alternatehistory.com

I've recently been perusing Stevin Gillon's interesting book, The Pact. It's about the relationship between President Bill Clinton and Speaker Newt Gingrich. The second half of the book focuses largely on the possibility of significant Social Security and Medicare reform in 1998 and 1999. Clinton and Gingrich had grown to understand and respect each other, and both were eager to leave their marks on Washington. Clinton saw entitlement reform as the ultimate "New Democrat" accomplishment. He would save the greatest legacies of the New Deal and the Great Society through increasing personal choice and competition. Conversly, Gingrich saw reform as a chance to claim victory in the Contract with America; shrinking entitlements without eliminating them. The two most powerful men in Washington entered negotiations and reached an implicit deal not to raise the issue in the midterm cycle, then trying to quickly pass Social Security reform in the lame duck session. Medicare reform would dominate 1999. Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Archer endorsed the plan, calling Bill Clinton the smartest President he'd ever served under.

Then Monica happened. Chief-of-Staff Erskine Bowles essentially said that ended any chance of entitlement reform. President Clinton suddenly had to relly on the liberal base he was planning on bypassing, while Gingrich was forced to go on the attack (though he generally stayed on the sidelines).

What would have happened if the Lewsinky affair never happened, or if Ken Starr had stepped down before Linda Tripp provided him the infamous recordings (as he was planning on before conservatives convinced him otherwise)?
Top