Sec. of Commerce Evans on the Today Show this morning: "The budget deficit was larger during the entire Clinton Admin. than it is right now." I guess this must be true in some sense or other. Or perhaps he believes that if he says something often enough, people will believe it. This would then make it true by popular acclaim. Or it could be a blatant lie. Wasn't there a budget SURPLUS in 2000? Or perhaps the surplus was BAD for the economy thereby technically making the SURPLUS an economic DEFICIT. I am obviously guilty of wrongthought.

I guess if you add up 7 years (not including the last year with the surplus) and put it against the deficit right now, today, then technically that's correct. "It depends on what the meaning of the word "is", is."

The real economic question is whether or not a certain amount of debt is a bad thing. Economists these days seem to think that it's not all that important. Economic indicators are. In the past, when deficits went up, interest rates followed. That may no longer be the case. I, myself am still a little paranoid of debt.

Cut taxes AND cut spending! Leave the military alone though, they were cut enough. Maybe just about the right amount.

sketcha, Per Tom Dashole and ****** Gethard, debt is bad. No one should buy a house unless they have the money to pay CASH for it. No one should go in to debt when buying a car either. We should pay CASH! No one should buy cigars unless they can pay CASH! So everyone, quite buying everything unless you can pay for it in total...

I understand the theories of trickle down economics. I understand how the tax break is supposed to stimulate growth in small businesses. I DO NOT understand why Sec. Evans has to play Liarman. It always makes me nervous when a public official does that.

Robby,

Did you READ my post?

I'd love to respond to your post and have many incoherent dribblings ready to fire but I must first get an answer to my question.

P.S. I just got back from a great dinner (and wine) out with my wife and am feeling pretty good. The wife and baby (who will be 1 yr. old tomorrow, thank you very much... yes, I'm a proud papa) are watching chick flicks at the mother-in-law's tonight so daddy's got an overnight pass. Wish you were here so we could smoke and discuss this in person over some whisky or something as per proper etiquette.

Wishing you well,

I'm gonna have to try whiskey. ;>)

Mag

as i recall there was a budget cut two years ago. i guess that is way the economy has bounced bask.

Iraqi oil and all that entails rebuilding the country may give our economy a boost. Once those folks get money, they will buy Ipods, computers and DVD players. Not to mention Britanny Spears posters! Keep the Mullahs out of politics!!!!

well X, They'll be buying these Items.. but they'll be rolling in from Black Markets all over their Country, and Trades with Nations who will not factor into the market games...and in turn selling these Items to American and Coalition forces that will be in their country for a long time... so in a way I guess it will stimulate the economy... but I wouldn't want to wait for Iraq to count on a tax cut on my paycheck...maybe my kids will see it...

as far as the Original post here... I do not think the man was lieing on TV... what they can forsee and what they have to work with is a much broader picture then what you and I see only in our surrounding area's... the Bush Administration did a major Budget Cut when he took Office... and this is why all the Dems are Screeming so much... it put allot of their top people on the Unemployment lines... they did away with all the Government Bogus ass created Jobs that was draining our national budget from the inside out... Impact studies on how this or that will effect this or that... Bogus Waist... and in the End came the savings... it put a few people out of work... But did they really work at all?? they just held a position and drew a paycheck...

just my 2 cents

Hog

Sec. Evans may not have lied outright. He did manipulate the facts to suit his own needs. This is a form of lying. Nothing new there. If the Bush administration is on the high road, I would like to see behavior like this reprimanded. Just because the politics game has always been played this way doesn't mean it has to continue. I'd like to see GW require more of his people.

sketcha, I was agreeing with you 🙂 I just have a strange way of communicating sometimes. Sorry.

Yeah that one was a little tough to decipher Rob. I thought you were maybe schooling me for my last line about being paranoid of debt. That fear, I'm afraid, is simply the product of expereince.

One of these days you, me and some of the others gotta' do a forum or email shot together. You know, like a phone shot where you each pour yourself something and toast over the phone. The e-herf is probably too complicated fot today's tech, but a toast seems pretty simple.

Skoal...LOL