Friday, August 5, 2011

Bush's Policies Added More Cost And Debt Than Did Obama's, Data Show

The New York Times put up this fascinating chart - - and remember that the costs of Bush's expenses are recurring and long-term (Medicare drug coverage, tax cuts), and were crafted with the help of the Republican leaders who led the demand now for deficit-reduction:

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2011/07/24/opinion/sunday/24editorial_graph2/24editorial_graph2-popup.gif

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

First off - why is a 9 versus 7 year comparison?

And anyone believing those cost projections thru 2017 is a fool and an idiot.

Tip of the old cranial cover to the NYT and James Rowen.

AJ

James Rowen said...

Had Anonymous look at the linked story, he or she would have found that the paper began with 2002 for Bush because that is the first year of his presidency when the country went into deficit. From the story:

But every year starting in 2002, the budget fell into deficit. In January 2009, just before President Obama took office, the budget office projected a $1.2 trillion deficit for 2009 and deficits in subsequent years, based on continuing Mr. Bush’s policies and the effects of recession. Mr. Obama’s policies in 2009 and 2010, including the stimulus package, added to the deficits in those years but are largely temporary.

The second graph shows that under Mr. Bush, tax cuts and war spending were the biggest policy drivers of the swing from projected surpluses to deficits from 2002 to 2009. Budget estimates that didn’t foresee the recessions in 2001 and in 2008 and 2009 also contributed to deficits. Mr. Obama’s policies, taken out to 2017, add to deficits, but not by nearly as much.

Anonymous said...

Sorry to have put your underdrawers into a bundle Rowen.

Not questioning the numbers under Bush and nobody with even half a brain would claim he was a fiscal conservative.

But the comparison is between actuals and projections which are laughable.

Love the way you "progressives" orphaned and threw under the bus Teddy Kennedy's Medicare drug coverage 5 minutes after it passed.

It is why no one should never ever do anything on a bi-partisan basis with liberals, they will turn around and use it against you every time.

AJ