[lnbchip]

In 1996 Federal spending on welfare programs was approximately $178 Billion - the height of the Clinton presidency. In 2006, the spending on these programs is around $350 Billion. The percentage of the Federal Budget went up from 12% to about 15% I think (please get the numbers and don't quote me - but they are close).

Essentially, under the Bush Administration, the Feds have mushroomed the nanny state. To even suggest otherwise is absolutely false. Bill O'Reilly presented these facts on yesterday's show.

[bygolly]

Excerpt from O'Reilly's Talking Points of 9/13/2005:

"Massive neglect? Let's take a look at that bit of overstatement. Halfway through President Clinton's tenure in office in 1996, the poverty rate was 13.7 percent. Halfway through President Bush's tenure, the rate is 12.7 percent, a full point lower.

In 1996, the Clinton budget allotted $191 billion for poverty entitlements. That was 12.2 percent of the budget and a whopping amount of money. That's why Bill Clinton (search) was called the first black president by some.

However, the Bush 2006 budget allots a record shattering $368 billion for poverty entitlements, 14.6 percent of the entire budget, a huge increase over Clinton's spending on poverty entitlements."