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1. 

   Bruce4671 said, 5 months ago

   @Mr. King

   And so you answer your own question.
   
   But if Obama is so concerned with the “deficit” and the “debt” why was his first executive order after re-election one to give his fellow legislators a raise? What 200K a year isn’t enough for the VP? 174K not sufficient for a congressperson? What exactly have they done to merit a raise?
   
   Seems to me they all need to be fired.
2. 

   dtroutma said, 5 months ago

   Put the first mark at the inauguration of Ronald Reagan, then monitor the growth undere Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 compared to Clinton and Obama’s fist four. NO comparison on which administrations, and which wars,really ran up the debt ceiling.
3. 

   Gypsy8 said, 5 months ago

   King is basically right. Obama inherited programmed or mandatory spending programs from several past Congresses. Discretionary spending, of which the military is by far the largest item, requires an annual congressional appropriation, and military spending is largely locked in by the Bush wars that are being wound down despite Republican gripping and fear-mongering.
   .
   If you recall the financial disaster unfolding in 2008, spending was required to turn the economy around.
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   Although debt went up under his watch, Obama is largely having to make the best of what he was dealt.
4. 

   Bruce4671 said, 5 months ago

   @Gypsy8

   Sure that’s right. Trot out that old buggaboo of blame bush for every action I take.
   
   Military spending is less than spending done on social programs. We need to do both but yes there is waste in both as well. So the sequestration mandate that forces them to do both is a good thing.
   
   Make our legislators earn that new raise Obama just approved for them.
   
   And I know of NO conservatives that are gripping that the war is winding down. Just the plan.
5. 

   Radish said, 5 months ago

   Bush’s republican plan was to spend all the money on war and whatever and lower taxes to reduce government revenue so that government surplus would be reduced and republicans could force cuts to social programs. Well here we are and the republicans blame it on Obama.
6. 

   Hectoruno said, 5 months ago

   @Radish I hate it when Republicans accuse Obama of having secret plans to ruin the country. As such I would not accuse Bush of planning for the way things turned out. Bush was working on the false fact that lowing taxes increases revenue as it did with Reagan. The problem is that the idea is too simple. It is like saying a tire works better when air is put into it. While true in some circumstances leads to a blow out in others.
7. 

   jquinn924 said, 5 months ago

   The reason we are in debt is that SOMEBODY started two (2) very expensive wars and put them on the nation’s credit card. Then, for the first time in history, SOMEBODY cut taxes during wartime.

   We are paying more on the interest for Bush’s stupid wars than all of Obama’s stimulus spending combined. This is a republican debt, a republican deficit, and a republican recession.
8. 

   Gypsy8 said, 5 months ago

   @Bruce4671

   It’s not a case of arbitrarily blaming Bush, it’s giving credit where credit is due and blame where blame is due.
   .
   I would hope military spending is less than spending on social programs. At least with social programs the money is spent at home, looks after people, and gives back what many have paid for. I can’t think of much positive about blowing stuff up and killing people the other side of the world.
   .
   Say, maybe sequestration would be a good thing. It forces financial discipline where discipline seems to be lacking.
   .
   By the way, Bush raised salaries seven out of eight years. This is Obama’s first increase in four years. I wonder how many of those whining about Obama winning the election by giving stuff away declined to take their pay raise?

   .
   Of course conservatives disagree with the way Obama is winding down the wars. Agreeing with Obama would be just so wrong!
9. 

   DrCanuck said, 5 months ago

   Conservatives: “Balance the budget, balance the budget, balance the budget.”

   
   Obama: “Ok, we’ll let America go over the fiscal cliff which will balance the budget.”

   
   Conservatives: “No-o-o-o-o-o-o, don’t balance the budget.”
10. 

    Tigger said, 5 months ago

    @Mr. King

    Where was your criticism of The Nancy Pelosi Congress from January 2007 to December 2010? During this time frame she did not pass one single Budget, she just raised the Debt Ceiling. In Late December 2010, she also had her Democrat Controlled Congress pass a stupid Bill extending the Bush Tax Cuts for only the Top1% as you have repeatedly said Bush gave Tax Cuts to only the Top 1% and no one else, The Democrat Senate also passed the Bust Tax Cut Extension Bill, and Obama did not have the stones to do the right thing, stand up to his Democrat Congress and Tell them NO! by Vetoing this stupid bill extending The Bush Tax Cuts for only the Top 1%
11. 

    Tigger said, 5 months ago

    @dtroutma

    In the 1st year of his 1st term, Obama outspent the total combined spending of the 1st year of all 43 of his Predecessors. This means if you add up the Total 1st year of all Presidents from Washington to Bush, and compare to Obama’s 1st term spending, Obama’s Total is much higher .

    From January 2007 to December 2010, Nancy Pelosi did not pass one Budget, she increased the Debt Ceiling.

    Odd how you give Democrats a pass on raising the Debt Ceiling and vilify the Republicans for doing same thing.
12. 

    Tigger said, 5 months ago

    @Gypsy8

    But he was part of the Problem as he was Senator during this time frame.
13. 

    Tigger said, 5 months ago

    @jquinn924

    Who extended those Taxes?

    Answer: Obama did

    Obama must be a Republican as he extended the Tax Cuts for only the Top 1%
14. 

    DrCanuck said, 5 months ago

    @Tigger

    ^ No, he extended the tax cuts for everyone OTHER than the top 1%.

    
    Perhaps you should watch Real News once in a while.
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