If the Republican administration of G.W. Bush had balanced the federal budget like President Clinton did the federal deficit and national debt would not be a budget problem today, so why did your party fail to do so especially since the republican party controlled both houses of congress during most of Bush's eight years in office.
Why did your party rubber stamp Raising the debt ceiling on Bush's watch while the nations fiscal health was being eroded by run away deficit spending and debt. Bill Clinton took office after 24 straight years of deficit spending by previous administrations and put the nations fiscal house in order, balancing the federal budget, creating surpluses and paying down the national debt. Why did the Bush administration and the republican party blow all of that in Bush's very first fiscal year and for all the eight years he served.
Why are you shutting down the federal government and penalizing President Obama and the people because Bush and the republicans in congress did not take care of the counrty's fiscal problems when you had eight years to do so. The national debt doubled on Bush's watch. It stood at $5.8 trillion at the end of Clinton's last fiscal year which ended 9/30/01. That was an increase of $1.3 trillion or 31% from the previous 8 years. The national debt stood at $11.9 trillion at the end of George W. Bush last fiscal year that ended 9/30/09. That was an increase of $6.1 trillion or 105%. A whopping increase. Why did the republican administration let that happen to the country and its people. It was the largest increase in the national debt since the Reagan administration when the national debt tripled on his watch.
No republican President has balanced the federal budget since President Ike in 1960, that was over 52 years ago. But two democratic Presidents balanced the federal budget five times during that same period. The repubicans ran the country 28 of those years and the democrats 24 years, 4 years less than the republicans. How come republicans can not walk the talk about balancing the budget. How many more years do they need to do so.
Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 had 20 years to balance the federal budget and they faild even though they said they would. They failed to walk the talk. Why are republicans so awful at taking care of the country's fiscal health. President Clinton reduced the federal deficit every year in his first term in office. His second term were all balanced budgets and surplusses. The republican gang of three never reduced the deficit four years in a row like Clinton did and in fact none of them got control over reducing the deficit that would lead to a balanced budget. Why can't your party control deficit spending so a balanced budget can take place.
President Clinton's deficit reduction and economic plan was passed by the democratic controlled congress in 1993. Every republican in the House and Senate voted against that plan and they predicted on the floor of both chambers that the plan would tank the economy, bring about massive job losses, record unemployment and explode the federal deficit. They were proven wrong just like today they are wrong in shutting down the government. Will republicans ever have any positive economic plans for the people or will you continue to promote trickle down economics that has already proved to be a fairytale.
Finally Mr. Republican how could your party and Bush 43 leave such a fiscal and economic mess to President Obama and then after he was elected President tell the nation you wanted to make him a one term President and that you would do nothing to help the President move the country and its people forward. And now you are shutting down the federal government for your own party's mistake.
The above questions should have been asked long ago of the republicans by the Sunday talk shows and other journalists on cable TV. If that were done republicans would have a hard time shutting down the government and using federal spending and the budget to hold the country hostage with their phony trumped up charges. Those journalists have no probative value for their viewing audiences.
The American people are seeing first hand the unAmerican ideology of republican conservatism in congress and the destruction of the institution that represents democracy as envisioned by our founding fathers. The republicans in congress could never be a part of the greatest generation. That really says it all.
This commentary written by John Lucia
Above numbers on national debt taken from web site of The U.S. Treasury Department.
