Starker on 22/1/2020 at 14:08
Adam Schiff may not look like much, but his yesterday's performance at the Senate trial was one for the history books. The way Sekulow and Cipollone blustered and lied was nothing short of Fox News, only for their arguments to be taken apart by Schiff moments later. If you're a fan of history, this whole thing is amazing to watch.
Anyway, the party of fiscal responsibility brings to you a repeat of their famous performance "Who Cares":
Quote:
(
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/deficits-soar-trump-asks-who-the-hell-cares-about-the-budget)
Donald Trump delivered remarks at a private dinner with wealthy donors Friday night at Mar-a-Lago, and as the Washington Post reported, the president shared some thoughts about the nation's finances.
Quote:
To those who criticized his spending and the growing national debt, Trump said: “Who the hell cares about the budget? We're going to have a country.”
For most of President Barack Obama's time in office, Republicans seemed to care very much about the budget, making fears around the national debt and deficit their top talking point. They've backed off those concerns under Trump.
The Republican's comments came just four days after the Trump administration reported that the annual budget deficit surpassed $1 trillion in 2019, despite the growing economy, and despite the fact that Trump promised voters he'd produce the opposite results.
Trump has now added $2.6 trillion to the national debt in just three years - more than Obama added to the debt in his entire second term.
It's against this backdrop that the current president has chosen ... indifference. And though I'm generally loath to agree with Trump, his blunt rhetorical question - “Who the hell cares about the budget?” - may have some merit.
Circling back to our earlier coverage, it wasn't long ago that Republicans were hair-on-fire obsessed with the deficit and the nation's multi-trillion-dollar debt. Though the purpose of the Tea Party “movement” was always a bit murky, it was ostensibly about the right's overwhelming anxiety about the United States' fiscal imbalance.
The irony of these Republicans' concerns went largely overlooked. After all, as a percentage of the economy, Ronald Reagan was responsible for some of the largest deficits in American history. After the deficit disappeared entirely under Bill Clinton, George W. Bush added trillions to the debt.
It was in 2003 when then-Vice President Dick Cheney declared that “deficits don't matter.”
After deficits again grew smaller during a Democratic administration - the deficit shrank by $1 trillion over Obama's first seven years in office - Trump took office and the budget imbalance quickly began growing once again.
About a year ago at this time, White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney - the far-right budget chief who got involved in politics because he was determined to help balance the federal budget - told a group of Republicans that “nobody cares” about the issue anymore. His boss echoed the sentiment on Friday night.
And perhaps that's a good thing. Many of the leading Democratic presidential candidates have ambitious progressive agendas, which include proposals that aren't cheap. If Republicans are now of the opinion that budgets, deficits, and spending levels are annoying trivialities, best ignored, the debate over these proposals can focus more on their efficacy, and less on their price tags.
Except, of course, it's a safe bet that the GOP will do what it always does when there's a Democrat in the White House: Republicans will magically rediscover their deep and abiding fears about the scourge of deficits. The same partisans who shrugged their shoulders after learning of Trump's comments on Friday night will pretend that annual budget shortfalls tear at the fabric of society and impose unforgivable burdens on future generations.
Can we all agree in advance that their rhetoric will deserve to be laughed at?
Gryzemuis on 22/1/2020 at 14:37
You should all realize that what is happening is not that "the deficit grew" or "government is spending too much" or "government is too large". What is really happening is that the Republicans are taking tax-money from the middle- and lower-classes, and giving that money to the rich.
This is a much simpler way to look at what is going on. Theft by the rich. I'm sure some of you are gonna disagree, and say this view is too simplistic. But in fact, this simple view makes it really obvious what the goal of the Republicans is. Not to make America great again. Not to make America Christian again. Not to protect people's guns. The simple goal is (and has always been): steal from the poor (and the middle-class) and give to the rich.
jkcerda on 22/1/2020 at 14:43
Debt grew 9 trillion under Obama.
Gryzemuis on 22/1/2020 at 14:48
Quote Posted by jkcerda
Debt grew 9 trillion under Obama.
But he didn't spend that money on tax-breaks for his rich friends. He spent it mostly on sensible things. Things that tax-payers get a benefit from. Like getting the economy out of the slump/mess created by Baby Bush.
And although I share your view that he (and Hillary) messed up international affairs in the Middle East, during the Arabic spring and in the Ukraine, at least he didn't start new wars to move tax-payer money in large amounts to the military-industrial complex (like the Bush administrations have done large scale). I'm amazed that Trump still hasn't started a new war with Iran (the Republicans are jumping up and down with excitement to get going). I guess he found other ways to transport money to his friends.
Starker on 22/1/2020 at 15:28
Quote Posted by Gryzemuis
I'm amazed that Trump still hasn't started a new war with Iran (the Republicans are jumping up and down with excitement to get going). I guess he found other ways to transport money to his friends.
Well, it's not for lack of trying.
And yes, the anti-tax movement is largely what got the US into this mess, though the costly wars haven't exactly been helping.
jkcerda on 22/1/2020 at 16:14
Quote Posted by Gryzemuis
But he didn't spend that money on tax-breaks for his rich friends. He spent it mostly on sensible things. Things that tax-payers get a benefit from. Like getting the economy out of the slump/mess created by Baby Bush.
And although I share your view that he (and Hillary) messed up international affairs in the Middle East, during the Arabic spring and in the Ukraine, at least he didn't start new wars to move tax-payer money in large amounts to the military-industrial complex (like the Bush administrations have done large scale). I'm amazed that Trump still hasn't started a new war with Iran (the Republicans are jumping up and down with excitement to get going). I guess he found other ways to transport money to his friends.
WARREN voted to increase military spending, if we are going BK in the US the democrats are sure helping there. extremely disappointed with trump war wise, the buck stops with him and we should have withdrawn from that damn mess we have made over there.
Renzatic on 22/1/2020 at 18:34
Let's break down how much each president added to the budget during their tenure by year.
Obama:
2017 - $671 billion
2016 - $1.423 trillion
2015 - $327 billion
2014 - $1.086 trillion
2013 - $672 billion
2012 - $1.276 trillion
2011 - $1.229 trillion
2010 - $1.652 trillion
Trump:
Projected 2020 - $1.281 trillion
2019 - $1.260 trillion
2018 - $1.271 trillion
It looks like Trump is matching Obama nearly 1:1, having not slowed down government spending in the least, despite claims to the contrary. If Trump gets two terms in office, he'll at least match him in money spent.
I expect when this happens, the Trump defenders will start comparing the two not by dollars spent, but by percentage added to the deficit to better excuse it. Here's how I imagine these conversations will go then.
"Yeah? So what if Trump spent $9-10 billion! He only increased the deficit by 50%! Odipshit jumped it up by nearly 75%! That's the most of any president in history!"
"If you're going by percentages, then Obama's the 5th most expensive president. Reagan increased the deficit by nearly 200%, and W. Bush by around 100%. Obama's only the most expensive if you go by pure dollar amount, and don't account for inflation."
"WHY DO YOU HATE AMERICA, LIBTARD?"
Starker on 22/1/2020 at 19:36
Not only that, they'll conveniently forget all about the recession Obama inherited.
jkcerda on 22/1/2020 at 20:15
he did not inherit shit, he campaigned for it.
trump is indeed worse than obama, that clown is kicking the can down the road and he was supposed to be the "fiscal conservative" .. libtards, republitards, libertariantards, we are ALL going to pay for the shit when the bill is due.
