Every Thursday, the Spy hosts a conversation with Al From and Craig Fuller on the most topical political news of the moment.
This week, From and Fuller discuss President-elect Donald Trump and billionaire advisor Elon Musk’s successful blocking of a budget compromise to keep the federal government operating. Al and Craig also talk about the unprecedented role that Musk has in influencing public policy using his X platform.
This video podcast is approximately 20 minutes in length.
To listen to the audio podcast version, please use this link:
Background
While the Spy’s public affairs mission has always been hyper-local, it has never limited us from covering national, or even international issues, that impact the communities we serve. With that in mind, we were delighted that Al From and Craig Fuller, both highly respected Washington insiders, have agreed to a new Spy video project called “The Analysis of From and Fuller” over the next year.
The Spy and our region are very lucky to have such an accomplished duo volunteer for this experiment. While one is a devoted Democrat and the other a lifetime Republican, both had long careers that sought out the middle ground of the American political spectrum.
Al From, the genius behind the Democratic Leadership Council’s moderate agenda which would eventually lead to the election of Bill Clinton, has never compromised from this middle-of-the-road philosophy. This did not go unnoticed in a party that was moving quickly to the left in the 1980s. Including progressive Howard Dean saying that From’s DLC was the Republican wing of the Democratic Party.
From’s boss, Bill Clinton, had a different perspective. He said it would be hard to think of a single American citizen who, as a private citizen, has had a more positive impact on the progress of American life in the last 25 years than Al From.”
Al now lives in Annapolis and spends his semi-retirement as a board member of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University (his alma mater) and authoring New Democrats and the Return to Power. He also is an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins’ Krieger School and recently agreed to serve on the Annapolis Spy’s Board of Visitors. He is the author of “New Democrats and the Return to Power.”
For Craig Fuller, his moderation in the Republican party was a rare phenomenon. With deep roots in California’s GOP culture of centralism, Fuller, starting with a long history with Ronald Reagan, leading to his appointment as Reagan’s cabinet secretary at the White House, and later as George Bush’s chief-of-staff and presidential campaign manager was known for his instincts to find the middle ground. Even more noted was his reputation of being a nice guy in Washington, a rare characteristic for a successful tenure in the White House.
Craig has called Easton his permanent home for the last eight years, where he now chairs the board of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and is a former board member of the Academy Art Museum and Benedictine. He also serves on the Spy’s Board of Visitors and writes an e-newsletter available by clicking on DECADE SEVEN.
With their rich experience and long history of friendship, now joined by their love of the Chesapeake Bay, they have agreed through the magic of Zoom, to talk inside politics and policy with the Spy every Thursday.
Reed Fawell 3 says
It’s been reported on Just the News that the GOP has reached a new Budget deal to keep the Government open.
Tim Furey says
OMG. Once again From and Fuller have to go back to the 80s and 90s to tell stories of the “old days” when Dems and Reps jointly conspired to try to reduce government but actually over expanded it. Whatever they did then — it didn’t work!
Boys it’s 30 years later with $30+ trillion in debt. Your joint animosity toward Trump, Elon, Andy Harris, etc shows will still have a long way to go — and much CHAOS NEEDED — to slay the bureaucratic DC swamp.
Deirdre LaMotte says
Perhaps before you post, research the debt incurred by
Trump following his first term. He added 8 Trillion to our national debt.
Just wait until his next tax cuts…..
Craig Fuller says
It is always good to see readers engage with us in a discussion of today’s issues. So, the time you invest in listening to the conversation and commenting is appreciated. While I always read the comments, I usually don’t debate views in the belief that everyone is entitled to their view. However, to use a well known refrain, people are not entitled to their own facts.
A review of the federal budget deficit during the Reagan, Clinton and Trump administrations provides an interesting look at different approaches during different times. One way to look at the impact of federal spending and the deficit is to compare the size of the deficit to the gross domestic product at the time. Reagan sought to grow a stagnant economy and build our national defense capability while reducing the tax burden. Clinton achieve budget surpluses. And, Trump faced a pandemic at the end of his administration. So, there is not a simple analysis.
In summary…
During the Reagan Administration:
As a percentage of GDP, the deficit peaked at 6% in 1983 before declining to 3% by 1989, partly due to economic growth and subsequent tax adjustments (e.g., the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982).
During the Clinton Administration:
The Reagan era saw a sharp rise in deficits and debt, whereas the Clinton years ended with budget surpluses and a declining debt-to-GDP ratio.
During the Trump Administration:
As a percentage of GDP, the deficit surged to 15% in 2020, a level not seen since World War II.
Of course, this is only part of the story. For a summary of the three administration, GO TO: https://clf1.info/FederalDeficit
Reed Fawell 3 says
During the Trump Administration:
“As a percentage of GDP, the deficit surged to 15% in 2020, a level not seen since World War II.’
Yes, in early 2020 catastrophe struck, shutting down much of American and its businesses, education, and daily life, public and private, while Federal borrowing exploded to fill the loss of income, wages, and profit gaps of shuttered businesses, and out of work Americans, creating massive deficits of all kinds and sorts, making 2020 a year like none other in American history, the year America went out of business while its government when on a self induced spending spree by a much overcooked hysteria.