So … this is Obama’s fault?
This is what total annual federal spending, adjusted for inflation, looks like. The chart is from the FRED database — Federal Reserve Economic Data — maintained by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis:
Blaming federal spending and the deficit on Barack Obama, as Republicans did last night and have done for years now, is like a scene from an old movie. You know the one: The bank robber comes barreling out of the bank, gun in one hand and money bag in the other, with cops hot on his trail.
“Here, hold this for me,” the crook says, handing the bag to someone and then trying to make his getaway. In this case, that “someone” designated to take the fall is a tall, thin black man.
— Jay Bookman
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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
424 comments Add your comment
Tom( Viet Vet-USAF)
February 13th, 2013
12:11 pm
Listening to Pres Obama last nite, he would like to do a lot of positive things for our people! But, where do we get the money to do those things? At some point China is going to stop lending us money, put another IOU in the SS/Medicare trust fund or raise taxes on everyone. Raising taxes only on the wealthy has NO chance of solving the problem. I have come to the conclusion that at least 51% of all citizens believe in living for today, with ABSOLUTELY NO CONCERN about the future of their children and grandchildren! How Sad!!
DebbieDoRight - A Do Right Woman
February 13th, 2013
12:12 pm
Taliban’s ears. They only have to wait a few more months before they can take back over in Afghanistan….
Afghanistan is NOT our 51st State — they are a sovereign country and its about time they started looking after themselves. DO you want them to become a WELFARE state? Gasp!
===============
TP: Poor itchy, like most Republicans, apparently is not partaking of the economic recovery. Too bad for them. That leaves more for the rest of us.
Hmm I bet old Itchmeister lives in a republican state…………..I wonder why he doesn’t blame his REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR for his troubles; yet is quick to jump on Obama? Could it be that he/she/it is being dishonest and hiding an preconceived AGENDA against Obama?
Nahhh! Couldn’t be! Maybe he just REALLY truly SINCERELY forgets all about those republican governors who are sitting around in their states doing NOTHING to promote prosperity or job growth!
Itchy Finger
February 13th, 2013
12:13 pm
Adam
You wanna know whats also getting old, “The president inheritited such a big financial mess caused by Bush it just is going to take more time to get it back in order”
Just because you don’t like hearing it doesn’t mean it stopped being true.
Just because you libs keep repeating it over and over don’t make it true.
There fixed it for ya…
DLM
February 13th, 2013
12:14 pm
The graph indicates spending since 1970 and there is not a time that there isn’t an increase. We have had both Republican and Democratic presidents/administrations in the last 40 years…….they have all been irresponsible.
Common Sense
February 13th, 2013
12:14 pm
Adam:
Yeah I still don’t get it. Everything bad that happened was Bush’s fault when he was President. Now everything bad that happens is Congress’s fault now that Obama’s President.
NOBODYYOUKNOW
February 13th, 2013
12:17 pm
STEVE, on your comment about all you heard was Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, when Bush was in office. You didn’t hear it from me. I voted for Bill Clinton. And he at least worked with congress and the senate. Even though he had a thing for little fat gals, he was a good president.
Liberal Nightmare
February 13th, 2013
12:33 pm
“Unfortunately most people in the South live in a bubble. They tend to be borderline illiterate and very uneducated. We seem them here everyday.”
This rolled me out of my chair. Holy Sh!te what a complete ignoramus. Have you looked at the average IQ of the democrat voter?? Face it, without the fear in the ethic group that votes over 90% to one party – the democrats are DOA. Want more proof your comment shows complete ignorance? Take the affluent suburbs broken down by votes for nearly every major city and see how they stack up to your comment. Know who makes up those suburbs? ( Hint: professionals – generally all highly educated) Even more proof needed? Clayton County – the metro area’s cancer, see how they voted.
Mr Right
February 13th, 2013
12:34 pm
Common Sense
February 13th, 2013
12:14 pm
Adam:
Yeah I still don’t get it. Everything bad that happened was Bush’s fault when he was President. Now everything bad that happens is Congress’s fault now that Obama’s President
And according to the last election the American people were dumb enough to believe it! That is except the 47% smart ones!
Liberal Nightmare
February 13th, 2013
12:34 pm
“Unfortunately most people in the South live in a bubble. They tend to be borderline illiterate and very uneducated. We seem them here everyday.”
This rolled me out of my chair. Holy Shiza what a complete ignoramus. Have you looked at the average IQ of the democrat voter?? Face it, without the fear in the ethic group that votes over 90% to one party – the democrats are DOA. Want more proof your comment shows complete ignorance? Take the affluent suburbs broken down by votes for nearly every major city and see how they stack up to your comment. Know who makes up those suburbs? ( Hint: professionals – generally all highly educated) Even more proof needed? Clayton County – the metro area’s cancer, see how they voted.
Partisay
February 13th, 2013
12:40 pm
Speaking of Ted Nugent…just think, only about 336 more days before he’s either dead or in jail!!
Jay
February 13th, 2013
12:41 pm
Less than that, Partisay. He made those comments in April …
Partisay
February 13th, 2013
12:42 pm
Face it, without the fear in the ethic group that votes over 90% to one party – the democrats are DOA. Want more proof your comment shows complete ignorance?
Hmmmm….wonder how many white people have voted for the white candidate over the years? Wonder how many whites voted for Romney because “he was white.”
Partisay
February 13th, 2013
12:43 pm
I was giving him a little bit more time to enfoy his guns. I started counting when President Obama was sworn in.
Jay
February 13th, 2013
12:46 pm
I’m cutting him no slack. He said on April 14, “I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year.”
So April 14 it is.
Partisay
February 13th, 2013
12:52 pm
59 days it is then…
Stevie Ray
February 13th, 2013
12:53 pm
Keep Up the Good Fight!
February 13th, 2013
11:54 am
Sorry. Ironic how that term seems to get so far under your skin to result in your typical focus on the messenger as opposed to the message.
Steve
February 13th, 2013
12:58 pm
blah blah blah
Things are improving and the cons can’t STAND it.
Adam
February 13th, 2013
2:02 pm
Yeah I still don’t get it. Everything bad that happened was Bush’s fault when he was President. Now everything bad that happens is Congress’s fault now that Obama’s President.
Bush and Congress worked together at the time, even in many cases when Democrats were in control of congress. Today, it would seem this is next to impossible, or at the very least a far cry from the way Bush and Congress worked together even at their most distant.
That’s not to say everything really is Bush’s fault, but when he endorsed something and Congress went for it, he can surely take a significant amount of credit or blame.
It’s a bit hard to blame Obama for economic problems when each and every action he has endorsed that managed to pass actually improved matters, however slight.
Fox News Poll: Americans disagree with president on spending – Fox News | Trendsation
February 13th, 2013
5:22 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution [...]
Vast Right Wing Conspiracy (aka "Knuckle-Dragger")
February 13th, 2013
8:28 pm
How much were the supreme leader’s various stimuli in 2009? He proposed those; not somebody else. What did they do, other than prop up various unions? Have we paid those back? I did not think so. An increase in national debt of at least $6 trillion by this regime – whose fault is that? Republicans are complicit, no doubt about it – and they are going to pay a steep price for it. I guess the imperial viceroy will never have to answer for his epic malfeasance.
There is a reason they serve horsemeat in England – we are rapidly headed in that direction.
Vast Right Wing Conspiracy (aka "Knuckle-Dragger")
February 13th, 2013
9:04 pm
So what this chart says is that inflation has been off the charts in the last few years, which, as we all know, is not something democrats are going to admit. Therefore, we must assume the books are cooked. Nice try, Jay. When you get delivered this stuff by the dnc, you should have them try to explain it to you.
By the way, with ongoing 14% to 15% real unemployment, and another 11,000 or so new to food stamps every day in the land of the free and the home of the brave, the little gray band should be stretched out to 2013 (the recession has not ended).
Jay, you do not need to waste your time with this type of detail anyway. The morons that reelected the imperial viceroy do not understand and do not care.
independent thinker
February 14th, 2013
6:50 am
The total cost of the three wars Obama inherited is projected at over two trillion dollars by 2015 with veteran’s benefits and increased costs of homeland security. He is ending two of those wars as promised which McCain would not have done.
Please cons explain where the funding for these wars is supposed to come?
Did you vote to spend on money to protect Iraqis from other Iraqis and to rebuild the Iraqi infrastructure when Bush was in office with no funding source?
Was that more important than funding transportation needs in Georgia? why not?
JKL2
February 14th, 2013
8:40 am
When did the Republicans take control of the House? I keep forgetting…
To Tell the Truth
February 16th, 2013
3:40 pm
The bulk of America’s problems is the Dem Party or the New Socialist Party along with DO NOTHING BARRY!!!