Bush's Cut-and-Spend Plan Is Math-Challenged: LA Times

[oldhat]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-bushbudget19sep19,1,2572464,print.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Bush's Cut-and-Spend Plan Is Math-Challenged

Even allies say it would be nearly impossible to reduce the deficit while expanding programs.

By Janet Hook and Warren Vieth
Times Staff Writers

September 19, 2004
WASHINGTON — To hear President Bush talk about his plans for a second term, voters might think that the era of big government spending is back.

From his proposal to overhaul Social Security to his commitment to fighting terrorism and his initiatives on health, education and job training, the agenda Bush is spelling out in speeches and campaign documents calls for the robust use of government money.

All this comes from the same candidate who promises to cut the federal budget deficit in half by 2009 and whose Cabinet agencies are preparing for some serious belt-tightening of domestic programs if he is reelected.

That mixed message — a smaller deficit, but costly new initiatives — may have more appeal to swing voters than the simpler message of old-fashioned conservatism, which calls for smaller government and less spending.

[w4rma]

1. He promises everyone everything. And tries to give the impression that

his promise to *you* will be kept, but his promise to someone else won't.

[truthisfreedom]

3. he promises all of his supporters something. he doesn't give a rat's ass

about the majority of the population, and certainly not about the disenfranchised and the poor.

[struggle4progress]

2. kick

:kick:

[Protected]

4. Wow, somebody besides Paul Krugman is exposing Bush's idiotic policies

This is amazing. It's time for the conservative Republicans to take their party back from this guy. How can we continue to have tax cuts while we're fighting a war or two?