You know how you can tell a professional editorial comic? One that the artist actually sits up, watches the event and makes a sharp comment on something that actually happened. And then manages to get it published less than 12 hours later.
Reagan not only cut taxes on the rich: he also radically increased government spending, goosing the economy into a sugar high while throwing the nation deeply into debt.
Citing Supply-Side Economics, in eight short years Reagan ran up greater deficits than every president from George Washington to Jerry Ford combined, taking our national debt from around $800 billion all the way up to around $2.6 trillion when he left office.
By 1992, when Bill Clinton won the presidency, Reagan and Bush’s debt had climbed to over $4.2 trillion, giving Republicans a chance to double down on Two Santas. Bill Clinton would be their test case.
House Republicans loudly demanded that Clinton “do something!” about the national debt, waving the debt ceiling like a cudgel. Over the next eight years they repeatedly wielded the debt ceiling, shutting down the government twice. The battles lifted Newt Gingrich to the speakership.
Clinton caved, making massive cuts to the social safety net to get a balanced budget in a gut-shot to the Democratic Santa programs.
By the end of the Clinton presidency the formula was set. When Republicans held the White House, they’d spend like drunken Santas and cut taxes to the bone to drive up the national debt.
When Democrats come into the presidency, Republicans would use the debt ceiling to force them to cut their own social programs and shoot the Democratic Santa.
Never again would Republicans worry about the debt or deficit when they were in office, and they knew well how to scream hysterically about it and hook in the economically naïve media as soon as Democrats again took power.
Two Santas: https://hartmannreport.com/p/are-we-seeing-the-last-gasp-of-the?r=g8fo
After reading Heather Cox Richardson’s column on last night’s event, I’m kinda sorry I missed it. For those of you who did watch it, do you think her analysis catches the essence of Biden’s speech and the GOP’s actions?
And it’s scary how many Acolytes of St. Ronnie the Senile and his successors, like the shrub, and TFG say things like: “We don’t want The Gubbmint’ messing with our Social Security and Medicare! They got nuthin’ to do with it, so they need to leave it alone!”
Reagan, at the behest of the Wealthy Elite, led the counter-attack agains the New Deal, the Fair Deal and the Great Society. I see most of our economic and social problems starting to grow during the 1980’s.
Durak Premium Member about 1 year ago
You know how you can tell a professional editorial comic? One that the artist actually sits up, watches the event and makes a sharp comment on something that actually happened. And then manages to get it published less than 12 hours later.
Well done, Brian.
mourdac Premium Member about 1 year ago
Too many years of playing football without a helmet for Ronnie Raygun?
dotbup about 1 year ago
Reagan not only cut taxes on the rich: he also radically increased government spending, goosing the economy into a sugar high while throwing the nation deeply into debt.
Citing Supply-Side Economics, in eight short years Reagan ran up greater deficits than every president from George Washington to Jerry Ford combined, taking our national debt from around $800 billion all the way up to around $2.6 trillion when he left office.
By 1992, when Bill Clinton won the presidency, Reagan and Bush’s debt had climbed to over $4.2 trillion, giving Republicans a chance to double down on Two Santas. Bill Clinton would be their test case.
House Republicans loudly demanded that Clinton “do something!” about the national debt, waving the debt ceiling like a cudgel. Over the next eight years they repeatedly wielded the debt ceiling, shutting down the government twice. The battles lifted Newt Gingrich to the speakership.
Clinton caved, making massive cuts to the social safety net to get a balanced budget in a gut-shot to the Democratic Santa programs.
By the end of the Clinton presidency the formula was set. When Republicans held the White House, they’d spend like drunken Santas and cut taxes to the bone to drive up the national debt.
When Democrats come into the presidency, Republicans would use the debt ceiling to force them to cut their own social programs and shoot the Democratic Santa.
Never again would Republicans worry about the debt or deficit when they were in office, and they knew well how to scream hysterically about it and hook in the economically naïve media as soon as Democrats again took power.
Two Santas: https://hartmannreport.com/p/are-we-seeing-the-last-gasp-of-the?r=g8fo
Dewsolo about 1 year ago
After reading Heather Cox Richardson’s column on last night’s event, I’m kinda sorry I missed it. For those of you who did watch it, do you think her analysis catches the essence of Biden’s speech and the GOP’s actions?
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/february-7-2023
Masterskrain Premium Member about 1 year ago
And it’s scary how many Acolytes of St. Ronnie the Senile and his successors, like the shrub, and TFG say things like: “We don’t want The Gubbmint’ messing with our Social Security and Medicare! They got nuthin’ to do with it, so they need to leave it alone!”
braindead Premium Member about 1 year ago
It’s good to remember that the first thing Reagan did as governor, was to raise SALES taxes by 25%.
He used the resulting surplus to give rebates on INCOME taxes in the next election year.
.
Just for practice.
moosemin about 1 year ago
Reagan, at the behest of the Wealthy Elite, led the counter-attack agains the New Deal, the Fair Deal and the Great Society. I see most of our economic and social problems starting to grow during the 1980’s.
Free or Not? Premium Member about 1 year ago
Reagan was the greatest American President since Abraham Lincoln.