Bill Clinton’s moment

The nuclear weapon for Barack Obama and Democrats is the surging economy under Bill Clinton.

Under Republicans, foreclosures skyrocket, layoffs soar, growth slows, bankruptcies rise, deficits balloon, bailouts beckon, Wall Street shakes, Main Street suffers, debt cascades, the pain deepens.
McCain believes, like the royal court of King Louis: Let them eat lies. Obama believes, with the heritage of Democratic presidents: Let them have jobs.

McCain lies about Obama because he cannot tell the truth about Republican economics. He cannot tell the nation how he will make things better. Three decades in Washington, seven decades on Earth, and McCain admits he knows little about economics. Incredible.

It is Bill Clinton’s moment. Americans remember, with a Democratic president: jobs soared, growth expanded, prosperity grew, markets rose, Main Street flourished, confidence reigned, deficits ended, surpluses began; new business was created, fewer jobs were outsourced. The place called hope defeated the politics of lies, division and fear.

For Roosevelt, for Truman, for Kennedy, for Clinton, for Obama, the rising tide should lift all boats. It was true for Gore and Kerry, who might have been historically great presidents, but they were lied about, too. Sometimes it works. This time it won’t.

It is time for Democrats to fight.

Barack Obama wants to protect little boys and girls from being murdered or raped by sexual predators by teaching them to say “no” when evil men say to innocent children, “Come with me, I have some candy.” Obama says teach the children. McCain lies about what Obama says.

McCain says Obama would raise taxes on the middle class. A lie. McCain says Obama would lose a war to win an election. A lie. McCain says Obama called Palin a pig. A lie. McCain said Obama put shooting hoops ahead of wounded troops. A lie. McCain said Obama wanted to bring television cameras to the wounded troops. A lie. McCain said Obama wanted to bring partisan staff. A lie. McCain said Obama wanted to take reporters to the wounded troops. A lie.

McCain said Palin was against earmarks. A lie. McCain said Palin killed the Bridge to Nowhere. A lie. McCain said Palin sold the governor’s jet on eBay for a profit. Two lies. Palin uses the power of the state for personal and political vendettas. McCain calls that reform.

As the Marine Corps colonel played by Jack Nicholson might say: Republicans can’t talk about the economic mess they created because they can’t handle the truth. So they smear their opponents to change the subject.

They hated the Clintons. They ridiculed Gore. They lied about Kerry with the shameless complicity of the media and the talking heads who praise the lie as a clever tactic, rather than defeat the lie with the truth.

It is time to fight back.

Republicans say slander your opponents, fear your neighbors, divide the nation, and hide from the miserable record of Republican economics.

The Democrats’ fight is Roosevelt’s fight, Truman’s fight, Kennedy’s fight, Clinton’s fight, Gore’s fight, Kerry’s fight and Obama’s fight.

It is a fight for working people to prosper. For the tide that lifts all boats. For the country to come together. For a discourse worthy of our democracy, in an America of shared patriotism where tomorrow will be better than today.

Budowsky was an aide to former Sen. Lloyd Bentsen and Bill Alexander, then-chief deputy whip of the House. He can be read on The Hill Pundits Blog and reached at brentbbi@webtv.net.