The $850 billion is not a real number. It's a projection made by the CBO in 2001 of what the world might have looked like 8 years later. How is that number at all relevant?
Yes that's his whole reply. What's he talking about? Who knows, and we're pretty certain he doesn't either.
In a follow up response he clarifies our source is writing in 2009 and using a CBO projection.
The only projection the source uses in the entire article from CBO is a 2001 projection that George Bush stood to inherit a government that could possibly average annual SURPLUSES of $800 billion. Nowhere does it say anything about $850 billion.
Notwithstanding the fact that the original post was not at all about SURPLUSES or what CBO was projecting the world might look like; but about where our current deficits come from. The 2001 projection had nothing to do with what the post was about. Highlighting the situation Bush inherited demonstrates just how irresponsible 8 years of Republican rule was. So bravo to Kristen.
Again, though, it's not about projected SURPLUSES. Projections are projections. They are not meant as an exact prediction of the future, even CBO will tell you that much. But that's not what the post was about. Of course the annual SURPLUSES of $800 billion never happened. Why? Well, we had 8 years of George Bush and GOP leadership.
Could you imagine if Bill Clinton had turned over to Bush a government with a trillion dollar deficit what Republicans would be saying. It would have been the end of the world for Democrats. But since Bush actually did turn over a government with chronic trillion dollar deficits, Republicans want it never to be brought up. Two years is plenty of time to move past it. Except for the fact that our current trillion deficit is still made up of Bush policies then maybe we could move on.
We didn't go from surpluses to a trillion dollar deficit over night. It took time. It took numerous Bush policies, all of which were completely unfunded to get us to this point. And that whole time, throughout the entirety of his reign, not one time did Republicans speak up or even pretend to acknowledge they had any concern for the deficit. They did just the opposite. They helped him push through unfunded legislation after unfunded legislation.
And then something happened. They were no longer in power anymore.
Convenient for them, they now claim to care about the deficit. Just as long as we never mention where it came from and how we got it. In their world the deficit came into being on Jan. 20th, 2009. Any suggestion that it's not Barack Obama's fault makes you an enemy.
*Update:
For what could possibly be one of the biggest dodges in the history of dodges, Kristen Billy insists the mention of a CBO projection negates everything about where the trillion dollar deficit comes from.
Too bad the projection has no bearing whatsoever on what actually happened. That's why the article I linked to in the first place was written: to show how and where the deficits came from.
Finally, Kristen Billy admits he doesn't agree with the results of where the deficits came from. Of course he doesn't. That's my whole point. The reality that George Bush's two terms is the greatest contributor to the deficit is not at all what Fox News tells him. In his world, if it doesn't come from Fox or Rush Limbaugh then it never happened. That's why he keeps trying to focus on a number he pulled out of thin air to distract the conversation. He can't address the substance so just deny the source.
That brings this whole thing to another point: what Fox News has wrought. Jon Chait mentioned something the other day that has stuck with me ever since I read it. People who watch Fox News really believe that they are engaged in a process that separates them from all the people who don't watch Fox News, namely that of Truth. These people believe that Fox gives them an access to truth that is denied to Americans who are brainwashed by the mainstream media. They really believe that Fox News is not just a network that counteracts the biased liberal media, or even a network that reports the stories that the liberal media ignore, but the only vehicle for Truth that exists. That pretty much sums up what's taking place here and why Kristen simply cannot believe Republicans created the massive deficit we have today and not Barack Obama.
In a follow up response he clarifies our source is writing in 2009 and using a CBO projection.
The only projection the source uses in the entire article from CBO is a 2001 projection that George Bush stood to inherit a government that could possibly average annual SURPLUSES of $800 billion. Nowhere does it say anything about $850 billion.
Notwithstanding the fact that the original post was not at all about SURPLUSES or what CBO was projecting the world might look like; but about where our current deficits come from. The 2001 projection had nothing to do with what the post was about. Highlighting the situation Bush inherited demonstrates just how irresponsible 8 years of Republican rule was. So bravo to Kristen.
Again, though, it's not about projected SURPLUSES. Projections are projections. They are not meant as an exact prediction of the future, even CBO will tell you that much. But that's not what the post was about. Of course the annual SURPLUSES of $800 billion never happened. Why? Well, we had 8 years of George Bush and GOP leadership.
Could you imagine if Bill Clinton had turned over to Bush a government with a trillion dollar deficit what Republicans would be saying. It would have been the end of the world for Democrats. But since Bush actually did turn over a government with chronic trillion dollar deficits, Republicans want it never to be brought up. Two years is plenty of time to move past it. Except for the fact that our current trillion deficit is still made up of Bush policies then maybe we could move on.
We didn't go from surpluses to a trillion dollar deficit over night. It took time. It took numerous Bush policies, all of which were completely unfunded to get us to this point. And that whole time, throughout the entirety of his reign, not one time did Republicans speak up or even pretend to acknowledge they had any concern for the deficit. They did just the opposite. They helped him push through unfunded legislation after unfunded legislation.
And then something happened. They were no longer in power anymore.
Convenient for them, they now claim to care about the deficit. Just as long as we never mention where it came from and how we got it. In their world the deficit came into being on Jan. 20th, 2009. Any suggestion that it's not Barack Obama's fault makes you an enemy.
*Update:
For what could possibly be one of the biggest dodges in the history of dodges, Kristen Billy insists the mention of a CBO projection negates everything about where the trillion dollar deficit comes from.
Too bad the projection has no bearing whatsoever on what actually happened. That's why the article I linked to in the first place was written: to show how and where the deficits came from.
Finally, Kristen Billy admits he doesn't agree with the results of where the deficits came from. Of course he doesn't. That's my whole point. The reality that George Bush's two terms is the greatest contributor to the deficit is not at all what Fox News tells him. In his world, if it doesn't come from Fox or Rush Limbaugh then it never happened. That's why he keeps trying to focus on a number he pulled out of thin air to distract the conversation. He can't address the substance so just deny the source.
That brings this whole thing to another point: what Fox News has wrought. Jon Chait mentioned something the other day that has stuck with me ever since I read it. People who watch Fox News really believe that they are engaged in a process that separates them from all the people who don't watch Fox News, namely that of Truth. These people believe that Fox gives them an access to truth that is denied to Americans who are brainwashed by the mainstream media. They really believe that Fox News is not just a network that counteracts the biased liberal media, or even a network that reports the stories that the liberal media ignore, but the only vehicle for Truth that exists. That pretty much sums up what's taking place here and why Kristen simply cannot believe Republicans created the massive deficit we have today and not Barack Obama.
Posts
0 comments :
Post a Comment