Tom Toles for July 25, 2019

The all-time record deficits we are now enduring are the consequence of accumulated Republican fiscal mismanagement, first under Reagan and Bush Sr and then, following Clinton’s transformation of then-record deficits into record surpluses, Bush Jr transformed the record Clinton surpluses back into new record deficits, with two unfunded wars, corporate welfare and tax cuts for the few richest elites and lack of oversight over financial markets leading to an economic collapse. (Dick Cheney famously counseled Bush Jr that “Reagan proved that deficits don’t matter.”)

Then Obama rescued us from the Bush economic free fall and could have done even more if he hadn’t faced unprecedented Republican obstruction and filibuster abuse as he tried to FIX what THEY BROKE. Despite this unprecedented obstruction, Obama had amazing success in cutting back the size of government, reducing by 2/3 the record deficits he had inherited from Reagan/Bush/Bush with a record 84 consecutive months of job gains.

The only two presidents to achieve balanced budgets in the last SIXTY YEARS were LBJ (despite the costs of the Vietnam War, Apollo Space program and War on Poverty, with a 70% top marginal tax rate) and Bill Clinton, who had four straight surplus budgets after he passed Reinventing Government (REIGO) without one single Republican vote.

Only one more in the last 50 years has even reduced the annual budget deficit — Barack Obama — who slashed deficits every year after his first, with the cumulative total cut by more than two thirds off, to one third the amount he inherited from Bush Jr., though he never made it all the way to a surplus.

And now, once again, Trump is following the Bush Jr play book (Cheney: “Reagan proved deficits don’t matter”), and has blown up the deficits and debts to new stratospheric levels.

Conservatives have a lot of nerve trying to lecture progressives on fiscal responsibility.

Deficit hawks? More like an economic CHICKENHAWKS.

Now, Trump will claim his are the smallest deficits ever……….even smaller than Reagan’s who started the mess.

Republicans follow Reagan’s lead, they don’t increase the deficit/debt, they multiply it.

No problem. We can always just blame the Democrats and throw them out when they try to fix our mistakes.

No where as big as the trumpster’s ego -— yet

It’ll turn back into a deficit hawk once the Democrats regain the presidency. Except as usual on military spending and tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations.

High School seniors and college students: Register to vote, then READ often, think, discuss, then VOTE in your municipal, state and federal elections. THIS DEBT IS BEING FOBBED OFF ON YOU!

So what else would you expect from someone who has operated his entire life on the “Run up huge debts, bail out, declare bankruptcy, and let SOMEONE ELSE deal with the problem while I take MY MONEY and run!” economic theory???

This is the fault of the Illegal Immigrants, everyone knows that!!

Most people try to make things better for their children and try to sustain competitive capitalism vs monopolies/oligopolies so there are better jobs, products, and services. Conservatively speaking, countries that have higher wages as a percentage of their GDP tend to have better economies than those (like the US) where wages as a percentage of GDP are declining. Higher wages —> higher tax revenues —> lower/no deficits.

But this is the BEST economy EVER in the history of economies!

Remember, YOUR children will be paying for the REPUBLICAN’S Fiscal irresponsibility…as will your Grandchildren, and Great Grandchildren, and Great, Great Grandchildren, and Great, Great, Great Grandchildren… and on, and on, and on, and on, and on…

Still waiting to see what might trickles down

Obama and the Democrats had to be thrown out of power in 2016 because they weren’t repairing the Republican damage FAST ENOUGH.

That debt will be number one issue to fix.. should the Democrats by some chance win the next election.

The GOP are deficit amateurs.

“This deficit proudly brought to you by the Republican Party; the Party of ‘fiscal responsibility’!” /s

‘The Party of Fiscal Responsibility’, like ‘The Party of Family Values’ has been a myth of conservative political advertising since introduced. Some people still embrace the lies, need the lies, want the lies, demand the lies.

Modern Republicans are the fattest pigs in the history of their lying party.

Anyone remember 1987? or 1975? well, here we go again. i’m stocking up on canned vegetables.