Pacific Views

Is Dubya running the biggest deficit in US history?

Maybe, and maybe not.

FactCheck.org has sorted through a bunch of historical budget data, and it turns out that Dubya's deficit is the biggest only if you look at the raw dollar amounts. If you convert earlier figures into 2004 dollars, it turns out that Dubya's deficit was equalled or surpassed by both Bush the First (twice) and Ronald Reagan (four times).

But before you start thinking that these earlier deficits mean that Dubya has been less irresponsible than his critics claim, remember the ongoing effect that the prez's tax cuts will have on future deficits, and the budgetary drag caused by the continuing costs associated with Dubya's military adventure in Iraq. Certainly, Bill Clinton would never have been able to bring the budget into balance had he had inherited those constraints from his predecessor in office.

And we would be remiss if we didn't point out that all of the largest deficits in US history came while Republicans held the presidency. You know the Republicans, don't you? The party that's always pointing out how badly the Democrats handle the federal budget and run the economy?