http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/04/AR2007020401174. html

Bush is saying there will be a budget surplus by 2012, keeping the tax cuts for the wealthy but cutting money from Medicare and Medicaid and the CHIPs (Children's Health Insurance Program). The Congressional Budget Office's prediction for 2012 assumes much slower economic growth and that the budget won't be balanced by then if we keep Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy - go figure.


Why do we have to keep the tax cuts? Same old argument: getting rid of the tax cuts will slow the economy, even though the economy took off after the 1993 tax increases on the rich. I hope Democrats point that out at every opportunity - but will the media get it right or just parrot the Republican line?

Andrew

I'll bet the majority of reporting will parrot. Who owns most of the traditional media?

Big media will do what it always does. Grab an intern, paraphrase the press release, put it in a spoon and start the baby talk. "Here comes an airplane, open wide."

The shrub must me counting on that near earth object to actually impact the planet in 2012. Or does he think that HIV passed at nursing home swingers parties is going to kill the problem?

Herb???
DJ???
Anyone other neo-CONers want to step in??
62KGW??

Trixter, I refuse to be involved in simplistic discussion of a very complex issue.

Ignoring any simplistic reaction, what do you think of Bush's budget?

Andrew

I haven't had time to look at the article and won't for a day or two. Catching up from 6 days at the hospital.

I will say that I worry about rosy future projections by anyone in Washington.

Hope you are feeling better soon, Deane!

Andrew

>>>"Hope you are feeling better soon, Deane!"

Not I, my handicapped son. He's had a large kidney stone, which he still has, but it's under control until they get around to zapping it.

Hope he gets better soon!!!

Any discussion that has anything to do with DUHbya is a simplistic discussion. With less neurons than an 8th grader that everything is simplistic. And he HEAVY drug and alcohol abuse during 2 decades contributes to his simplistic ways.

Sorry to hear that Deane, but I am glad to hear that he will be okay. I have passed a kidney stone and it was not a party. I'll be pulling for him.

Yeah, I don't think I ever experienced so much pain as when I passed a kidney stone. One that large? Eeesh, good luck to him and your family!

Bush's version of the trickle-down system (supply-side economics in general) is a noble thought in and of itself - give tax cuts to the wealthiest and they will privately make sure that their minions, those working FOR them, are well taken care of, jobs will flourish, billions will go to private charities meaning less the government has to hand out, and it's a big snowball effect.

Karl Marx had a noble idea for eliminating poverty, homelessness, and the drastic difference between the haves and the have-nots. It was called Communism, I am sure you all have heard of it.

Both are doomed to fail from the start, because the wealthiest didn't get there by being selfless, warm and fuzzy people, and Communism goes against the basic human instinct of bettering yourself and your family's future because you have NOTHING to invest in, NOTHING to own, you aren't doing anything for yourself.

Assuming we are STILL in Iraq (don't laugh, if another hawk gets into the White House it's entire plausible) and other factors, how in the hell are we going to have a budget SURPLUS by 2012? Even with cutting funds from medicare and medicaid, at a time where the population of persons over the age of 65 will be at an all-time high?

Bush is assuming not only that Iraq spending will decline (because of success there in putting down the insurgency/quelling the civil war) but also that the economy will grow a bit faster than the Congressional Budget Office is predicting, and neither the CBO nor the Bush Admin is predicting any sort of economic slowdown. In short, Bush's prediction of a surplus in 2012 is based on a lot of rosy projectons.

Honestly, predicting "surplus in 2012" is just another way for Bush to try to sell his tax cuts. It's been clear to me for some time that when you sort it all out, tax cuts for the wealthy and an Americanized Iraq are the only two things Bush really cares about.

Andrew

How many days left 'til 1/20/09?

713

http://bushclock.lose.com/

That many, until we swear in the new Republican President, and the Republicans take back the house and Senate?

Good one.

Nwokie...
Just what is it that you smoke?? You might try hitting it just a little bit more....

I dont smoke anything, never have.
The demos barely eaked out a victory in the last election, mainly in a lot of normally republican districts, a lot of republicans didnt vote.

Hillary will be the demos nominee, she is hated by all good republicans, who will follow Mayor daleys advive. "Vote early and vote often".

"she is hated by all good republicans"

There's your good ol' Conservative values for you.

Nwokie...
HIT IT AGAIN!
And again!
And again!

Nwokie said>>>
Hillary will be the demos nominee, she is hated by all good republicans.

Right on cue! Just like a good neo-CONer.

Again, Hilary is hated by Republicans, she is considered to be almost the anit-christ.I cant think of anyone that would more mobilize the republicans.

And with the electorial college biased towards the south and mountain states, that spells defeat for the demos, and will probably take down a lot of demo congressmen.

Nwokie, I can only hope you are correct!

712 days
16 hours
5 minutes