Bush and Obama – Brothers in Debt
President Bush, the self-described “compassionate conservative”, revealed over eight years that the word “compassionate” must mean “big spender”. Of other people’s money.
Bush’s spending on education (58% faster than inflation), huge increase in poverty programs (now 3% of GDP) and shift of taxation to the highest wage earners made him look more Democrat than compassionate. The Republicans in Congress merrily went along, stuffing the proverbial Federal dollar into every rathole they could find in their home districts. Adding 2.5 trillion dollars to the national debt, the resemblance of today’s Republican party to the party of Ronald Reagan is limited to the rotund elephant mascot.
But you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Republicans think they were tossed out of Congress and the executive because they looked too much like Democrats. Maybe. But the American people voted for the most irresponsible, profligate spending Jackasses in the history of the Republic at the last election. God help us if, in reaction to this, the Republican party nominates “really compassionate conservatives” to run against them in 2 and 4 years.
The Heritage Foundation published the following chart showing a comparison of big spender pork-meister Republicans during the Bush years and the upcoming deficits under pocket-change-you-can-believe-in Obama:
Are there any fiscal conservatives left?
It seems in the recent history of elections in this country, many of the people who run for and are elected to office lose their ability to know what the words they use to describe themselves really mean! Politics brings vocabulary amnesia? The old saw that “those who do not learn from history’s mistakes are bound to repeat them” is still true, especially where the handling of money, wealth is concerned. This administration is drunk with the power to spend the futures of our children and grandchildren. God help us, because it is unlikely that a new bunch of politicians will be able to stop the financial bleeding.
I think you’re right, Carolyn. The hardest thing in the world to eliminate is a government program. They take on a life of their own, and the rush to implement dozens of them under the guise of responding to the financial crisis have probably poisoned the waters for a generation. The only hope I cling to is the President’s declining poll numbers, and the hope that Democratic Representatives will vote with an eye towards re-election in 2010. I’m sure they don’t want to repeat the first mid-term elections of the Clinton Administration.
I admit I was so infuriated and therefore blinded by the drumbeat charges that Bush lied about WMDs despite worldwide intelligence reports to the contrary and all the other Bush-hate stuff that I did not “notice” nor acknowledge his deficit spending until today’s Dems began and maintain their ‘Bush Did It’ mantra. I too have dispaired that any politician will be anything better than prior lots. But, the teaparties and grassroot outrage over BO’s slippery talk on healthcare give me hope that the pendulum is swinging back to a better place.
One can actually help that process by maintaining repetive commo with your state legislators of both sides. This summer I can see that there WAS listening during the summer recess in Colorado.