[griswold3]

Oh, yes, we bitched about GW’s spendthrift ways.We frowned upon his government expansions, Until we actually met up with the Democrat’s methods.
Now, you don’t know what you had until it’s gone.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

I think Bill Cunningham puts it best.

Republicans commit fiscal misdemeanors

Democrats commit fiscal felonies....

[Clara Lou]

“Don’t it always seem to go
You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone?”

Bush wasn’t perfect by a long shot, but he beats all heck out of Barack Obama.

[agere_contra]

The British war debt after WW2 was some 27 Billion dollars (adjusted to current value of the dollar). It took some sixty years to pay off, finally being paid off in Jan 2007. That included the action of 2% interest.

Current American debt is nearly 1500 times higher than that. US GDP is 7 times that of the UK, so the debt compared with the ability to pay is maybe 200 times that of the British war debt.

200 war debts, all at the same time. Ouch.

With the US’s 14T GDP I can’t see this debt being repaid within the next 400 years.

[Carley]

I MISS BUSH

I MISS CHENEY

I MISS AMERICA

[Siena Dreaming]

Deficits went up under both Bush and Reagan because the Democrats pushed through domestic spending while war budgets were necessarily increasing.

We very likely could be quaking in fear every day if Bush had not been successful at his job as CIC. So his budgets were worth it IMO.

Barry has used it all as an excuse to hike domestic spending to the stratosphere. He's a pig and and he'll get his due.

[reagan_fanatic]

I miss Reagan’s optimism and his embrace of free market Capitalism.

I do not miss Bush.

[Red6]

Bush let a lot go through that shouldn't have, regards spending. However, he did so because he had limited political freedom of movement to do otherwise because the opposition used the war in Iraq and Afghanistan as leverage. Especially after the House went Democrat in 2006, Bush was really nailed down when it came to spending.

The point is that Bush needs to be viewed as having had limited options and in a position where he makes decisions between the two lesser evil options. Had Bush tried to curb spending the way many wish, he would have jeopardized the GWOT, Iraq, and Afghanistan which the Democrats had no hesitation nor quams to play/gamble with so they can get what they want.

It's cool to blame Bush, and even the Conservative politicians, bloggers, media etc like to point out a shortcoming with Bush regards spending that one really can't blame Bush completely for.

[Non-Sequitur]

There was no Bush era fiscal discipline. And the fact that Obama is worse doesn’t change that.

[RJL]

We are well rid of the Bushs.

Politicians coming up through the ranks watch what their seniors are doing. Bush was teaching Democrat ideals to thousands of future Republican leaders.

[Cyber Liberty]

I have said, on several occasions, that the only way I expect a Republican to defeat Obama in 2012 is if unemployment persists at very high levels or if there is another major economic disruption.

That's pretty easy to refute: Republicans will lose to Mickey Mouse if they run another BobDull or Juan McPain. There is an old expression in politics: "You can't beat somebody with nobody."

Never forget, the GOP is nicknamed "The Stupid Party." Mitt Romney = four more years.

[Spok]

The public has become “blame Bush” and “race card” resistant.