Author Topic: A Few More Charts That Should Accompany All Debt Ceiling Discussions  (Read 1335 times)

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Offline formerlurker

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I'm a little less enamored, considering that this graph attributes decisions made by Obama and an all-Democratic Congress--like doubling down in Afghanistan--to Bush, while taking responsibility for basically nothing except the stimulus.  When Obama extends the Bush tax cuts for the rich under pressure from Congressional Republicans, that disappears from his side of the ledger, because after all, he didn't want to do it.  When Bush enacts Medicare Part D under pressure from Congressional Democrats, the full cost is charged against his presidency.  The list of such silliness goes on.  Our president seems set to coin another presidential motto: "The duck starts here.":



If you must use this chart as some sort of an aid to debate, we should probably drag in a few others for contrast and depth. The first shows deficits, spending, and revenues since 2000 (as a percentage of GDP):



And the second shows what happened to the national debt, and interest payments on that debt, during the same period:


http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/07/a-few-more-charts-that-should-accompany-all-debt-ceiling-discussions/242790/

Decent article that is worth the read.