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Borrow and spend: Republicans burst the budget
Manchester Union Leader ^ | January 8, 2006 | Editorial

Posted on 01/08/2006 5:52:11 AM PST by billorites

THE UNITED STATES, under control of a Republican administration and Congress, is borrowing and spending so quickly that the government will run out of money next month unless the debt ceiling is lifted, Treasury Secretary John Snow said last week.

Columnist Bruce Bartlett nicely laid out the irresponsibility of the Bush administration and Congress in a column a few weeks ago. By the conventional measure of federal borrowing, the debt grew by $2 trillion on George W. Bush's watch. But, Bartlett noted, that figure does not include the government's promises for Social Security and Medicare.

Adding all of the money Washington owes, "we see a grand total of increased indebtedness of more than $20 trillion during the Bush presidency, of which more than 40 percent is accounted for just by the Medicare drug benefit," Bartlett wrote.

As if that weren't bad enough, the Congressional Budget office estimates that spending on Medicare and Medicaid is projected to triple by 2050, if Congress shows restraint, or by 2030 if it does not, Bartlett lamented.

Because of the gross overspending reflected in those numbers, the Treasury Department wants permission to borrow even more. And Congress is sure to give it the OK, without tying that increased borrowing power to any forced spending restraint.

Remember when Republicans spent most of their time talking about fiscal responsibility, about treating the federal budget like the family budget? Somehow, we doubt President Bush and GOP leaders handle their own finances the way they are handling the public's.


TOPICS: Editorial; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 109th; federalspending; gop

1 posted on 01/08/2006 5:52:13 AM PST by billorites
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To: billorites

I have started calling the party the Respendicans.


2 posted on 01/08/2006 5:54:40 AM PST by TXBSAFH ("I would rather be a free man in my grave then living as a puppet or a slave." - Jimmy Cliff)
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To: billorites

The next time you hear a politician use the word "billion,"
casually, think about whether you want the politician spending your tax
money.
A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one
advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into
perspective in one of its releases.
a. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.
b. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.
c. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the
Stone Age.
d. A billion days ago no one walked on two feet on earth.
e. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at
the rate our government spends it.


3 posted on 01/08/2006 5:56:39 AM PST by TXBSAFH ("I would rather be a free man in my grave then living as a puppet or a slave." - Jimmy Cliff)
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To: billorites

cant we just print more cake


4 posted on 01/08/2006 6:01:01 AM PST by Flavius (Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum)
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To: billorites

this is only half correct, republicans that are in Congress lack the balls to control it


5 posted on 01/08/2006 6:07:33 AM PST by sure_fine (*not one to over kill the thought process*)
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To: TXBSAFH

Who was the Congressman back in the '60's who said, "A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon we're talking about real money"? That was the beginning of the arrogance about money by our Congressmen, I think.


6 posted on 01/08/2006 6:10:50 AM PST by the tongue
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To: billorites

When do we declare bankruptcy and start over?


7 posted on 01/08/2006 6:12:12 AM PST by Normal4me
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To: billorites

Don't worry, we'll let the next generation pay for it.


8 posted on 01/08/2006 6:14:21 AM PST by Fishing-guy
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To: the tongue

Senator Everett Dirkson. . .


9 posted on 01/08/2006 6:51:45 AM PST by maxsand
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To: sure_fine

To bad the voters don't have the balls to elect someone else.


10 posted on 01/08/2006 7:01:36 AM PST by Vaduz (and just think how clean the cities would become again.)
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To: Fishing-guy
pay it forward...

Imagine the kindness and compassion they will show their aging parents.

11 posted on 01/08/2006 9:19:44 AM PST by joesnuffy (A camel once bit our sister.. but we knew what to do.. we gathered rocks and squashed her!)
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To: billorites

This post is sure getting a lot of action. LOL. No one cares.


12 posted on 01/09/2006 7:41:03 AM PST by Huck (Don't Vote: It only encourages them.)
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To: TXBSAFH
Right which is why NOT ONE Democrat voted for the recently passed Deficit Reduction bill. Man the 100%ers really need to wake up to the fact that spending 100% of your time shooting at your OWN side is politically stupid.

Amazing how the "Fiscal hawks" NEVER ever seem to have anything BAD to say about the Democrats who are making these "cuts" a campaign issue.

13 posted on 01/09/2006 3:50:55 PM PST by MNJohnnie (Marine Corp T-Shirt "Guns don't kill people. I kill people." {Both Arabic and English})
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To: MNJohnnie

Just because the respendicans will spend a littl less that does not mean they are not spending this country into the poor house.


14 posted on 01/09/2006 4:55:55 PM PST by TXBSAFH ("I would rather be a free man in my grave then living as a puppet or a slave." - Jimmy Cliff)
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To: TXBSAFH

Whaaa! TXBSAFH hates the Republicans! The Republicans are not doing only what TXBSFAH wants when he want's it. Whaaaa!


15 posted on 01/09/2006 8:30:37 PM PST by MNJohnnie (Marine Corp T-Shirt "Guns don't kill people. I kill people." {Both Arabic and English})
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