In his editorial of 5/23 published in the Times Picayune, Thomas continues his ditto head propaganda that PolitiDose has exposed long ago in many of its commentaries. Thomas tries to tie the GOP's failure to balance the federal budget to democratic spending and the growth of the federal government. He complains that Trump was right during the campaign when he criticized the increase in the national debt during the Obama administration.
The national debt increased 70% during President Obama's 8 fiscal years. But it increased a whopping 186% during Ronald Reagan's 8 fiscal years and 106% during the 8 fiscal years of George W. Bush. So President Obama did a better job than both Reagan and Bush in slowing the growth of the national debt. But Thomas was not man enough to even mention that. He talks about republican senator Rand Paul's attempt to pass a balance budget amendment that the republican controlled senate rejected and says Paul introduced the amendment to point out the republicans hypocrisy on the matter. Of course, those that follow politics know that Paul was talking about himself as he voted for Trump's tax cut that will add $1.5 trillion to the national debt per the CBO's report. Thomas was silent about that also.
The whole point of Thomas' editorial was to try and paint the republican's failure on fiscal matters to adopting democratic policies but nothing could be farther from the truth. Like Trump, republicans and conservatives have to blame democrats for everything negative that happens on their watch even when they control the Presidency and both houses of congress. Thomas would like to make the republicans position on their fiscal failures as something new, but it won't wash with the facts or his fake news.
Because, (1) No republicans President has balanced the federal budget since Eisenhower in 1960. That is over 50 years ago, but two democratic Presidents balanced five federal budgets in that same time period. (Lyndon Johnson and Bill Clinton) (2) No republican President has left office in the last 50 years with a smaller deficit than when he took office. But President Clinton and Obama did. (3) The smallest increase in total federal spending in the past 38 years took place on the watch of Presidents Clinton and Obama. The largest increase took place on the watch of Presidents Reagan and Bush 43. (4) The largest increase in the national debt took place on the watch of Presidents Reagan, 186% and George W. Bush, 105% in the last 50 years.
Thomas and the republicans dislike of Democrats and the fact that democratic administrations out perform republican administrations is their motivation for not telling the American people the truth. And when you can't admit the truth to your own base and supporters, there is no character or courage. And when one becomes a Trump ditto head you have hit the bottom of the gutter.
The one important fiscal matter missing from Thomas's editorial was the fact of the CBO's report that says the Trump tax cuts will reduce federal revenue, bring back single year budget deficits in the trillion dollar range and add dramatically to the national debt. It will also have an overall negative impact on the economy. Thomas had nothing to say about that, he just gave Trump a pass.
