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“Ok, you obviously think we now have a parliamentary system with no presidents and thus no signing or veto of “legislation so presidents in these years are irrelevant. But that isn’t the case so lets be a little more intellectually honest:

Let’s look at the national debt and changes according to the treasury data http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt.htm";
Excuse me but by decree of the US Constitution the Congress appropriates and spends all money! That’s fact!

As for total national debt, that includes more than just public debt/deficit debt. It includes government inter-holdings and robbing Social Security. That can hardly be place on Bush alone.

Here is the historical deficit/surplus and public debt. http://www.cbo.gov/budget/data/historical.shtml

The ONLY Congress to run a surplus was a Republican Congress from 1998 - 2001. That’s fact!

If you think the Democrats’ $4.3 trillion in 1 year compares to Bush and the Republicans you are nuts!

In just 1 year, $4.3 trillion in the hole, not including interest, under a Democratic controlled Congress and Obama.”

Now I am getting more concerned here because I’m starting to think that you are unfamiliar with Article I, Section 7 of the US consitution where it says something about all legislation requires the signature of the President to become law.

I am also wondering if you are aware of the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 that lays out the Presidential budget as the starting point in spending negotiations. Or maybe the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 that defines the kick off of the budget process as the submission of the Presidential budget.

Also maybe consider that the President is the only person in the federal government to have a mandate by a majority of the American people and thus has one hell of a bully pulpit in the budget process.

And with the power to sign, veto or let pass by the 10 day omission, the President is equal in power to all of the votes in Congress when it comes to allowing legislation to pass.

Maybe a primer on the budget process of the federal government is in order here. Start with these:

http://usinfo.org/enus/economy/finance/budgetProcess.html

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/getting-the-presidents-signature-on-a-congressiona.html

Or maybe just an 11th grade government textbook.

"Now I am getting more concerned here because I’m starting to think that you are unfamiliar with Article I, Section 7 of the US consitution where it says something about all legislation requires the signature of the President to become law."

I am aware of that. And no money appropriation bill can reach a president's desk unless a Congress puts it there. Congress controls that 100%. Congress controls the budget 100%. A president can submit a budget and Congress can ignore it 100%.

Congress appropriates ALL money by decree of the US Constitution!

Do you really think Clinton ran a budget surplus from 1995 - 2000, or do you think it was the Republican Congress with Newt and the "Contract with America" that slashed the budget? Prior to Newt and the Republican Congress, Clinton was racking up $200 billion dollar budget deficits.

No money appropriation bill gets on the desk of the president unless Congress puts it there.

You didn't address this. Do yout think this compares to Bush and the Republicans? You can take out the $700 billion TARP if it makes you feel better and your still have $3.6 trillion spent in year 1 of the Democrats and Obama. You think that compares to Bush with a budget deficit total of about $1.6 trillion ove 8 years?

$700 billion TARP + $900 billion “stimulus” + $1.5 trillion treasury bank bailout + $600 billion current budget deficit fiscal 2009 (Oct - Feb) = $3.7 trillion dollars in the hole! And we haven’t even finished budget fiscal 2009 which should add another $600 billion.

In just 1 year, $4.3 trillion in the hole, not including interest, under a Democratic controlled Congress and Obama.