State of the Union Reality Check
State of the Union Reality Check (movingideas.org)
My favorite:
Bush on the Budget
“I will send you a budget that holds the growth of discretionary spending below inflation, makes tax relief permanent and stays on track to cut the deficit in half by 2009.”
Reality Check:
Spending on homeland defense, the war in Iraq, and reduced revenue from Bush’s tax cuts to the wealthiest 1% have increased the budget in recent years. Without adjustments to spending in other areas, the U.S. budget deficit has seen an astronomical rise to $413 billion. Further exacerbating the budget will be Republican efforts to make the Bush tax cuts permanent and privatizing Social Security, which will require a minimum of $2 trillion in transitional costs. Bush called for counteracting this lack of fiscal restraint by cutting spending on domestic programs such as student loans, child support enforcement, and school lunches. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Judd Gregg (R-NH) announced that cuts to Medicaid — which provides health care to seniors, children, and families in need — would be used to balance the deficit.
Seems like Bush’s thinking makes sense:
Good = war, mismanaged Homeland Security and tax cuts for the rich
Bad = education, children, seniors and families in need
Not to mention the richest 10% that own 90% of the stocks, who are sure to become even richer if Social Security is privatized.
I love this guy.
