How the Deficit Got this big

The New York Timmes ^ | July, 23, 2011 | Teresa Tritch

[shoff]

With President Obama and Republican leaders calling for cutting the budget by trillions over the next 10 years, it is worth asking how we got here — from healthy surpluses at the end of the Clinton era, and the promise of future surpluses, to nine straight years of deficits, including the $1.3 trillion shortfall in 2010. The answer is largely the Bush-era tax cuts, war spending in Iraq and Afghanistan, and recessions.

[shoff]

I did not see this article posted and would like to know what you fellow freepers think of it. A neighbor sent it to me and a picture tells a thousand words. If you click the link (I know hits to NYT’s) and look at the two graphs . I’d post here but I don’t know how. Was Bush really that bad? How are is the CBO getting these numbers? Even if you take out tax cuts which shouldn’t be there he still outspends "The One" by 2. What am I missing?

[Psycho_Bunny]

Bush, and the Dems were pretty bad but this article is pure spin.

For instance, “tax cuts” are not “New costs”

[rockrr]

Bush was bad in terms of providing resistance to profligate spending but he is an absolute piker compared to Øbozo.

[SandRat]

It's form the cockroaches at the NY Slime and full of manure.

[Right Wing Assault]

[bwc2221]

The New York Times blames the deficit on everything except increased government spending.

[Colonel Kangaroo]

President Bush acted properly in the beginning in Afghanistan. Where he erred terribly was in leaving Afghanistan half-finished to undertake a foolish and and needless neoconservative crusade in Iraq which cost lives, national wealth and a chance to finish the job in Afghanistan.

[Doogle]

..bush’s 2008 stimulus was with a RAT senate and Congress elected in 2007.

[Terry Mross]

He sure spent like a drunken sailor WITH a republican congress. But if they’re saying he spent twice as much as obama what needs to be said is that it only took obama 2 years to spend half as much as bush spent in 8.

[FlingWingFlyer]

The answer is largely the Bush-era tax cuts...

You have to be a BIG believer in BIG Socialist government to believe this crap. I believe it is caused by 52% of the people living in this country not being required to pay income taxes. If these so called "americans" want BIG government, EVERYONE should have to "pay their fair share". It's not "the rich's" job to subsidize Socialism for the freeloaders living here.

[Sacajaweau]

We sure as hell didn't have 10% unemployment. And Bush was open to drilling and keeping taxes DOWN.

Obama went crazy with power...with handouts...kissing the union butts...AND OBAMACARE....GET RID OF IT!!! and watch what happens.

[EGPWS]

Teresa Tritch

Potent drug addiction, it has to be...

[Paladin2]

Revenue graphs. Unemployment and employment graphs.

[Right Wing Assault]

[Tucker39]

The kinds of atrosities depicted in this video, multiplied thousands of times across the Country, is the REAL reason our Nation’s finances are in the dumper as they are. Please view it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu6ok5ykyuQ&feature=share

[Tucker39]

HERE IS THE REAL CAUSE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu6ok5ykyuQ&feature=share

[Beowulf9]

“It’s all Bush’s fault” again...

[sappy]

There was never a surPlus under Clinton. Ever!

[God luvs America]

Despite what antigovernment conservatives say, non- defense discretionary spending on areas like foreign aid, education and food safety was not a driving factor in creating the deficits. In fact, such spending, accounting for only 15 percent of the budget, has been basically flat as a share of the economy for decades. Cutting it simply will not fill the deficit hole.

ah yes...no bias here from the NYSLimes...its all GWB's fault and is us "antigov't conservatives"...anti-big gov't??? yes....smaller gov't??? yes...anti-gov't?? nope...never see them refer to ayatollah obama as "anti-business/anti-capitalist/anti-success in the private sector" obama...

[chuckee]

Also note how she ascribes 1.2 trillion in war costs to Bush and zero to Obama.Last time I looked we are still in both Iraq and increased costs in Afghanistan and layered on another war in Libya under Obama.Also GDP grew by 25% since the tax cuts and she does not account for the increased revenues from GDP growth offsetting the tax cut “expenditure”. The graph is more political posturing by a Times commentator currying favor with her publisher than it is a serious analysis.