I was a zealous Clinton hater for about ten years of my life. More than once, I turned the channel in disgust when he appeared on the news. As of late, however, my attitude has softened considerably. Looking back from the perspective of 2003, he just doesn't seem so terrible anymore, at least in relative terms.

After reading today’s Philadelphia Inquirer , I can at least take small solace that I resisted the temptation to vote for his successor: “Overall spending is up at least 16 percent since he [Bush] took office, far more than the 2 percent average annual inflation rate over the same period....after adjusting for inflation, nondefense spending decreased 0.7 percent during Clinton’s first three years in office while it increased nearly 21 percent during the comparable period under Bush.”

Jim Henley’s term as a guest blogger is over. We were glad to have him aboard. Jim’s own blog Unqualified Offerings, is well worth visiting on a regular basis.