Video: One last point on deficit blame-shifting
posted at 4:25 pm on March 25, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
I want to make one final point about Barack Obama and his “I inherited the deficit” meme, one made earlier today by Bruce McQuain at QandO. First, let’s hear Obama blame George Bush one more time for the “inheritance” of the ballooning deficit:
I’m not about to let Bush and the Republicans off the hook for the spending from 2001-6. They abandoned the principles of smaller government and fiscal responsibility in an orgy of spending. However, the deficit actually peaked in 2004 and began declining until 2008, when another orgy of private-industry bailouts shot it to the highest levels of the Bush administration.
However, Bush doesn’t allocate funds to the federal government: Congress spends the money. Democrats controlled Congress in 2007 and 2008, and had plenty of opportunity to cut the budget and reduce spending to trim the deficit. Did they do so? No; in fact, they increased the budgetary spending at a rate higher than that of the Republicans when the GOP controlled Congress.
And even more, the 2009 budget wasn’t Bush’s at all. The Democrats held up most of it, outside of defense spending, in order to wait for the next President. Instead, they passed continuing resolutions until pushing through the omnibus spending bill for the 2009 budget — which was signed by President Obama this month.
More to the point, Barack Obama was a member of Congress during the last four years. What did Obama do to reduce the deficits as the Senator from Illinois? What legislation did he author? What opposition did he provide to the high-spending policies of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid in 2007 and 2008?
If the answer is nothing — and it is — then Obama inherited the fruits of his own inaction and the burden of his own party’s policies. Perhaps the national media, which seemed to have awoken a little from their slumber last night, might fully achieve consciousness at the next one and give him this little civics lesson.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages: 1 2 Next »
OK, January 2007, when the Democrats took control of Congress, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, $DJI, was at 12780. It peaked at 14000 in October of that year. Last April the Dow was at 13000 and started tanking after it became apparent that Obama was going to win the Democratic nomination. No one had faith that the next president would be a Republican and since Obama was already making known his plan to punish the “Haves” everyone started pulling out their funds from the market and burying it in the back yard. Now that he has won (Remember, he said “We won”) the people that have money and influence in this country have absolutely no confidence in his plans for our economy because his ideas have been tried before throughout the world and NEVER have worked. Since he is a very intelligent person I don’t think anyone would make this huge of a mistake; it had to be on purpose. Why would the party that promised hope and change take steps to purposely kill their Golden Goose, our economy. The only answer I have is POWER. They want absolute power so they can dictate how we, the betrayed, shall live our lives, and they are willing to destroy the American Dream and cause all kinds of harm to accomplish their goal.
DL13 on March 25, 2009 at 4:28 PM
Great post Ed. Preaching the choir, for the most part. If we could have the MSM due their jobs and report stories like this, we would be in much better shape then we are now.
carbon_footprint on March 25, 2009 at 4:29 PM
I’ve been waiting for someone in the press to ask the following:
Mr. President, you’ve said several times that you inherited this deficit from the previous, Republican, administration. Given that the Democratic party controlled Congress for the last 2 years, what amount of responsibility do you feel the Democratically controlled Congress has for the budget deficit you inherited?
Think it’ll ever happen?
mctowler on March 25, 2009 at 4:30 PM
I inherited a molehill & CHANGEd it into a mountain.
jgapinoy on March 25, 2009 at 4:31 PM
This type of reporting wil occur once the newspapers are fully funded by the government. /sarc
WashJeff on March 25, 2009 at 4:31 PM
Dear Obamatards,
A.) Your boy wanted this job. B.)He got his wish. C.) Enjoy the ride.
seejanemom on March 25, 2009 at 4:31 PM
Voted “Present”?
Mallard T. Drake on March 25, 2009 at 4:31 PM
WTH?
carbon_footprint on March 25, 2009 at 4:33 PM
I can’t help thinking that the worst thing Bush and the GOP Congress did was lay the groundwork for Obama and the his worldview that we’re getting shoved down our collective throats.
To me, this GIVE Act is absolutely terrifying. And Republicans are just rolling over and submitting.
BuckeyeSam on March 25, 2009 at 4:33 PM
The secret to success is knowing who to blame for “Your Failures.”
What a Shame……..Thank for the Change.
try again later on March 25, 2009 at 4:33 PM
I uh um uh would like to point out that the last er 8 years of um Republican control and hypocrisy on deficits…..
-Ogabe….
yeah Barry meet Nan and Harry../..
sven10077 on March 25, 2009 at 4:34 PM
Dear Ed:
Please stop confusing me with the facts.
From: Obama voter
Hunt035 on March 25, 2009 at 4:34 PM
I agree with your post, DL13, except for one “minor” detail: Obama is not “…a very intelligent person…” However, I do think it was on purpose for the very reasons you cited.
rlwo2008 on March 25, 2009 at 4:35 PM
I think he’s so obsessed with his “inheritance” because he never got one from his dad.
Jim Treacher on March 25, 2009 at 4:36 PM
Word is Obumba is having a town hall on the internet. He is accepting any questions so u could submit that one.
Of course, I dont see it ever being picked out for him to answer.
becki51758 on March 25, 2009 at 4:38 PM
He has what I have dubbed, The Choclate Chip.
(All credit due Ray Nagen, of course.)
seejanemom on March 25, 2009 at 4:38 PM
Perfect, Ed!
MayBee on March 25, 2009 at 4:40 PM
You’re right on target here Ed. The MSM refuses to address that fact that the Democrats took over power with the elections of 2006. Democrats have been in control for (3) years now, not just a few weeks as the media is trying to frame.
Damn, I really don’t like the way it feels to hate something or somebody; however, I can’t fight the feelings of pure hatred I have directed at the media for failing the people so badly.
Keemo on March 25, 2009 at 4:40 PM
Think it’ll ever happen?
mctowler on March 25, 2009 at 4:30 PM
Nope, MSM is too much in the tank for him.
Here’s what I would like someone to ask him,
For as much as you deny having a socialistic agenda and resent being labled a socialist please explain to the American people how your policies are NOT socialism.
milwife88 on March 25, 2009 at 4:41 PM
Obama lies, he lies about everything.
When spending five times the highest deficit recorded he talks about fiscal responsibility. It is just amazing.
jukin on March 25, 2009 at 4:41 PM
Short memory my #ss!
Liberal Social Engineering,Acorn,Re-Investment Act,
and all those little scamming chickens,
com’n home to roost,with little baby chick do do,
covering the entire Liberal machine,from,
ala,”$700 Billion Dollar Bailout,and oh,btw,8 years of
failed Bush policies”,
Nancy Pelosi,and all the way down!!!!!!!!!!
canopfor on March 25, 2009 at 4:42 PM
One of the most offensive lies last night was when Obama said he inherited a $1.3 trillion deficit from Bush. I’m sorry, but who just signed a $787 billion porkulus bill, a $410 billion omnibus bill with 8,600 earmarks, and approved the 2nd half of TARP? It wasn’t Bush.
Doughboy on March 25, 2009 at 4:44 PM
It’s his budget for now. It will quickly become “Congress’ budget” when it fails.
whitetop on March 25, 2009 at 4:44 PM
I HOPE when Obama is done we all have some CHANGE left…………..
manofaiki on March 25, 2009 at 4:45 PM
Wow Ed! You sound absolutely Hannan-esque!
AubieJon on March 25, 2009 at 4:45 PM
Obama in 3 words: officious, sniveling, choleric
whitetop on March 25, 2009 at 4:48 PM
Blaming Bush for a trillion dollar deficit is even more disingenuous than Ed argues. If you go back and look at the headlines from last Summer you see stories indicating a $485 billion deficit for 2009. What changed that was TARP, of which Bush allocated $375 billion. That pushes Bush’s portion the 2009 deficit to just under $900 billion. What pushes it over the trillion dollar mark is the use to the second half of TARP by Obama and the stimulus. That Obama/democrat spending gets you north of 1.5 trillion.
Obama knows that during this window of time all the money he spends will be classified by the media as part of the deficit he inherited.
jmartin61 on March 25, 2009 at 4:48 PM
O’bama never “inherited” anything. He active campaigned to acquire power and the problems he is facing now. And true to Leftist form, he is covering up his own inadequacies by blaming others.
Remember the last time we had a Democrat President? When it turned out that he was engaged in an exploitive sexual relationship with a workplace subordinate and then lied about it under oath to a Federal Grand Jury, his wife blamed his felony perjury on…his mother and his grandmother.
The adults are in charge now. /sarc/
Del Dolemonte on March 25, 2009 at 4:49 PM
Well Said Ed.
funsutton on March 25, 2009 at 4:50 PM
Why do I have the feeling that the first MP3 on Barry’s iPod is ‘MacArthur Park’, the Donna Summers version?
Limerick on March 25, 2009 at 4:50 PM
He does it because blaming is easier than taking responsibility for his own actions.
jcheney on March 25, 2009 at 4:52 PM
The democrats are working on a newspaper bailout. Pravda will be kept alive and healthy.
neuquenguy on March 25, 2009 at 4:52 PM
Thank you DL…. this was a democrat congress deficit. Obama is such a bag of bulls..t. And, I’m sick of this crap about people “personally like Obama” but don’t like his policies. These people are just afraid of being called racists and disagreeing with a half black guy. This political correctness crap is going to ruin this Country. I live in the deep south and the blacks aren’t any too happy with Obama either. Media are such a bunch of prostitutes.
suzyk on March 25, 2009 at 4:53 PM
OK, most of us here recognize this, but how do you educate the American public when the MSM is still calling Obama “President Wonderful”?
Christian Conservative on March 25, 2009 at 4:55 PM
Obama keeps using the term “Structural Deficit”.
What the hell does that mean?
PappaMac on March 25, 2009 at 4:56 PM
Unfortunately for us that just isn’t true, and parts of me think you know that otherwise you would have added a non partisan link backing it up.
Ed this is the internet. If we are to compete we need to at least play by the rules.
Here you make an assertion that relies on your previous unlinked inacuracy and doubles down with another. The “and it is” part should be a hyperlink to Obama’s record on spending issues.
Adding to the hackery is the attempt to shift the burden of proof for your allegation onto Obama to disprove.
While you try to convince people the past eight years didn’t happen we are getting played hard by Obama and his Conservadems.
While leading ‘conservatives’ piss their pants ranting about the marxist in the white house, he has created his own opposition to set the limits of debate on his terms.
He proposes a gazillion dollar budget and lets moderate dems get the credit for bring it down to earth.
And once again Rahm and Rod put us in the sandbox while making it seem the Democrats are the adults.
But hey, Ed, I’m sure you have strategy in mind when you post articles like this. I just can’t see it.
barkolounger on March 25, 2009 at 4:56 PM
It means you add up all the spending and put the total at the end of your asset column.
Limerick on March 25, 2009 at 4:57 PM
Dear Ed,
You’re not helping The Big Guy at all with these facts and truths. Especially since you know that BG was on the road campaiging throughout most of his time in the Senate. If you recall, “I Won” voted Present to avoid this kind of criticism later.
If you keep this up, you will lose your place in the queue to get into the big game.
Giving you one last chance,
TOTUS
PS: David “Tank” Gregory says “na na na”.
Mr_Magoo on March 25, 2009 at 4:57 PM
Sen. Obama voted for all the spending that created the deficit.
Pres. Obama introduced all the spending that expanded the deficit.
Chuck Schick on March 25, 2009 at 4:58 PM
The American public will need to live through some serious hardship (and I don’t mean their 401Ks going south) before they are “educated”. The media will keep calling Obama “President Wonderful” and re-write history as much as necessary to ensure his presidency is seen as one of the greatest ever. They have just too much invested on it. He is too large to fail, just like the financial giants.
neuquenguy on March 25, 2009 at 5:00 PM
I suspect Mrs Bush was charged for Michelles dresses.
Obama audacity. He pounded the spending bills and says Bush signed them after he (Obama) was sworn in?
I did not watch the speech but when i did hear the snippet of Bush leaving a 1.3 trillion dollar deficit, I lost it.
Obama is just into a head trip and his minions still believe his junk.
seven on March 25, 2009 at 5:00 PM
Well I think what happened was Obama thought he would walk into a difficult situation(it is the Presidency after all), but that Bush would leave a relatively stable Iraq and a strong economy.
Remember, once he clinched the nomination last year, the war in Iraq was essentially won and even though the recession had begun, its full impact hadn’t been felt yet.
So he pretty much thought he’d sweep into office with a huge mandate to usher in his socialist policies like national health care, crap-and-trade, and redistribution of wealth. Only now the money to do all this isn’t there. The economy is in shambles. And the world isn’t quite as worshipful as the American media continues to be.
In other words, he’s suddenly realizing he bit off way more than he could chew. Some Presidents are confronted with challenges and crises and respond with confidence and leadership. Say what you will about Bush, but he “inherited” 9/11, Enron and Worldcom, the dot-com bubble burst, and a recession. Did he bitch about it? Did he blame it on his predecessor? No, he tackled each issue head on.
Obama instead of responding likewise, prefers passing the buck onto others. The economy? That’s Geithner’s problem. The stimulus? Let Pelosi and Reid handle it. Foreign policy? Have fun Hillary. The deficit? It’s those wascally Republicans, especially Bush.
Get used to it, folks. We have a spoiled child for President. He’ll take all the credit when things go his way. But he’ll skip town(literally) when the going gets tough. Until the media and the public force him to grow up and start acting Presidential, this is what we’re gonna be subjected to on a daily basis.
Doughboy on March 25, 2009 at 5:01 PM
Barack Obama quote:
“I found this national debt,doubled,wrapped in a big bow
waiting for me as I stepped into the Oval Office”!
canopfor on March 25, 2009 at 5:04 PM
Barkolounger is still working overtime to become our favorite moby here. Getalife needs to pick up the pace or watch himself get eclipsed. We always pick up a few of them during open registrations.
Ed Morrissey on March 25, 2009 at 5:04 PM
Serious?
PappaMac on March 25, 2009 at 5:07 PM
And another nugget from the Obama administration…
A bit off subject, but since we are talking about blame…
His Sec of State just stated in Mexico that its our fault that Mexico is in such trouble… because of our drug use and because guns are smuggled across their border…
Looks for tighter gun control to “help Mexico” soon… as well as us bailing out the Mexican economy… and of course legalizing all their citizens here, because its all our fault.
Romeo13 on March 25, 2009 at 5:07 PM
When has Obama ever been held accountable prior to Jan. 20, 2009? He has a problem accepting personal responsibility. No wonder so many are attracted to him.
sherry on March 25, 2009 at 5:07 PM
I don’t think most people, save Acorn heads, are going to tolerate the Bush blame game for much longer. The current and projected numbers are mind-boggling, even to some Dems.
thespottedowl on March 25, 2009 at 5:08 PM
Its absolutely true. The deficit of FY 2007 was $160B.
The deficit of FY 2008 was $460B- nearly a 3 fold increase in a year.
The worst you can blame Bush for is he didnt do enough to stop it.
So first year Dems + Bush tripled it, then second year Dems + Obama quadruple it again.
As a “real Republican” you should at least know the basics.
Chuck Schick on March 25, 2009 at 5:09 PM
Unbelievable. Weakening the US with each and every trip she takes.
sherry on March 25, 2009 at 5:09 PM
Well, he did get some “dreams”.
onlineanalyst on March 25, 2009 at 5:10 PM
I’m afraid you are mistaken.
Apathy IS going to be the downfall of this country, but who cares!
belad on March 25, 2009 at 5:11 PM
This is what happens when you have career politicians making the laws in this country. They never had to work a 9-5 job, they never had to own a business and balance the books. They are predominately lawyers spending other people’s money. Since they are clueless about running a business they should start listening to real experts on what it would take to run an economy, not some elitist that doesn’t know how to use Turbo-Tax.
The way I see it, the plan is to have the very wealthy elitists running the country. The middle class will be destroyed by the current economic policies, which will put everyone into the lower class, basically serfs, at the beck and calling of the wealthy elitists.
Who are the wealthy elitists? They are predominately Democrats because Republicans tend to go into small business and don’t command the mega-millions that the Big Wall Street types get. There are exceptions, but this can easily be fact checked, for those that want to know.
How do they stay in power? They divide and conquer, by keeping us fighting within ourselves. They call out the attack dogs when someone not in the elite club criticizes them. They play class and race warfare. They manipulate the markets and pass legislation to keep the people in poverty. The list goes on, and if you think about it, you can probably add a few items yourself.
DL13 on March 25, 2009 at 5:14 PM
No sir. Being an SA. Sour ugly day, it’s raining buckets here and the country is bleeding from a major artery…the Dem-orta (located exactly half way between the brain stem and the big toe).
Limerick on March 25, 2009 at 5:15 PM
You got that part right!
Keemo on March 25, 2009 at 5:17 PM
Barack Obama quotes:
“Focusing your life soley on making a buck shows a certain
poverty of ambition.It asks too little of yourself.
Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something
larger than yourself that you realize your true potential”!
——————————————————-
“I don’t take a dime of their(lobbyist)money,and when I am
president,they won’t find a job in my white house”!
——————————————————-
Use the Liberal’s very own words against them!!!!!!
canopfor on March 25, 2009 at 5:18 PM
Was Helen Thomas smirking/laughing at Obama’s answer when he made the “inherited” comment? Watch the video again for her reaction as he says that.
I think she was… I can just hear her thinking “stick it to ‘em Barack-O!”
cannonball on March 25, 2009 at 5:23 PM
Well, the cons will buy it but it is a lie.
getalife on March 25, 2009 at 5:26 PM
come on chuck, you just did exactly what ed did. Made an assertion without support.
The reason I suggested a non partisan link isn’t because I require it, rather b/c Ed is playing or trying to play with the big boys. The internet is full of savvy people that will not take blind assertions at face value.
If we want to influence policy at all we need to stop trying to deceive people through spin. DESPITE how much the administration needs to do it.
I notice you have no comment on Obama setting the debate parameters with his conservadem nonsense.
While stories like this echo around in our chamber The Democrats are setting themselves up as the people willing and able to restrain Obama’s spending.
We get shut out again because there is no need to listen to people that they can point to as never willing to give anything serious consideration.
“Hey, I already know what they are going to say. They have made there objection to anything I propose perfectly clear”
“Instead I offer you these Democrats with steel spins, Democrats willing to listen to reason while keeping a skeptical eye.”
“Laddies and gentleman the Conservadems”
Isn’t getalife a Democrat?
I can understand if I might come across as an Obamican sometimes, but even if that were true, don’t you think they are exactly the people we need back in our tent?
It’s surprising to see someone of your intellect resorting to sniping at your readers instead of engaging their concerns.
Any comment on the above reply to Chuck?
barkolounger on March 25, 2009 at 5:27 PM
Every time I hear the President say, “I inherited this,” I get an image of a little bare-ass Obama running around without a diaper screaming, “he started it!”
dugan on March 25, 2009 at 5:29 PM
Actually, I am a proud Independent and “herself” is not accurate but gender does not matter.
I guess folks thought a was a lesbian when I said Meg is hot.
LOL.
getalife on March 25, 2009 at 5:36 PM
‘splain to me how bambi’s 3.6 TRILLION dollar budget can save our health care system, end pollution, fund everything and cut some spending.
if he can do that, i want him working on my personal finances.
kelley in virginia on March 25, 2009 at 5:37 PM
No more surprising than seeing a “conservative” commenter complaining about me pointing out the falsehoods of Obama as a “bad strategy”. Really, really convincing stuff there.
And Getalife, sorry about the gender confusion. I corrected my comment earlier to use the right pronoun.
Ed Morrissey on March 25, 2009 at 5:39 PM
No, Barky, no!!!
Not at the expense of compromising our values. Too expensive.
uncivilized on March 25, 2009 at 5:40 PM
http://blog.heritage.org/2009/03/24/bush-deficit-vs-obama-deficit-in-pictures/
becki51758 on March 25, 2009 at 5:41 PM
oops..there ya go barky. Time to play compare your deficits! He obviously overlooked the blog from this AM.
becki51758 on March 25, 2009 at 5:43 PM
The Obamassiah hates it when you start spouting “facts”. It doesn’t “fit” the narrative.
All the bad things that happen, do so because of BUSH. Only good things happen under Obama.
Bush = BAD
Obama = GOOD
And don’t you forget it, otherwise it’s off to the reeducation camp!
GarandFan on March 25, 2009 at 5:43 PM
No problem Ed. My gender is as important as the teleprompter.
Are you accounting the cost of the two wars and the trillions used to fix the bush economic disaster in your argument?
getalife on March 25, 2009 at 5:44 PM
Ed is absolutely right on this.
Terrye on March 25, 2009 at 5:44 PM
These are facts, plain as the nose on your face. If anyone in the media cared to call him on this lie he keeps telling (with a straight face, I might add) you’d have to post a picture of pigs flying at 35000 feet.
scalleywag on March 25, 2009 at 5:44 PM
Which you said was wrong with zero support of your own.
As if this wasnt common knowledge, but here ya go:
FY 2007 Deficit was $161 billion
FY 2008 Deficit was $455 billion
Let me know if you need the results of the 2006 election googled as well so you may learn what party was in charge of Congress as well.
Chuck Schick on March 25, 2009 at 5:44 PM
Paraphrased: “…they were assuming a growth rate of 2.2% and we are assuming a growth rate of 2.6%. That small difference amounts to a lot of money.”
Me: That small self-serving highly optimistic difference amounts to a lot of imaginary money.
Maquis on March 25, 2009 at 5:45 PM
The budget analysis is CBO reporting, which is consistently applied to both administrations.
Ed Morrissey on March 25, 2009 at 5:47 PM
The deficit was $160 billion despite the 2 wars.
Cant blame Bush for Obama’s plan this week to give a trillion dollars of our money to hedge funds. He had nothing to do with that.
Chuck Schick on March 25, 2009 at 5:48 PM
Are you “accounting” the amount of money this clod has burdened us with just in the last three months? Add it up, then get some smelling salts.
scalleywag on March 25, 2009 at 5:49 PM
2007 deficit was 160B I meant
Chuck Schick on March 25, 2009 at 5:50 PM
getalife:
You are not too bright are you? Obama has already ask for more money in six weeks than Bush spent on both of those wars. As a matter of fact the Democratic Senate in 2002 voted to give Bush authority to go into Iraq, and even after the Demeocrats took control they still spent the money.
There is no comparison in money spent or ask for. None. All you have to do is look at the numbers to see that.
Bush spent something like 1.6% GDP in deficit, Obama wants to spend way way more than that.
Besides, a lot of the socalled costs of the war are fixed military costs anyway.
Add to that the fact it was the Democrats who came up with the bright idea to give money to people who could not pay it back and I think it is their mess we are cleaning up.
But hey, you are a Democrat and Democrats are incapable of assuming responsibility for their own actions. They want all the power and none of the guilt.
Terrye on March 25, 2009 at 5:50 PM
+100
becki51758 on March 25, 2009 at 5:51 PM
And you know something else getalife? Next year when the Democrats come up with a newer, bigger, fatter budget, they won’t be able to blame anybody else.
Terrye on March 25, 2009 at 5:52 PM
getalife:
People think you are a girl, because you sound like one.
Really.
Terrye on March 25, 2009 at 5:55 PM
/Puts out his V mask, and whips out a can of spraypaint…
/runs off into the night…
Romeo13 on March 25, 2009 at 5:56 PM
You know, getalife, when Obama is right about something, we’re more than happy to say good job. He’s dead wrong on this, but telling you that is like talking to a piece of cheese.
scalleywag on March 25, 2009 at 5:56 PM
Ed, how come you don’t get on any of the cable news shows with this stuff you explain so plainly? Maybe get a better agent.
Vigilante on March 25, 2009 at 5:58 PM
Ed, you might mention the other oft-repeated lie from Obama’s presser:
Sigh. Of course, the media wouldn’t gainsay The One.
Paul_in_NJ on March 25, 2009 at 6:00 PM
getalife…the least you can do when you visit HA is to pick an argument you can win. This one isn’t it. Spouting the same rhetoric as your leader doesn’t make it true.
scalleywag on March 25, 2009 at 6:04 PM
Chuck…this is exactly what I mean about dishonest spin.
What you might not know is that you are actually making Obama and the dems case with those two links.
The first paragraph in the 2007 link shows the first year of the Dem congress had the deficit shrinking.
The second link Paulson clearly says the increased deficit was due to decreased revenues from the housing market and its fallout. Not increased spending.
Also a deficit announced at the END of the fiscal year, not projected in the budget.
Instead of attacking this conservadem nonsense you are arguing from a defensive posture.
Obama rahm and rod are keeping us on defense easily because we aren’t willing to concede our mistakes gone by.
Look how the R reps are treated when they dare to suggest Cheney STFU for the good of the party or suggest he needs to own up to the mistakes he made that have the republican brand in the toilet.
Ed the concern is not that you pointed anything out, it is clearly that in the modern internet world of commentary links and proof are required when ‘pointing’ things out.
Is you goal only to preach to the choir? Opine to only those who are already willing to take what you say at face value?
In all sincerity, this is advice designed not only to bolster the conservative argument but on a more personal level too. I’d like to see you and others raise your game b/c as you have rightly pointed out often… The stakes are too high not to.
We can’t afford lazy commentary any more than lazy leadership.
barkolounger on March 25, 2009 at 6:13 PM
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/99xx/doc9957/OutlookSlidesForHearing.pdf
getalife on March 25, 2009 at 6:15 PM
Uhhhhhhbama lied, America died.
darwin-t on March 25, 2009 at 6:18 PM
Compare:
with:
I have to admit I find this Barkolounger character quite intriguing.
Getalife… no so much. He/she/it is just another mindless stone-throwing troll with nothing constructive to offer.
UltimateBob on March 25, 2009 at 6:34 PM
Yep. I made this point earlier today:)
Refresh my memory…
Buy Danish on March 25, 2009 at 6:58 PM
First of all, I never said it was from increased spending- I just said the deficit tripled.
But now that you mention it, there was a ~$160B stimulus package about a year ago followed by a $400B mortgage program, which was FY 2008. So I am sure Paulson is talking about the main cause being revenue drops.
But regardless- if you have decreased revenues, you have a deficit unless you decrease spending or raise taxes. It was the Dems call to do neither. If they think running a deficit is better than the above, fine. But it is their deficit.
If you get a pay cut, you decrease spending or you borrow more- but ultimately its your responsibility isn’t it?
Moving forward, Obama is coming in on the heels of that deficit and jacking up spending massively. He has already signed off on 2 bills with an ink value of 1.2 trillion dollars in his first 6 weeks. The CBO projects that the rule changes in entitlements and welfare will make the 2 bills add $4 trillion in debt over 10 years- equal to what Bush added in 8 years.
Obama will go down as the most fiscally irresponsible President in history should these budgets go forward. Recall he promised a net spending cut in the campaign.
But keep telling yourself otherwise.
Chuck Schick on March 25, 2009 at 7:17 PM
I would like to see that exact point made to his face.
Anyway, I joked that my 8th grader was really livid that Obama cancelled American Idol AGAIN!!! And she will be voting in 2012.
Well I just talked to another daughter who is a junior in college! She said the same thing! She and her friends were really mad… they get together to watch and it really messes up their plans!!!! Obama my lose the youth vote if he doesn’t pick another night and time. But not Wednesday because that is result night…
petunia on March 25, 2009 at 7:24 PM
Another thing thats hilarious is how all the sudden people are using revenue drops as an excuse to run deficits.
Did Bush get a break on that? Nope- every cent of the deficit was blamed on the tax cuts.
Turns out 2001/2002 was the first back-to-back drop in AGI since WW2, as all those highpaying tech jobs evaporated and revenue sank. CBO later said we would have had a deficit till 2004, had there been no taxcuts, 9/11, Iraq or Afghanistan.
Sauce for the goose and all.
Chuck Schick on March 25, 2009 at 7:27 PM
“what happens in a whole bunch of out years”
He’s so eloquent.
Daggett on March 25, 2009 at 7:29 PM
The dems have controlled congress for the last two years and Obama signed this budget. It was the dem/Obama deficit and now it is the Obama/dem deficit and Obama/dem recession.
Johan Klaus on March 25, 2009 at 7:37 PM
Sorry, but other than God, nothing is larger than me. So Obama is right on the second point, but not the way he wants…
As to the first point: focusing my life on not being a burden on my fellow man shows a wealth of ambition.
Twerps…
karl9000 on March 25, 2009 at 8:06 PM
barkolounger:
How about you get up off your ass and show Ed what kind of points and links he should be making to make the case that Obama is doing something wrong by attempting to shift the blame for the deficit to Bush?
You want to tell Ed he’s not doing a good job here?
Show us what a good job looks like.
Or get lost.
manofaiki on March 25, 2009 at 8:20 PM
karl9000 on March 25, 2009 at 8:06
Only an egotistical twit would take that comment as being about personalities.
It means a cause other than your own aggrandizement.
Like say coaching a little league team to a championship.
Cleaning up a local river with a conservationist group.
barkolounger on March 25, 2009 at 8:21 PM
Thank, guys, for the credit.
I have been saying this for several weeks, right here.
drjohn on March 25, 2009 at 8:59 PM
Comment pages: 1 2 Next »