Bush Beats LBJ on Spending [a report from Cato Institute]

Cato.org ^

[alessandrofiaschi]

In the latest Cato Tax and Budget Bulletin, Stephen Slivinski uses revised data released during the summer by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to make side-by-side comparisons of the spending habits of each president during the last 40 years.

While the data show that all presidents presided over net increases in spending, George W. Bush is shown to be one of the biggest spenders of them all, even outpacing Lyndon B. Johnson in terms of discretionary spending.

An excerpt from the report: "The increase in discretionary spending - that is, all nonentitlement programs - in Bush's first term was 48.5 percent in nominal terms. That's more than twice as large as the increase in discretionary spending during Clinton's entire two terms (21.6 percent), and just higher than Lyndon Johnson's entire discretionary spending spree (48.3 percent)."

In the latest Cato Tax and Budget Bulletin, Stephen Slivinski uses revised data released during the summer by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to make side-by-side comparisons of the spending habits of each president during the last 40 years.

While the data show that all presidents presided over net increases in spending, George W. Bush is shown to be one of the biggest spenders of them all, even outpacing Lyndon B. Johnson in terms of discretionary spending.

An excerpt from the report: "The increase in discretionary spending - that is, all nonentitlement programs - in Bush's first term was 48.5 percent in nominal terms. That's more than twice as large as the increase in discretionary spending during Clinton's entire two terms (21.6 percent), and just higher than Lyndon Johnson's entire discretionary spending spree (48.3 percent)."

[Kaslin]

Yes of course, but the fact is a veto can be overridden

[Congressman Billybob]

"Discretionary spending" includes the cost of the Iraq War. So the answer to this study is Doh!, quoting Homer Simpson. Every President who had to ramp up to conduct a war would show the same pattern.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column: "Hillary Knew, David Knew, Only the Post Reporter Was in the Dark"

[inquest]

the president can not spend tax payer's money. Only congress does and can.

SCOTUS also can't amend the Constitution, yet somehow they're effectively able to anyway. Don't tell me you're just now figuring out that reality doesn't always work the way it does on paper.

[MEG33]

Please remove me from your ping list.

[inquest]

The President does indeed share blame in this mess, but he is not the only one to be blamed. I'm tired of those who think he is, and I am tired of the reports that make it look like he is the reason for all the woes in the world.

There's theory, and then there's the reality. The reality is that in our modern political system, the President has the greatest influence of any one single politician. Regardless of who's occupying the White House, his influence is going to be immense. I wish it weren't that way, I don't think the Constitution intended for it to be that way, and I think we ought to work to change it back to what was intended by the Constitution. However, in the meantime, we have a reality to deal with. Ignoring it doesn't make it go away.

[trussell]

Our list got highjacked! I asked why the person was pinging our list, and never got an answer.

[Theodore R.]

Remember though that crusty old Goldwater was a firm Ford-Rockefeller man. He gave up on fiscal conservatism long before he left the Senate.

[verity]

I think you may have forgotten a word somewhere in that sentence.

[deport]

I think you may have forgotten a word somewhere in that sentence.

---

May have or misused one or more... If I don't read things I write real closely I tend to garble words and leave or add words at times. Since my ramblings aren't going to make or win a debate, set major policy or enumerate major guidelines I don't spend a lot of time reviewing them. Should but don't......

'one' should have been 'won'

[Kaslin]

Yeah, but it takes a certain number of states to ratify the amendment

[Kaslin]

Note to self. Next time read post closer

[SittinYonder]

What a legacy!

Bush's legacy is set. Few people talk about FDR's New Deal or even LBJ's Great Society. Instead, those presidents are more commonly linked to WWII and Vietnam. Bush's legacy will boil down to 9/11, Afghanistan and Iraq.

A few, though, will remember the spending.

[M. Espinola]

Excellent monetary graphics.

[Iris7]

"Useless to say taht the last conservative for President was Ronald Reagan, a Goldwater Republican."

If you examine the record the last President who might be called a fiscal and cultural conservative was Calvin Coolidge. Reagan himself said he was a Rooseveltian liberal. Examine Goldwater's history and you will find he was not conservative either.

I think Coolidge was too much of the "you can't stop progress" school and therefor disqualified as a conservative. Perhaps John Adams was a conservative, though.

[Americanwolf]

yeah it appears the list was hijacked

[King Prout]

who hijacked what list?

[Americanwolf]

It appears this is the post where he pinged the list... I am not familiar with this individual and have never been asked to be pinged by him, and if you read the following posts quite a few others on the list have asked him to stop pinging and they have not been responded to.

[Americanwolf]

It appears this is the post where he pinged the list... I am not familiar with this individual and have never been asked to be pinged by him, and if you read the following posts quite a few others on the list have asked him to stop pinging and they have not been responded to.

[King Prout]

alessandrofiaschi,

The pinglist associated with my jolly little clique (the RKBA), exists for a specific purpose.
This does not qualify, and the misuse annoys those of us on the list.
In the future, please refrain from making use of the RKBA pinglist without prior clearance from me to do so.

Thank you.

[King Prout]

I have sent the fellow a mildly phrased note on the matter.
Thanks for bringing it to my attention, you two.