Im a progressive. When I look back at Bill Clinton’s presidency, all I see is bad policy and embarrassment. He was not a liberal and no friend to progressives. Here is a run down of his “accomplishments”:

1. Defense of Marriage Act: Clearly on the wrong side of history. He legislated against gay marriage instead of standing up for their rights. Within 15 years, this law is overturned.
2. Repealed the Glass-Steagall Act: This one action sowed the seeds for the 2007 financial collapse. It is one of the worst decisions in presidential history and still stands as the law of the land putting our entire economy at continued risk.
3. Telecommunications Act of 1996 – The internet was brand new and Clinton signs this law which starts the mega mergers of telecommunications companies leading to the crisis of net neutrality. He didn’t forsee that these mergers would cause the eventual threat to the internet. This law did not help the internet, but rather sowed the seeds of its eventual takeover by corporate interests.
4. Monica Lewinsky scandal: One of the most embarrassing episodes of the presidency. America has a flaw: We love drama. Bill Clinton sexually harassed a woman in the workplace and then lied about it under oath. Right now, we are going through a reckoning about sexual harassment. We can not judge the past with today’s morality. However, it was embarrassing then and remains so to this day. The shaming of Lewinsky only adds to the unfortunate actions.
5. Healthcare Reform/Failure: Healthcare is a serious issue. Clinton had a chance to implement the ACA almost 20 years earlier. It failed in part because he put his wife Hillary in charge of it. Hillary is a capable administrator, but he should have known that it LOOKS bad to appoint your wife to a post like that. Additionally, Hillary was (and IS) a lightning rod for the right. She doomed the initiative from the first day, regardless of how good a plan it was. You could have appointed a women, but not your wife and not Hillary Clinton. You needed someone who could bring consensus and inspire action. That is not her. So healthcare languished for decades and cost Americans dearly.
6. Israel/Palestine Fail: Lots of presidents have tried, but Clinton failed too.
7. Renewable Energy/Climate Change: No Action
8. NAFTA: Debatable.

The point here is that Clinton was no progressive. He screwed up alot. I give him zero credit for the internet boom. That would have happened no matter who was in office.

Sorry Bill. You sucked.