Choice Words About Ronald Reagan

[merrily]

15. No love for Reagan, but he did not start deregulation and he raised taxes 11 times.

Taxes

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/02/05/142288/reagan-centennial/#

And, of course, HW Bush famously raised them once.

So, maybe, by the time that Clinton got into office, those dozen increases--plus "ending welfare as we know it" were at least partly responsible for the "modest budget surplus" that existed when Clinton left office?


Deregulation

Nixon started deregulation, Ford followed Nixon's lead and Carter jumped in with both feet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deregulation

http://mises.org/daily/535

Which has made Carter, in hindsight, popular with some on the right.

http://articles.herald-mail.com/2011-02-20/opinion/28614285_1_jimmy-carter-deregulation-peanut-farmer

I can't find it quickly right now, but I once read an interview with Carter, done years after his Presidency ended, in which he said he was proud of the deregulation he had done, but referred to subsequent and catastrophic de-regulation by another President, whom Carter refused to name, though I suspect it was Clinton's repeal of Glass Steagall, which was a major contributor to global economic collapse of 2008.

I don't mind a good Reagan bash, but facts are facts.