The Congressional shenanigans regarding budget projections has been a disgrace for decades. The spending cuts offsets of the Clinton era were just a different version of the same game when you remember the hand-waving that went on to generate the numbers. The one thing that remains constant is that spending keeps going up, whether Democrats or Republicans control Congress or the White House. The most restraint has occurred when one party controls Congress and the other the White House.

Thus most of the budget surplus/deficit has resulted from changes in the revenue side rather than spending (except for Iraq, of course, although there is some partial revenue offset). And in that context, I believe that you give Mr. Clinton too much credit and Mr. Bush too little. Recalling that Clinton reigned in the era of the dot.com bubble which artifically raised revenues, coupled with “gridlock” that did restrain spending somewhat by prevent major new spending initiatives.

The start of Mr. Bush’s tenancy coincided with the dot.bomb era, which decreased revenue and led to an economic slowdown. The Bush/Republican tax cuts actually were effective in helping to avert a recession and did stimulate tax revenues as well, although the jury is still out on whether the net impact was to increase or decrease overall revenue. I personally was surprised that they worked as well as they did, which is one of the things that made me reexamine my political assumptions a few years ago, comparing rhetoric and theory with what actually works.

The people who I personally trust regarding financial matters seem to agree that our current deficit level is not alarming when compared with GNP. And at present the deficit seems to be stabilizing rather than theatening to spiral out of control.

However, I do greatly fault Mr. Bush for failing to rein in the Republican Congress and leadership on its pork and frivolous spending when the Republicans held the majority. That was an abdication of leadership and unnecessarily aggravated the deficit, while also severely damaging the Republican “brand” regarding fiscal responsiblity. But since taking back the Congress, the Democrats in Congress have perpetuated the porking behavior, just changing the beneficiaries. There’s plenty of glory manure to go around for the leadership of both parties.

Interestingly, I’m not hearing much about fiscal restraint from any of the leading Presidential candidates so far in this election – just arguing over where to spend money.

As the grassroots (or at least the netroots) I do hear differences between conservatives and the left: the conservatives advocate spending restraint (except for defense); the left advocates expansion of social programs in conjunction with unrealistic expectations of paying for them through reduced defense spending and the golden goose of business and “the rich”. Both are frustrated that the leadership doesn’t listen to them. The difference for me is that the numbers on the left haven’t added up so far.

It’s really a sad thing. Abortions for the convenience of others.

About Bush’s honesty re. the war- I believe he was mislead- as was a great deal many people…the intel was faulty but much of the world had the same intel…just not the balls to do something about it.

I think invading Iraq was the right thing to do, but they didn’t do it right. Colin Powell was correct- we should have had MUCH more boots on the ground. I think we wouldn’t be where we are had we done it right..I don’t think leaving is the best thing either. We have an obligation to clean up the mess we, and our enemies, have created over there. I fully believe too, that our enemies have exploited our presence there to their own ends.

As for how we are viewed in the world: Before Bush we were seen as sheeps. Total wuss of a nation and one that would sell it’s soul before standing up for itself. Is that bad or good? history will tell.
And let’s let history judge Bush, not us.

About abortion: I would adopt. In fact I have looked into it several times. I also would like to see more education and birth control options be given out- not as a hand out, but as a viable option. When we play we must expect to PAY or, prevent the game from being created, so to speak…

I wouldn’t put it past Lemoncrats to enact something like you mentioned…and you know it wasn’t too far back in our history that men who had sex with girls, women, WOULD do the caring and diapering and all that. Back when honor was an honorable thing. That’s been lost.