CHART OF THE DAY: Reminder, The Deficit You're Freaking Out About Is Bush's Fault

[meegbear]

President Obama's administration has been blamed for reckless spending that has put America into its debt hole. But in reality, much of that spending emanates from policies of President Bush, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

They argue that Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Bush tax cuts (along with the economic downturn) are what is driving the U.S. deficit, not stimulus spending.

The chart presents the ugly truth.



http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/chart-of-the-day-reminder-the-deficit-youre-freaking-out-about-is-bushs-fault.php?ref=fpblg

[hughee99]

1. I thought the Bush-era tax cuts expired a the end of this year? n/t

[William Z. Foster]

2. not a good approach

The public does not care who gets blamed and the idea that the deficit is a problem or that "reckless spending" is bad can only advance right wing ideas.

Of course tax cuts for the rich and the wars are a drain on public wealth. So let's aggressively take those on - which the Democratic party politicians are not doing - rather than blaming Republican politicians. It is the programs that are the problem, not which party enacts them.

[RaleighNCDUer]

4. The problem is, you know, that the Republicans CANNOT speak

against war expenditures which are the single biggest problem, so they focus on the 'reckless spending' of the stimulus, the programs designed to create jobs and, thus, create wealth.

They are saying to all those people out there, "You just got laid off at the chicken plant - what do you think you're doing spending money at the Community College for retraining?"

What they call 'reckless spending' rational people call 'investment'.

[William Z. Foster]

7. they have a problem

There is so little turf to the right of the Democratic party any more that there is not much room for them to operate.

[noamnety]

3. I thought Obama had decided to continue the war spending. (nt)

[KonaKane]

5. Without a war already started there would be no spending to continue

Remember these things are a whole lot harder to stop than to start, for reasons that are pretty complicated.

[noamnety]

6. Bull. He's not a passive helpless player in all this.

He's the fucking commander in chief. At some point he needs to start taking responsibility for his own decisions.

It was his very deliberate decision to focus MORE of our resources on Afghanistan. He was very explicit about that even during the campaign. He owns it now, and he's been quite vocal about that.

"If I thought for a minute that America's vital interests were not served, were not at stake here in Afghanistan, I would order all of you home right away." -- Obama