The only sitting president to be tried by the Senate in this century, Bill Clinton also faced the possibility of being the only president, ex- or otherwise, to be indicted on criminal charges, charges arising out of his eleventh hour pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich. But as Clinton tries to steer his way clear of the latest storms surrounding his legacy, he is getting unexpected help from his arch enemies, the Republicans. In a single week, they have done more to remind us of why Bill Clinton mattered than anything Clinton himself has managed to do. First, the House and the Senate made use of an obscure legislative stratagem to undo regulations on repetitive stress injuries. Then the House revamped the bankruptcy laws, a bill crafted in large measure by lobbyists for key business sectors that would benefit from tighter bankruptcy laws.
Big business is back in a big way.
The swift repeal of the workplace safety regulations and the hand in glove role played by big business in revising the bankruptcy laws is tangible proof of the Bush administration's strong tilt towards business at the expense of consumer protection. Even the rebuff of business during the negotiations over the tax cut bill will eventually work to the advantage of big business. The sense is that since they gave that one to the President, they will get favorable consideration from the White house on a whole host of business friendly measures ranging from tort reform and limitations on product liability reform to reducing environmental and land use restrictions, weakening protections on the confidentiality of medical records, and eliminating regulations that make it hard to build new refineries and pipelines. The reason big business is gleefully contemplating the prospect of a ''red tape bonfire'' is that Bill Clinton is no longer in the White House. Whatever else you can say about Clinton, he was the last line of defense against legislation that would have removed protections that shielded consumers and the environment from the unrestrained pursuit of profits by big business.