I'm Pete du Pont with the National Center for Policy Analysis.
Bill Clinton is gone. The reviews are rolling in.
The New York Times contrasted his achievements with his catastrophic ethical lapses, self-pity and recklessness. In the New Republic, Andrew Sullivan observed there wasn't a word he couldn't distort, a phrase he couldn't render meaningless by repitition. And columnist David Broder nailed the flaw that undid Clinton's admitted talent and intellect: Immaturity.
As Bush comes in, I see three immediate differences. The first has to do with tone: It's as if the adults have come home and put the kids to bed.
Second, style.
The new cabinet secretaries are men and women who can run policy without being micromanaged. It worked for Ronald Reagan, and while the buck will always stop with Bush, it's nice to see somebody who'll delegate.
Third, the soap opera's over. Adult decorum has replaced the shabby self-indulgence that tarred the Clinton White House.
It is a new day, a new presidency, and the restoration of dignity and maturity to the Oval Office.
Those are my ideas, and at the NCPA we know ideas can change the world. I'm Pete du Pont. Next time, a century of prices.