When George Bush attained the presidency in 2000, there was a budget surplus left from President Clinton. There is now a record $482 billion deficit.
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You Can’t Trust Republicans With Your Money
July 28th, 2008
22 Comments
Ergo, it’s plainly obvious that we must make permanent the wildly regressive Bush Tax Cuts. Stat!
Not a single word about what changed between fiscal year 2007 and 2008 (where the defict increased 150% from $164B to $400B).
Give up? Here’s a hint.
True, Farris. If only Republicans had maintained control I’m sure that they could have undone the damage it took them six years to do in the first place.
Don’t stop now, Farris. Go ahead and tell everyone how Harry and Nancy spent the extra $300B.
Or don’t you know? Sure you weren’t just finger-pointing.
Anyone for some sort of Deficit Reduction Act? I know I am.
from some other blogger:
But remember, wars are free!
Farris – yes, and why does that deficit seem to increase after the Dem congress takes over?
1. The full magnitude of the “mortgage crisis” (which really should be called the “Collateralized Debt Obligation Crisis”) became apparent to everyone with eyes, including the many right-wing financial “experts” who for the last several years had been waving their arms saying this was nothing but a liberal red herring to try and undermine confidence in Bush’s surging economy. We have the added cost of necessary bailouts of key mortgage lenders and banks who have discovered that because of these crappy CDOs their houses are standing on shifting sand.
2. Thanks to Bush’s mismanagement of the economy and the war, the value of the dollar has dropped precipitously, so the “cost” of the money we must keep borrowing from China to keep paying for stuff like the war (which had, to date, been pretty much paid for “off the books) is getting much higher.
3. Contrary to established Republican governance policy, the current Congress is keeping more of these costs “on the books”, meaning that less of the real costs of the war and Bush’s other policies are being hidden from the American people, as they had been for the previous 6 years. Figured you’d want to penalize the Congress for being more honest with the American people, Farris.
Quaker, my life is not so empty that I have the time to pour through Appropriations Bills to pick out the most egregious of the spending decisions. And I’ll be the first to admit that Republicans aren’t in very good position to make this criticism due to their porking it up over the first 1/2 of the decade.
But the facts (and the EXTRA $450 Billion over 2 years) speak for themselves.
Oh, Farris. That’s a good one. Declares yourself too busy to review appropriations bills and then turn right around declare the facts (which you’re too busy to actually look up, remember) speak for themselves.
Here’s here all week, folks. And try the veal.
Quaker, my life is not so empty that I have the time to pour through Appropriations Bills to pick out the most egregious of the spending decisions.
And yet you’re certain that Mr. Reid and Ms. Pelosi are to blame? Please come back when you have something of substance to contribute.
Would it be wrong to point out that YOU are blaming Bush for running up the deficit without actually providing any facts other than “there was a surplus when he got there”?
Good for the goose…
Would it be wrong to point out that YOU are blaming Bush for running up the deficit without actually providing any facts
It would. I won’t trouble you to look for the place where I said that. You won’t find it.
Nevertheless, whose name is on the budget?
Also, it’s a bit disingenuous to complain about the deficit when you’ve spent the last 8 years saying:
*He’s not spending enough on education!
*He’s not spending enough on Homeland Security!
*He’s not spending enough on Medicare!
*He’s not spending enough on Alternate Fuels!
*He’s not spending enough on Health Care!
*He’s not spending enough on SCHIP!
*He’s not spending enough on Arsenic Removal!
*He’s not spending enough on Embryonic Stem Cell Research!
*He’s not spending enough on FEMA!
*He’s not spending enough on Veterans!
*He’s not spending enough on Voting Equipment!
*He’s not spending enough on the Subprime Bailout!
*He’s not spending enough on National Parks!
*He’s not spending enough on Economic Stimulus!
*He’s threatening to not spend enough on Social Security!
Also, it’s a bit disingenuous to complain about the deficit when you’ve spent the last 8 years saying:
You reflexively blame Democrats for something you admittedly “don’t have time to look up,” and you’re lecturing me about “disingenuous?”
Go away.
Would it be wrong to point out that YOU are blaming Bush for running up the deficit without actually providing any facts other than “there was a surplus when he got there”?
Guess what. That number doesn’t include spending for the Totally Awesome and Entirely Necessary Iraq War.
Worst
Administration
Ever
You may not have said it Quaker. But Oliver did. In the very first sentence in this post. My apologies for the broad brush.
“Not a single word about what changed between fiscal year 2007 and 2008 (where the defict increased 150% from $164B to $400B).
“Give up? Here’s a hint.”
Still nothing to back this up? Or are we ignoring that from here on?
“Not a single word about what changed between fiscal year 2007 and 2008 (where the defict increased 150% from $164B to $400B).”
The FACT is that the economic downturn has adversely affected tax revenue, which is increasing the deficit.
And yes, it’s going to take longer than 18 months for Democrats to clean up the mess Republicans took 6 years to create.
“Quaker, my life is not so empty that I have the time to pour through Appropriations Bills to pick out the most egregious of the spending decisions.”
You certainly do seem to have the time to bend over backwards apologizing for Republicans, even though they’ve basically spent 6 years torturing, illegally spying, and destroying the economy.
Remember when Republicans were for SMALLER government? Me either.
“Also, it’s a bit disingenuous to complain about the deficit when you’ve spent the last 8 years saying:”
First, you complaining about someone being disingenuous is like Jessie Jackson complaining about someone else’s excessive rhyming.
Second, Dems calling for spending on those programs while complaining about Bush’s 8 years of deficits isn’t disingenuous because they would increase revenue by letting the Bush tax cuts for the rich expire, they’d reduce spending on the war by drawing down troops, and other kinds of fiscal responsibility that are no doubt unfamiliar to you Republicans.
It appears the Starve-the-Beast philosophy has failed utterly, not that it was a good idea in the first place. Now instead of eating your sheep, he’s just raiding your fridge.
Know what else? Gas was $2.39 a gallon.
Good times.
wow. nothing like internalizing an external issue.
the problem is this: “You Can’t Trust Republicans With Your Money”
you can’t trust either ‘private’ party with your money. or any party for that matter.
who do you trust?
why is there so much money going to DC in the first place?
and whats up with all this obama hype anyway?
i would like some insightful responses. obviously “change” is not a good response, and partially withdrawing troops from Iraq is not entirely sufficient (although a drawdown is better then an increase)…etc.
what kind of major national policies will he actually change?