Don't blame Bush! [View all]

[MaggieD]

If I had a nickel for every time I heard a conservative say this kind of crap I could retire. "Bush has been gone for 5 years - don't blame him." Or "When will Obama take responsibility and stop blaming Bush." Or my favorite variation, which absolves Bush of responsibility without naming him, "Obama has increased the debt to $15 TRILLION dollars!!"

IMO, the ONLY proper response to the last ridiculous charge, and the one that stops every conservative in their tracks is "So what did Obama spend all that money on? Please be specific." They have no clue, because other than the stimulus bill that was sorely needed and wasn't large enough, Obama didn't spend it. It is the continuing cost that resulted from policies implemented by Bush.

It is completely amazing to me that people really seem to believe that the policies implemented by an administration would suddenly stop costing money the second that president leaves office. Maybe some people don't think it through, but honestly, it's just such a common sense thing my jaw drops when I realize people don't get that concept.

As for the war, the problems with ISIS, the Arab Spring and Bush's "Freedom Agenda" -- how in the world is he NOT to blame for that? He's gone, so it stops being his fault? My personal opinion (before the Iraq war and now) is that Bush broke shit that cannot be fixed.

So let's review what is objectively Bush's fault (and will always remain his fault for decades to come). Please let me know if I forgot anything:

- The enormous budget busting costs of multiple wars that did not stop costing money when Bush left office

- The huge power vacuum that allowed terrorism to explode due to the senseless invasion of Iraq. "Al Qaeda in Iraq" formed in 2004, barely one year after the invasion. That group is now called ISIS/ISIL.

- The huge tax cuts that were unaffordable, especially during 2 wars, that continued on well into Obama's presidency

- The unfunded Medicare Part D mandate that also included $350 billion over 10 years for subsidies to for profit health insurance providers in an attempt to further privatize Medicare. This budget buster was a complete set-up to increase Medicare costs by 30% or more, which allowed a nice segue for republicans like Mittens and Lyin' Ryan to propose voucherizing Medicare, under the guise of "Oh noes, we can't afford it anymore!"

- The enormous cost of the 2008 crash, mostly, IMO, brought on by the deregulate mantra of republicans, and certainly the Bush administration. It is true that most of the TARP expenditures have been or will be paid back, but there is no getting back the gigantic increase in spending that unemployment, food stamps and other assistance that was needed because of the crash.

- The incalculable costs of defense spending that will be needed for decades to come because of the "ME Freedom Agenda" that idiot son started. I don't know if that cost will ever go away (and it won't be just tax dollars either - the human cost is and will continue to be huge).

Am I missing anything?

Yeah, I DO blame Bush. And none of these things stop costing money, or having terrible implications for this country just because Bush is gone and still hiding out in a cave somewhere in Dallas painting bad pictures.