Sunday, July 31, 2011

Putting Principles and Country Before Political Party?

by J. Wright~


Conservative journalist Jennifer Rubin posted in the Washington post.com on Sunday, July 31, 2011, “We are on the verge, it seems, of a deal on the debt-ceiling that would embody two essential goals of the Tea Party and the GOP more generally: no new tax revenues and significant spending cuts equal to or greater than the size of the debt-ceiling increase.”

Wikipedia.com describes The Tea Party as “…an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009. It endorses reduced government spending, opposition to taxing in varying degrees, reduction of the National Debt and federal budget deficit, and adherence to an originalist interpretation of the United States Constitution.”

That’s novel and personally, I find it refreshing. But not Martin Frost, former Democrat representative from Texas. In a recent politico.com article Frost likens the Tea Party to the “Taliban.” So… if you don’t agree with something, label it with a bad name?

It goes on: Liberal columnist Tom Friedman is quoted by jewschool.com saying: “Alas, that is the Tea Party… If sane Republicans do not stand up to this Hezbollah faction in their midst, the Tea Party will take the G.O.P. on a suicide mission.”

Nicholas Kristof, who wrote in last Sunday’s New York Times, is a liberal columnists posted in Media Research .org, “…an edgy argument to denigrate the risk of terrorism in favor of their beef of the week: ‘Republican, Zealots, and Our Security.’ Kristoff actually likened the danger posed by Tea Party sympathizers in Congress (domestic zealots) to Al Qaeda.”

Would the alleged “Danger posed” be the fact that the Tea Partiers in this Congress aren’t particularly concerned if they are reelected or not? I find that refreshing too: they put principles and country before party, and that seems to terrify the liberal socialists in our elected bodies and media.


jaq~

Thursday, July 21, 2011

"Cleaning up George W. Bush's Mess..."

by j. wright~

“Cleaning up Bush’s mess…” I’m amazed how President G. W. Bush continues to be cast as the spendthrift by the loyal opposition: it's always "Bush's fault." Yes, the National Debt increased substantially during Bush's terms in office especially during his last two years with Democrats Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid in charge of the purse strings.

The Wall Street Journal, October 5, 2007, reported that “The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the U.S. federal budget deficit for fiscal year 2007, which ended Sunday, was about $161 billion. That’s down from the $248 billion shortfall recorded in fiscal 2006.” Bush's 2008 deficit was $239 Billion. This years projected deficit is $1.65 Trillion, close to six times higher than 2008.

From the same article, “While annual federal spending grew 2.8% in fiscal 2007 over fiscal 2006, year to year, revenue grew 6.7%. Individual income-tax receipts are estimated to be 11.3% higher than last year, and corporate income tax receipts are estimated to be 5% higher.”

That’s some difference in total annual deficits and growth rates in comparison to what we have experienced in the past two and one-half years under President Obama and his economic advisors (most of whom have recently left for greener pastures). Discontent and uncertainty are the only things that have grown lately.

Compare the Obama Administration’s deficit for the single month of February 2011 when it reached a record setting $223 billion to the fiscal year deficit recorded in 2008.

United States Treasury Department web site figures show that Bush and Congress increased the National Debt about $4.97 trillion with it topping off at $10.7 trillion when Obama assumed office. Today the National Debt is hovering at $14.5 trillion. Do the math. That’s an unsustainable increase of $3.8 trillion in two and one-half years of spending compared to Bush’s $4.97 trillion in eight.

To make the math even more simple: during Bill Clinton's presidency the nation's indebtedness increased at $547 Million daily. Under President George W. Bush the debt skyrocketed to $1.6 billion daily. During President Obama's term it has gone totally ballistic at a rate of $4.6 billion per day increase.

If President Obama is “…cleaning up Bush’s mess,” I would suggest he is well on his way to making a bigger mess of his own on the backs of future struggling taxpayers and foreign lenders.

jaq~