Big Spending Republican Presidents

[Toro]

Government spending under the three Republican Presidents rose appreciably, moreso than under Clinton, and faster under both Bush's than under Obama.

This is all spending.

This is spending excluding defense.

Obviously, Obama hasn't been in power very long, but government spending rose faster under Bush I and II during the first five quarters of their terms than it has thus far under Obama. It then exploded under Reagan.

Not to leave anyone in suspense, here’s the scorecard five quarters from the inaugural quarter (i.e. 100 at inauguration through the sixth quarter of the presidency):

* Reagan — 100.9
* Bush Sr. — 115.6
* Clinton — 100.2
* Bush Jr. — 115.1
* Obama — 109.5

Hey, Big Spender | The Big Picture

 

[Revere]

Non-defense spending was comparable across all four Presidents, except for the two years Democrats controlled Congress under Bush 43.

 

[Charles_Main]

Yeah that 3 trillion in new Debt over the last 22 months is meaningless.

Where do you guys come up with this shit.

No President and Congress in our history has ever spent as fast as what we have now.

Never.

 

[Revere]

Clinton had no wars going on.

 

[Toro]

Clinton had no wars going on.

The second graph excludes all spending on defense.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Why do people keep thinking the American President is a dictator? Oh yeah cause they're fucking morons and don't know Congress controls spending!

Pretty fucking lame Toro

 

[Revere]

Non-defense spending was comparable across all four Presidents, except for the two years Democrats controlled Congress under Bush 43.

Clinton had no wars going on.

The second graph excludes all spending on defense.

What I said.

 

[Charles_Main]

Clinton had no wars going on.

Unless of course you count the whole Kosovo Bosnian deal.

 

[Toro]

Why do people keep thinking the American President is a dictator? Oh yeah cause they're fucking morons and don't know Congress controls spending!

Pretty fucking lame Toro

Right. Fair enough. So you and all the other conservatives and Republicans will stop referring to the "Reagan Tax Cuts" and the "Bush tax cuts" because we know that Presidents don't cut taxes, Congress does, right?

 

[Revere]

Right. And a Democrat Congress has nto cut taxes in 30 years.

 

[Samson]

Why do people keep thinking the American President is a dictator? Oh yeah cause they're fucking morons and don't know Congress controls spending!

Pretty fucking lame Toro

Right. Fair enough. So you and all the other conservatives and Republicans will stop referring to the "Reagan Tax Cuts" and the "Bush tax cuts" because we know that Presidents don't cut taxes, Congress does, right?

What about the liberals and the Democrats that refer to the "Reagan Tax Cuts" and the "Bush Tax Cuts?"

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Why do people keep thinking the American President is a dictator? Oh yeah cause they're fucking morons and don't know Congress controls spending!

Pretty fucking lame Toro

Right. Fair enough. So you and all the other conservatives and Republicans will stop referring to the "Reagan Tax Cuts" and the "Bush tax cuts" because we know that Presidents don't cut taxes, Congress does, right?

Right it was the Tip O'Neill tax cuts.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

How did Reagan make out on eliminating the Department of Education? That passed right?

 

[Revere]

Why do people keep thinking the American President is a dictator? Oh yeah cause they're fucking morons and don't know Congress controls spending!

Pretty fucking lame Toro

Right. Fair enough. So you and all the other conservatives and Republicans will stop referring to the "Reagan Tax Cuts" and the "Bush tax cuts" because we know that Presidents don't cut taxes, Congress does, right?

What about the liberals and the Democrats that refer to the "Reagan Tax Cuts" and the "Bush Tax Cuts?"

They need to selectively take credit for them, depending on whether it works with their scam at any particular time.

 

[Mad Scientist]

Why do some people try to justify Obamas' spending by saying that Bush spent a lot of money too? How does that make it ok?

If I smoked cigarettes for many years then quit, I wouldn't be a hypocrite for telling others they shouldn't smoke. I'd be wise right?

 

[Toro]

Why do people keep thinking the American President is a dictator? Oh yeah cause they're fucking morons and don't know Congress controls spending!

Pretty fucking lame Toro

Right. Fair enough. So you and all the other conservatives and Republicans will stop referring to the "Reagan Tax Cuts" and the "Bush tax cuts" because we know that Presidents don't cut taxes, Congress does, right?

Right it was the Tip O'Neill tax cuts.

Can't have it both ways, Frank.

Congress passes tax policy, not the President. That's your argument.

 

[Oddball]

Clinton had no wars going on.

Unless of course you count the whole Kosovo Bosnian deal.

Or Haiti...Or the enforcement of the "no fly zones" over Iraq...or Somalia...

 

[Revere]

And Congress spends. Look at 2007-2008.

 

[Trajan]

Why do people keep thinking the American President is a dictator? Oh yeah cause they're fucking morons and don't know Congress controls spending!

Pretty fucking lame Toro

Right. Fair enough. So you and all the other conservatives and Republicans will stop referring to the "Reagan Tax Cuts" and the "Bush tax cuts" because we know that Presidents don't cut taxes, Congress does, right?

the problem here Toro ( and I have no issue with your graphs per se') is that folks only want to give congress credit or not when its one side and beat on the pres. when hes the other.

 

[Toro]

Why do some people try to justify Obamas' spending by saying that Bush spent a lot of money too? How does that make it ok?

If I smoked cigarettes for many years then quit, I wouldn't be a hypocrite for telling others they shouldn't smoke. I'd be wise right?

That's a fair criticism. But its also a fair criticism that Republicans are being hypocritical when they criticize Obama and the Democrats for spending.

For example, despite the selective protestations of hyper-partisans like Frank here, Republicans controlled the Senate during the second year of Reagan's term. And as you can see in the second graph, nondefense spending accelerated in Reagan's second term. Yet, Reagan has been deified as a God by the Right, mythologizing what happened during the 1980s.

I've always given the Democrats more of a pass on this than Republicans because they're supposed to spend like drunken sailors, right? Republicans talk a good game but often fail when they have the opportunity.