Cutting Discretionary Spending?

Did the prez just claim that he's cut non-defense discretionary spending every year he's been in office? I'm not sure of his locution, but he's been the biggest spender in recent history when it comes to non-defense discretionary spending, jacking totals up about 28 percent over his first five years in office, even kicking LBJ's and Tricky Dick Nixon's butts when it comes to that particular activity.

More here.

Comments

[Ken Shultz]

I thought I heard him say that entitlement spending wasn't a problem without a solution...

...I hope his solution doesn't involve another expansion of Medicare.

[bruce m]

He can say whatever he wants, it's not like people care about facts.

[Ken Shultz]

Oh mercy, the cut of discretionary spending bit was a prelude to his shopping list, and there's an advanced energy bill on it! ...How predictable.

...Yeah, better grab your wallet, alright!

[Jon]

I think he said he's reduced the increase in non-defense discretionary spending. In Washington-ese, that's as good as a reduction.

[h-dawg]

"I am announcing a new initiative..."

"So, I am announcing an initiative..."

Wait, did I hear about another multi-billion dollar initiative? Oh, there was another one...

[thoreau]

Thank God for Netflix! Otherwise I'd have to watch his speech.

Gigantic is amusing.

[wolske]

I believe he said "non-security" spending, which would lump defense and homeland stupidity into the same category and out of the analysis.

[bushbaby]

Yeah, the spending is out of control. Probably due to the increased tax revenues due to the tax cuts.

The funniest thing tonight was the dems sitting down on the mention of making the tax cuts permanent. Vote For Me And I'll Make Sure You Pay Higher Taxes. Nice.

[Ken Shultz]

Yeah, the spending is out of control. Probably due to the increased tax revenues due to the tax cuts.

I'm an old Laffer Curve baby from way back. I'd still rather see tax cuts than spending cuts, if I had to choose between them.

...but you're way off here. President Bush has overseen the largest budget increases since Johnson's Great Society. ...and he hasn't vetoed a single spending bill. As budget conservatives go, Bush is our worst nightmare. ...and you better believe it's the top of the tax bracket that's gonna pay for all his pork. ...that's non-defense spending we're talkin' here, mind you.

For cryin' out loud, he created a whole new program under Medicare!

[Ken Shultz]

bushbaby,

Take a look at the link gave above, the guy spends our money like a drunken sailor!

[bushbaby]

Ken,

I agree with you. I was being a bit facetious. Spending is way out of control. Just wondering how the opposition party seeks to gain favor by supporting a "raise taxes (from their current level)" platform.

[Ken Shultz]

I'm not sure who you're referring to as the opposition party in regards to spending. I don't think either the Republicans or Democrats are opposed to spending every penny they can get away with, they just differ on what they'd spend it on.

...The Libertarians, now, they ain't perfect, but there's not much confusion regarding where they stand on taxes and the budget. ...before the culture war hawks invaded the party so, I used to call myself "conservative". ...but I don't think most people associate that term with low spending and low taxes anymore.

[thoreau]

For cryin' out loud, he created a whole new program under Medicare!

Exactly. And I will never, ever stop rubbing this fact in the faces of our conservatarians.

[Ted]

Bushbaby --

AFAIK the Dems don't want to raise taxes on everyone, just the people who got the overwhelming majority of Bush's tax cuts....

[Jacob T. Levy]

The quote was
"Every year of my presidency, we have reduced the growth of non-security discretionary spending"

which is a truly bizarre measure, taking as a baseline the year-on-year growth in pre-9/11 stock-bubble budgets and still allowing for big fat year-on-year increases.