Republicans Rant, Rot and Revolt Against Truth

[babylonsister]

Republicans Rant, Rot and Revolt Against Truth
Republicans
by Bill Gallagher | March 9, 2009



The slugs are in charge and the leaders of the good for nothing, do nothing Republican Party will do anything they can to obstruct President Obama's determination to change our national course at home and abroad. In the face of numbing job losses - 650,000 more in February - and the unemployment rate climbing to 8.1 percent, the Republicans are squealing about federal spending.

The party that squandered the huge surpluses Bill Clinton bequeathed, drained the Treasury for tax cuts (most benefiting the most wealthy), increased discretionary spending at a pace exceeding Lyndon Johnson's Great Society, passed the prescription drug program for older Americans (the largest unfunded entitlement in history), and put the cost of two wars on the national Visa card is now lecturing us about spending restraint.

The Republican mythology about spending and big government collapses under even casual scrutiny. Just consider our recent two term presidents. Under St. Ronald Reagan government spending increased 69%. George W. Bush proved more frugal than Reagan and on his watch federal spending only increased 68%.

Under Bill Clinton, government spending increased 32%, less than half of the drunken sailor spending days of Reagan and Bush. As a percentage of the whole economy, federal spending during the Clinton years dropped from 21.45% to 18.5%. George W. Bush drove up spending as a share of the national economy from 18.5% to 22%.

Obama - facing far more difficult economic challenges that Reagan, Clinton and George W. Bush ever did - forecasts significant spending increases for the next two years, but he's shooting for a 22% share of the economy by the end of his first term, just what he inherited.

When we hear the radical Republicans sanctimoniously talking about spending and fiscal responsibility, a blunt reminder of their recent history exposes their transparently disingenuous arguments.

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http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/20666

[OhioChick]

1. "St. Ronald Reagan?"

:rofl:

Good read.

K&R

[Laelth]

2. k&r for the truth. n/t

:dem:

-Laelth

[steven johnson]

3. Republicans are using scorched earth politics

"They're war. And in war, the side that's losing often employs a scorched earth policy -- burn it all, leave nothing behind for the enemy to use.
That strategy works great for retreating armies. And for increasing ratings.
It's not so great for nations."


Rush Limbaugh is good listening, but his way of thinking is changing politics for the worse

[snake in the grass]

4. They are immune to reality.