Name that President

[TxHoops]

I raised taxes 11 times during my presidency. I raised taxes 7 out of my 8 years in office, including 4 times in a 2 year period. I granted amnesty to 3 million illegal immigrants which helped millions more family members achieve American residency.

Who am I?

[stevenash]

A Republican who, in an attempt to compromise (a word not in the vocabulary of the current President) accepted, in exchange, promises from Democrat controlled houses regarding spending that went unfulfilled.

[TxHoops]

And yet the economy flourished. As it did with a subsequent president who was a democrat and was able to work with a republican congress. One was more liberal than the neoconservatives want to believe; the other was more conservative than the far left liberals want to believe. And despite being from different parties, may be the best two presidents of my lifetime.

[TxHoops]

Oh, and the deficit also tripled during his presidency.

[stevenash]

If I owe 50 dollars and it triples to 150, that is substanially different than if I owe 10,000 dollars and it becomes 30,000. Please keep in mind that the DEBT and the DEFICIT are NOT the same thing

If we want to talk about taxes and flourishing economies, then we will have to include Mr. Kennedy and his methods were at considerable odds with the current democrat beliefs.

[stevenash]

JFK, in his 1963 State of the Union address, proposed substantial reduction in martginal tax rates, as well as a reduction in corporate tax rates.

[TxHoops]

If I owe 50 dollars and it triples to 150, that is substanially different than if I owe 10,000 dollars and it becomes 30,000. Please keep in mind that the DEBT and the DEFICIT are NOT the same thing

If we want to talk about taxes and flourishing economies, then we will have to include Mr. Kennedy and his methods were at considerable odds with the current democrat beliefs.

 

You are correct.  I misspoke.   The debt tripled during his presidency...

[Big girl]

If I owe 50 dollars and it triples to 150, that is substanially different than if I owe 10,000 dollars and it becomes 30,000. Please keep in mind that the DEBT and the DEFICIT are NOT the same thing

If we want to talk about taxes and flourishing economies, then we will have to include Mr. Kennedy and his methods were at considerable odds with the current democrat beliefs.

what about Eisenhower. He is probably rolling over in his grave at what the GOP has become

[Big girl]

A Republican who, in an attempt to compromise (a word not in the vocabulary of the current President) accepted, in exchange, promises from Democrat controlled houses regarding spending that went unfulfilled.

the republicans are not willing to work with the President. You guys turn everything around.

[stevenash]

That's because the President says "my way or the highway" and that is what you called flawed leadership

[Big girl]

I raised taxes 11 times during my presidency. I raised taxes 7 out of my 8 years in office, including 4 times in a 2 year period. I granted amnesty to 3 million illegal immigrants which helped millions more family members achieve American residency.

Who am I?

he raided the social security fund too

[Big girl]

What about Bush 1. Remember when he said "no new taxes" then subsequently he raised them. Why did he raise them if it is not necessary and fiscally irresponsible.

[stevenash]

When Mr. Reagan left office, debt was about 40% of Gross Domestic Product.  Today it is in excess of 100% of Gross Domestic Product and shows no sign of slowing its ascent.  I would also remind Big Girl and TxHoops that the ONLY time we have had our triple AAA debt rating lowered is during the current administration.  Sorry, you cant blame any republicans for that one.

[TxHoops]

When Mr. Reagan left office, debt was about 40% of Gross Domestic Product.  Today it is in excess of 100% of Gross Domestic Product and shows no sign of slowing its ascent.  I would also remind Big Girl and TxHoops that the ONLY time we have had our triple AAA debt rating lowered is during the current administration.  Sorry, you cant blame any republicans for that one.

 

No doubt the debt has skyrocketed.  To what would you attribute that rise?  Or better yet, what has been the biggest consumer of our federal expenditures?

[stevenash]

Looking back doesn't do much good.  If I make 50,000 per year, have 300,000 in credit card debt and my income is insufficient to pay even the interest on that debt, my focus must be on not taking on additional debt and cutting expenses as opposed to focusing on the various issues that put me in that position.  I know one thing that the administration doesn't seem to  know- borrowing more money and justifying it by saying it is compassionate is total idiocy.  I also know that throwing money at big time losers like Solyndra only enhances our problems.  Perhaps you would like to now expound upon the question(s) you posed to me

[TxHoops]

It appears you don't want to answer the question.  Which tells me you already know the answer.  ;)

[smitty]

he raided the social security fund too

Who was the first to raid the Social Security fund? 

[stevenash]

Yes, I know the answer.  Its called too much government, too much spending, and too little accountability regardless of the party in power..  I understand you think you are going to pin it on one party, but I can debate that with you ad infinitum.  So if you want to do it, you start it .  But for the record, the answer, from my perspective is EXACTLY what I stated.  Instead of worrying about how it got this high, we should be trying to find ways to make government smaller and more efficient.  Regardless of what you attempt to prove, once again, you cannot, under any circumstance, alter the absolute unequivocal fact that the debt has increase from 10 trillion to 17 trillion under this President who stated how unpatriotic and irresponsible it was( not to mention an example of failed leadership) when the debt was 8 trillion.

[Big girl]

He doesnt know the answer.

[Big girl]

When Mr. Reagan left office, debt was about 40% of Gross Domestic Product. Today it is in excess of 100% of Gross Domestic Product and shows no sign of slowing its ascent. I would also remind Big Girl and TxHoops that the ONLY time we have had our triple AAA debt rating lowered is during the current administration. Sorry, you cant blame any republicans for that one.

who caused that? The GOP

[Big girl]

That's because the President says "my way or the highway" and that is what you called flawed leadership

remember when the republicans said their primary goal was to make him a one term president. Does that sound like a group of people who are willing to negotiate?

[TxHoops]

Do you know what the price tag on the war in the Middle East is? Last I read was somewhere in the $4-$6 Trillion range. Seems a little in excess of the $100 to $200 Billion estimated by W's NEC Director....

[smitty]

remember when the republicans said their primary goal was to make him a one term president. Does that sound like a group of people who are willing to negotiate?

Could the Jews negotiate with Hitler?   Meaning we all knew how bad his policies are or would be.  So, why negotiate with someone who wants to destroy this country? 

[LumRaiderFan]

remember when the republicans said their primary goal was to make him a one term president. Does that sound like a group of people who are willing to negotiate?

The goal of any party is to make the opposition a one term President.

[PN-G bamatex]

The debt didn't triple during Reagan's presidency, the deficit did.

 

Reagan may have raised taxes eight times, but the cumulative hike in those taxes still never came anywhere near the tax rates at the beginning of his presidency. The net cut that was a result of his presidency was still substantial.

 

The day Bush left office, the national debt stood at approximately $10.63 Trillion. Today, it stands at approximately $17.55 Trillion. $6.92 Trillion of the total national debt, or 39.4% of the total debt accumulated in the entire history of the United States, has been borrowed during the five and a half year tenure of Obama. By comparison, Bush added $4.9 Trillion in his eight years, or 27.9% of the total debt.

 

Since we were talking numbers....