Most Americans Blame Wars For Federal Debt; Few Know Tax Cuts were Bigger factor

[JohnWxy]

Corporate media has done a nice job in disinforming America about the deficit. Most think two wars were a bigger factor than the Bush tax cuts. (Media talking heads chant - ala Corporate Lobbyists talking points - citing the tax cuts would be 'blaming Bush').



http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/06/most-americans-blame-wars-for-federal-debt-fewest-cite-tax-cuts.php

By a wide margin, more Americans think the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have inflated the national debt than the percentage who blame domestic spending or the tax cuts enacted in the past decade for doing the same, according to a Pew poll released Tuesday.

Those beliefs actually run counter to data recently released by the http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3036">Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which showed that the Bush-era tax cuts have been the single biggest factor in ballooning the federal deficit. While the wars have also contributed greatly to the deficit, Pew's findings illuminate how Americans more readily perceive the visceral aspects of federal budgetary policy.

And with both parties drawing a line in the sand over whether tax increases should factor into future deficit reduction talks, the Pew report offers some insight as to what proposals will hit home hardest with voters when the messaging war heats up.

In the survey, fully six in ten Americans said the wars had contributed "a great deal" to the federal deficit, while an additional 26% said they had contributed a "fair amount." Meanwhile, 42% said the sour economy had a great deal to do with the debt, and 24% said the same about increased spending on domestic programs. Only 19% said tax cuts had greatly impacted the deficit, while an additional 35% said they had contributed a fair amount.
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NBC, CBS and ABC ... all parts of the Public Relations arm of the GOP.... helping to sell the Corporate Lobbyist agenda!

[givemebackmycountry]

1. I agree, I don't think we should "blame Bush"

I think we should hang the beady eyed drunk little prick.
But, that's just me.

[bemildred]

2. Pissing money away is pissing money away.

The fact that the Pentagon is doing it doesn't really change the effect.

Not that I disagree with the overall point.

[Enthusiast]

3. The Democratic Party has an obligation

to make the American people understand the tax cuts combined with the wars are responsible for most of the deficit. They aren't exactly doing a bang up job of it, either.