Difficult question but I have longer wondered

[malaise]

why Bill Clinton gets a pass re DOMA and the removal of Glass-Steagall?

[Cleita]

1. He really hasn't gotten a pass from me for those issues nor

NAFTA. However, all I can assume is that the powerful in the Democratic Party did approve of those acts.

[DURHAM D]

2. Your question is interesting given that

he is constantly trashed for both of those things on DU.

[TheKentuckian]

8. Everyone doesn't give him a pass but plenty of folks give a complete pass and that is just DU

Among Democrats and the population in general, he definitely gets a pass.

Of course all wage destruction, job losses, economic shenanigans of all sorts, and attacks on labor generally draw a pass.

[graham4anything]

3. Forward. Not going back to the 90s.

The correct corrolation is

George Herbert Walker Bush 41 winning reelection in 1992.
Unless one thinks Bush41 winning in 1992 would have been better, there is no doubt in my mind

2013 is a different era.

1992 was a major upset, no one expected Clinton to win.
I would have preferred Jerry Brown/Jesse Jackson, however it was not to be and it was

Clinton vs. Bush.

Hillary45 will be able to be much more to the left than the times allowed Bill Clinton to be.

Besides, Bill just apologized for it. It takes a big person to apologize.

(It will be the 12th of never, for instance, til Ralph Nader apolgizes I bet)

[lunasun]

4. or NAFTA?

[malaise]

7. That too n/t

[elleng]

5. and don't ask don't tell.

OK with me to ask.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

6. i dont know about steagal but i know that DOMA was a compromise

between what the republicans wanted (constitutional amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman) and what the eventually got (DOMA)

also 16 years ago people were a lot more homophobic

just like DADT was a compromise between what bill clinton wanted (gays to openly serve) and what he got (dont ask dont tell)

again i think almost 20 years changes how people look at civil rights issues.

[TheKentuckian]

9. I grant DADT, I think Clinton is unreasonably drug through the mud on that.

It is like a lot of folks have absolutely no recollection of the circumstances at the time or that technically being busted for being gay could mean prison time. Sadly, it was a pretty hard won advancement over the status quo of the period.

I don't give the same room to DOMA. A constitutional amendment didn't need to be compromised with, in my opinion. If they get real resistance even from a minority, it can't really fly. It was a fold job with the fingers in the air and reading polls rather than leading with some principles.