My response to Andy

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September 1, 2010

Anonymous The Moultrie Observer The Moultrie Observer Wed Sep 01, 2010, 11:14 PM EDT

| — Dear editor:

Andy Driver says that we cannot blame President George W. Bush or Governor Sarah Palin for anything, even if they are blameworthy, so I might be wasting my breath.

Mr. Driver claims that President Obama quadrupled the federal deficit and is responsible for two of the worst deficit spending months ever, including February 2009. Mr. Obama wasn’t sworn in until Jan 20th. His economic policies were not even enacted until the end of February.

The main Republican criticisms was that the stimulus was deployed too slowly; almost nothing was spent by the end of March. (You won’t remember that if you get your news from a certain “fair and balanced” network.) So basically, economic policy of the first three months of 2009 was a continuation of the previous administration’s fiscal policy.

The deficit in March 2009 was roughly 10.3% of GDP. Currently the deficit is about 11%. I’ll ask my math teacher father to make sure, but I don’t think 10.3 quadrupled is 11. Most of the deficit is Mr. Bush’s fault, but I can’t say that because, well, Mr. Driver says I can’t.

During the 2000 presidential race, Princeton’s Paul Krugman predicted Mr. Bush’s economic policies would cause federal government to move from having a substantial yearly surplus as a result of the Bill Clinton’s presidency to having at least a $1 trillion yearly deficit by the end of Mr. Bush’s two terms. (Does anyone remember the budget surpluses under Mr. Clinton? Republicans don’t.)

Mr. Obama inherited a yearly deficit of roughly $1.4 trillion. (Dr. Krugman has won a Nobel Price in economics).. The nation’s best economists warned us back in 2000 that Mr. Bush would wreak havoc on the federal budget. But I can’t blame Mr. Bush because, well, Mr. Driver said I can’t.

Finally, Americans were quite uninformed about what was actually in the health care bill. During the 90s, Republicans who opposed President Clinton’s overhaul of health care proposed what they considered a more responsible policy: guaranteed insurance regardless of previously existing conditions, a requirement for individuals to buy their own insurance, and subsidies to the poor. In short, they proposed Obamacare.

Republicans like Mr. Driver didn’t find this proposal “ridiculous” until, well, a Democrat was elected. Mr. Driver is correct that polling showed about 60% of the country opposed to the health care bill. But polls that actually included a description of the health care bill showed 60% in favor. In short, the reason Americans opposed Obamacare was because of a deliberate misinformation campaign by Republicans, including Ms. Palin (death panels, anyone?). But I can’t blame Ms. Palin because, well, Mr. Driver says I can’t. So I’d like to argue with Mr. Driver, but I don’t know what I’d say.

Michael Wayne Harris

Staresboro

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