them like any man would do.
How can you suggest that she agrees on everything her husband did or said politically?
Thanks,
Suzanne
Posted by Suzanne | January 18, 2008 7:25 PM
Is this a Clinton "fairy tale"? Like I said, pursuit of power knows no boundaries.
Posted by Larry Stone | January 19, 2008 8:15 AM
Dear Ms. Bellantoni: You are not seriously suggesting that Clinton's comments about Reagan's participation in the downfall of the Soviets honestly rises to the level of the claim that Reagan "created a new trajectory in American politics." Pleeeeease!! Even more egregious to suggest that Clinton's 1991 comments rise to the level of Obama stating that Republicans were the "party of ideas" the last 10 to 15 years.
Hillary is on the money in suggesting that the media should be asking Obama WHICH ideas Obama is referring to. Once again, where is the media when Obama makes such provocative claims. The double standard lives on!
Posted by Richard O'Rourke | January 19, 2008 2:25 PM