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

Posted on 10/09/2005 7:59:30 AM PDT by 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)."



TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; Extended News; Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Philosophy; Politics/Elections; US: District of Columbia; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: america; army; budget; bush; bushisnotreagan; business; carter; cato; clinton; clintonism; congress; conservatism; conservatives; constitution; data; defense; democrats; economics; economy; education; eminentdomain; federalspending; fiscalconservatism; foundingfathers; freemarket; gop; government; growth; gwot; iraq; klinton; lbj; liberal; libertarian; lyndonbjohnson; market; medicare; military; pileon; pinglist; presidency; president; reagan; report; republicans; senate; spending; statistics; tax; taxes; taxspend; us; usa; war; wh; whitehouse; wlbj; wot
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To: Dont_Tread_On_Me_888
George Bush is no conservative. Every day, new facts bear that out. It is a bitter pill to swallow, and many loylaists here refuse to accept that reality.

You cannot argue facts in the face of a personality cult.

21 posted on 10/09/2005 8:28:52 AM PDT by Wormwood (Iä! Iä! Cthulhu fhtagn!)
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To: alessandrofiaschi

Is it any surprise both were Texans. This is the state that claims to have something called conservative Democrats. Supposedly such people existed as recently as when Harriet was a Democrat. Now they have produced something called a Compassionate Conservative. Personally such labels mean nothing to me. LBJ and Bush were both backsplappers with a proven record of distributing the public wealth to anyone who knew the good ol' boy secret handshake, had a nickname, and used the endearment ' hey pardner'.


22 posted on 10/09/2005 8:28:59 AM PDT by Biblebelter
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To: alessandrofiaschi

How much did discretionary spending go up under Roosevelt. I believe that is the last time we were ATTACKED!

Oh, its nice for the Cato Institute to lay this at George Bush's feet, but CONGRESS spends the money!!


23 posted on 10/09/2005 8:36:37 AM PDT by A.Hun
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To: alessandrofiaschi

BTTT!!!!!!


24 posted on 10/09/2005 8:39:59 AM PDT by E.G.C.
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To: A.Hun
Well:

...the Republican CONGRESS spends the money , that President Bush could veto...

25 posted on 10/09/2005 8:40:27 AM PDT by alessandrofiaschi
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To: alessandrofiaschi

The CATO Institute?

Ha, they're nothing but closet Socialists, and this attack on the President is just further evidence.


26 posted on 10/09/2005 8:40:58 AM PDT by Sometimes A River (Serving on a Meals-on-Wheels program is NOT a qualification for a SC nominee. Call your Senators!)
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To: alessandrofiaschi

I've been round and round with that charge. What President in his right mind would veto his own party's budget.

I dont know, but has that ever happened?


27 posted on 10/09/2005 8:42:08 AM PDT by A.Hun
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To: A.Hun

Oh please, have you ever heard of a Veto pen?

Apparently Bush never has.


28 posted on 10/09/2005 8:43:31 AM PDT by Sometimes A River (Serving on a Meals-on-Wheels program is NOT a qualification for a SC nominee. Call your Senators!)
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To: Acts 2:38
CLOSET SOCIALISTS?

Your statement is evidence that you know nothing about Cato! Many Cato experts were Reagan republicans, that is truly "fiscal conservatives"!

29 posted on 10/09/2005 8:44:45 AM PDT by alessandrofiaschi
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To: A.Hun

SO, your argument is that Bush is too weak in the face of his own COngress-controlling party?

Wow, that's a real vote of confidence!


30 posted on 10/09/2005 8:45:11 AM PDT by Sometimes A River (Serving on a Meals-on-Wheels program is NOT a qualification for a SC nominee. Call your Senators!)
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To: alessandrofiaschi

Sarcasm buddy.


31 posted on 10/09/2005 8:45:38 AM PDT by Sometimes A River (Serving on a Meals-on-Wheels program is NOT a qualification for a SC nominee. Call your Senators!)
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To: Dont_Tread_On_Me_888

When Bush was asked directly about whether the Depts of Education, HHS Agriculture etc were constitutional, he answered, "those issues are settled". That was in 2000 before he was elected the first time. His budgets in Texas were huge, he was a big spender from the word go. The only way he got a rep as a conservative, is that the Madison Ave types spun his candidacy while he was guv.


32 posted on 10/09/2005 8:47:59 AM PDT by jeremiah (People wake up, the water is getting hot)
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To: Acts 2:38

Ok, my friend!


33 posted on 10/09/2005 8:48:17 AM PDT by alessandrofiaschi
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To: Acts 2:38

Just a reflection of the reality of the situation.

Congress sent him a larger budget than he requested every time. Same with the Ag bill, same with the Transportation bill. Same with the DHS monster.

What's a guy gonna do.


34 posted on 10/09/2005 8:48:20 AM PDT by A.Hun
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To: alessandrofiaschi

WHAT GIVES:

QUOTE FROM THE FEDERAL RESERVE: WAS FOUNDED IN 1913 TO PROVIDER A SOUND AND MORE FLEXIBLE MONETARY SYSTEM...

CONCLUSION: BY CONGRESSMAN RON PAUL: Paper Money and Tyranny http://www.house.gov/paul/congrec/congrec2003/cr090503.htm

CONSTITUTIONAL MONEY IN OUR LIFE TIME - NOW!

35 posted on 10/09/2005 8:49:18 AM PDT by thinking4me (The Founding Fathers were right: sound money first)
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To: alessandrofiaschi
[ Cato Institute along with many other conservative think-tanks, simply certify the truth: Bush is not a fiscal conservative. ]

Not to speak of the fact that Bush strongly resembles Alfred E. Nueman(Madd Mag.)

I get a feeling "somebody", "somewhere" is/are laughing at american conservatives from a dark smoky room..
Shuush, quite CAN YOU HEAR IT TOO...

36 posted on 10/09/2005 8:50:08 AM PDT by hosepipe (This Propaganda has been edited to include not a small amount of Hyperbole..)
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To: A.Hun

What's a guy going to do?

He's going to showm some leadership and act.

But, I don't believe Bush is a weak guy.

I believe he wants all this spending, and CFR, and new entitlements, ad nauseum.

Simply, he's a big spender. He wasn't foreced or cajoled into this.

If he was, it'd be a worse reflection on him.


37 posted on 10/09/2005 8:52:31 AM PDT by Sometimes A River (Serving on a Meals-on-Wheels program is NOT a qualification for a SC nominee. Call your Senators!)
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To: Acts 2:38

He has tried. No one listened.

After 9/11, fiscal restraint went out the window.

No one can deny that. But even with this, the Republican party has got to get more fiscal conservatives in Congress.

But, the Transportation bill showed that not spending money is no way to get reelected, and every congressman knows it.

If you want to stop the money hemorrhaging, you have to convince Congress. I don't think that is a fight our nation or George Bush could afford since 9/11.

I don't expect you to like that, but I do expect you to acknowledge it.


38 posted on 10/09/2005 9:00:55 AM PDT by A.Hun
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To: Dont_Tread_On_Me_888
[ George Bush is no conservative. Every day, new facts bear that out. It is a bitter pill to swallow, and many loylaists here refuse to accept that reality. ]

Are you saying that George Bush is a Posuer, a Shill and the congressional democrats secret weapon.?... and not basically but exactly a RINO.?.

39 posted on 10/09/2005 9:03:28 AM PDT by hosepipe (This Propaganda has been edited to include not a small amount of Hyperbole..)
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To: alessandrofiaschi
"Cato Institute along with many other conservative think-tanks, simply certify the truth: Bush is not a fiscal conservative. Useless to say that the last conservative for President was Ronald Reagan, a Goldwater Republican."

Wow, when you look at the numbers, Reagan is third.

Clinton has the best total numbers, and Bush41 is second. Clinton's numbers are much better than Bush41, though, because he had less domestic spending while President Bush cut the military more than President Clinton.

The only defense I have to point out about President Bush41 is that Clinton had a better congress to work with.


40 posted on 10/09/2005 9:06:39 AM PDT by gondramB (Conservatism is a positive doctrine. Reactionaryism is a negative doctrine.)
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