[entropy12]

I do not remember the exact details, so you may be right. However I will research national debt at beginning of Reagan’s 1st term and at end of his 2nd term. My guess is national debt went up significantly. Same thing during Clinton’s 8 years. Of course Zero is breaking all records on national debt explosion.

[greeneyes]

Yeh, the thing is the national debt has been going up since the 50’s. But you have to keep in mind that not all of that was due to spending.

For example, the excess social security funds received are not spent, but invested. Once invested that is reflected as part of the national debt, because the government owes it to participants at a future date. I think I read somewhere that 60% of the national debt is actually owed to Americans.

Government accounting is very confusing, and I only know a little of it. I have actually been thinking of taking a course, just so I could double check stuff a little better myself, since we have a news media that can't be counted on.

At any rate the national debt is different from the budget, and just because the debt goes up doesn't necessarily mean the budget wasn't balanced. During the Clinton/Newt years the situation was better, cause I looked some of that stuff up about 6 months ago. Just can't remember all of it now.