Via the Treasury Department’s Debt to the Penny Calculator, here’s what the National Debt was on January 19, 2001:
And here’s what it was on January 20, 2009:
That’s an increase of $ 5,005,369,081,097.44, or 87.39% in eight years.
In other words, George W. Bush and the Republican Congress increased the National Debt by nearly the same amount as we managed to accrue over a period of 212 years.
It’s no wonder that the public doesn’t trust the GOP when it comes to the economy.
March 11th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
I’d like to thank the Republicans for buying the rope, tying the knot and putting their own heads in the noose. Unfortunately, it only cost us ten TRILLION dollars, thousands dead or wounded in Iraq, an economy in the toilet, and the near-eradication of the middle class.
March 11th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Don’t worry; Obama and the Spendocrats will double that in 4.
March 11th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
Bush has a lot for which to answer, but Congress had a part in this debt, Patriot Acts I and II, and Iraq.
Don’t put it all on Bush, but he does get the ‘No Veto’ award for not shutting Congress down when he had the chance.
March 11th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Disgusting. Yeah, I’m sure Obama will mkae it worse, but its obvious we have nowhere to turn to for real fiscal restraint in our broken two party clusterfuck of a system.
March 11th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
This is silly. I agree with you that more government spending is usually bad, but we are in the tiny minority on that. Indeed, Obama’s orgy of spending has earned him high popularity ratings. I’d like to live in this magical land where most American voters are actually fiscal conservatives, but it just ain’t the truth.
March 12th, 2009 at 10:07 am
Obama’s still riding the wave of the election. I don’t know of *anybody* who thinks spending $trillions on nothing is a good idea.
March 12th, 2009 at 11:58 am
*Typical Dittohead Response*
But the Democrats will make everything so much worse. This is all the Democrats fault. If Bill Clinton hadn’t messed with Monica Lewinsky, George W. Bush would’ve had to spend so much money.
March 15th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Let’s stop the blame game whether Rep or Dem. Blame never solves current issues. Learning from past mistakes does help in many situations but this one is wasting energy that could be used to go millions! Got a plan? Great..put up or shut up.
April 22nd, 2009 at 11:17 am
[...] eight years, the same faces that led the party to destruction, the same faces that said nothing while the national debt was doubled, is going to bring about a revival [...]