Friday, January 15, 2010

Don't Forget the Bush II Federal Debt

With the constant chatter of how President Obama and the Democratic Congress is spending the US to death, it's good to be reminded every now from whence that debt came. Here's David Axelrod in today's Washington Post:
The day the Bush administration took over from President Bill Clinton in 2001, America enjoyed a $236 billion budget surplus -- with a projected 10-year surplus of $5.6 trillion. When the Bush administration left office, it handed President Obama a $1.3 trillion deficit -- and projected shortfalls of $8 trillion for the next decade. During eight years in office, the Bush administration passed two major tax cuts skewed to the wealthiest Americans, enacted a costly Medicare prescription-drug benefit and waged two wars, without paying for any of it.
Axlerod also reminds us that Obama is proposing far more cuts in government than are the Republicans. Don't believe him? Then maybe an article in the conservative Washington Times might convince you. Unfortunately, many of President Obama's proposed cuts do not make it through Congress. Why? Well I suspect it's because constituents of congressional reps do not actually want government cuts as much as they proclaim they do.

Just ask conservative Doug Hoffman what government cuts he would make if elected to Congress. We want cuts that affect the other guy, not us.

1 comment:

Linda said...

Thanks for your perspective. I have not read the Washington Post today but have read about Axelrod's editorial. Doubtless I will agree with you.