Rep. Harper's Blog Leaves Townhall A Mess
On April 29, 2009, Rep. Gregg Harper (R-MS) wrote a blog post on Townhall.com. In his post, he used flawed logic and stale talking points to criticize President Obama over increased spending and a growing federal government. After reading this, it seems Rep. Harper's staff should follow him around with a broom to sweep up all of these broken arguments.
Harper Ranted About Obama's Explosive Spending, Forgetting George W. Bush's $700 Billion Spending Spree During His Final Weeks In Office
Rep. Harper: "Can we afford another 100 days of the President's explosive spending, taxing and borrowing led by Democrats in Washington?" [Townhall.com, 4/29/09]
"Explosive spending" "led by Democrats" is what Harper is concerned with?
George W. Bush Increased Government Spending By $700 Billion In The Final Months Of His Presidency. The New York Times reported: "President Bush approved a $700 billion measure to bailout American financial institutions in October 2008." [New York Times, 11/5/08]
Republican Congress "Fully Complicit" in Explosion of Government Under Bush. The Chicago Sun-Times published an excerpt of Buck Wild: How Republicans Broke the Bank and Became the Party of Big Government by Stephen Slivinski, director of Budget Studies at the Cato Institute. According to Mr. Slivinski: George W. Bush "and the congressional GOP leadership expanded government faster than at any time since the 1960s... The Republican-controlled Congress has been fully complicit in all of this and indeed bears much of the blame because it controls the purse strings. [Chicago Sun-Times, emphasis added 9/3/06]
Harper Pretends Obama Inherited A Rosy Fiscal Situation
Rep. Harper: "Despite claims of 'fiscal responsibility,' the President has passed a budget that will double the national debt in five years and nearly triple it in ten." [Townhall.com, 4/29/09]
Before President Obama Can Proceed In Any Direction, He Must Pick Up The Pieces Left By The Previous Administration:
2009: The Federal Government Predicted To Spend $3.1 Trillion On Bush's Holdover Policies. In 2009, when President Bush left office, his administration predicted the federal government would spend $3,107,000,000. [2009 Budget Summary via Government Printing Office, accessed 4/14/09]
National Debt Nearly Doubled Under Republican-Controlled Congress
1995: The National Debt Was $4.8 Trillion When Republicans Gained Control of Congress. On January 4, 1995, the day Republicans gained control of congress, the national debt was $4,801,793,426,032.89. [U.S. Treasury Department, accessed 4/14/09]
2007: The National Debt Was $8.6 Trillion When Republicans Lost Control of Congress. On January 4, 2007, the day Republicans lost control of congress, the national debt was $8,670,596,242,973.04. [U.S. Treasury Department, accessed 4/14/09]
National Debt More Than Doubled Under Republican President Bush
2001: The National Debt Was $5.7 Trillion When President Bush Assumed Office. On January 19, 2001, the day before President Bush was sworn in as President, the national debt was $5,727,776,738,304.64. [U.S. Treasury Department, accessed 4/14/09]
2009: The National Debt Was $10.6 Trillion When President Bush Left Office. On January 20, 2009, the day before President Bush was sworn in as President, the national debt was $10,626,877,048,913.08. [U.S. Treasury Department, accessed 4/14/09]
Harper's Staff Needs To Sit Him Down And Explain Obama's Plan
Rep. Harper: "I suggest President Obama spend the next 100 days creating and protecting jobs by allowing families and small businesses to keep more of what they earn instead of taxing them to advance his agenda for more government." [Townhall.com, 4/29/09]
Apparently Thousands Of Jobs Aren't Enough To Satisfy Rep. Harper
Obama Plan "Would Employ 5,500 Health Workers" In "126 New Health Centers." According to the Kansas City Star, during his announcement of Governor Sebelius' nomination as HHS Secretary, "Obama took the opportunity to announce he was releasing $155 million from the stimulus package that the White House said would support 126 new health centers, which would employ 5,500 health workers and help 750,000 low-income Americans get primary and preventive care." [Kansas City Star, 3/2/09]
Department Of Veterans Affairs Expects "To Hire More Than 17,000 New Employees" To Address Expansion Of Veterans' Health Programs. According to the Washington Post, "officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs, for instance, said they expect to hire more than 17,000 new employees by the end of the year, many at hospitals and other facilities to fulfill Obama's pledge to expand veterans' access to health care. The agency -- whose budget will grow by 11 percent, to $56 billion, under Obama's plan -- will add about 7,900 nurses, 3,300 doctors, 3,800 clerks and 2,400 practical nurses, spokeswoman Josephine Schuda said." [Washington Post, 3/3/09]
Obama's Budget "Could Result In 230,000 To 260,000 New Federal Employees, Primarily In Areas Such As Education And Health Care." According to the Washington Post, "at the conservative Heritage Foundation, the Center for Data Analysis estimated that Obama's budget and the stimulus bill could result in 230,000 to 260,000 new federal employees, primarily in areas such as education and health care." [Washington Post, 3/3/09]
Before Harper Criticizes Democrats For Growing Government, He Needs To Look In His Own Backyard...
Under Republican President, Government Acquired Much Bigger Role In Economy. The Economist reported: "Mr. Bush now leaves behind a tax system in some ways less efficient than the one he inherited, in need of annual patches, and unable to fund the government even in good times. He also leaves behind a broken budget process...Reaganomics helped to produce a giant deficit. The financial crisis has made re-regulation rather than deregulation the mantra in Washington, while government has acquired a much bigger role in the economy through its backing of banks and car companies...The budget surplus he inherited is now a deficit, the fiscal hole in America's retiree programmes is bigger than ever, the tax system is an unstable, patched-up mess." [The Economist, 1/15/09, emphasis added]
GOP Presided Over the Largest Expansion of Government Since LBJ's Great Society. The Wall Street Journal noted the GOP's complicity in the largest of government since LBJ. "President Bush and the GOP Congress continue to preside over the largest expansion of government since LBJ's Great Society. Economic growth fueled by the Bush tax cuts created a 22% surge in federal revenue over the past two years. But even that flow is barely keeping pace with spending, which went up by 8% in 2005 and is set to increase by 9% in 2006. When the good times slow down, no one expects it will be easy to slam the brakes on spending." [Wall Street Journal, 1/30/06, emphasis added]
"George Bush Has Gone Farther Than Any President In Terms Of Federalizing Education." In 2005, Knight Ridder reported: "'George Bush has gone farther than any president in terms of federalizing education,' said Bill Frenzel, a former Republican member of Congress from Minnesota and a veteran budget analyst." [Knight Ridder, 3/30/05, emphasis added]
