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July 30, 2004
YOU'RE RIGHT, MR. BUSH
So Bush was out there today, criticizing Kerry and saying that speeches don't count -- that "results matter."
You know what? I couldn't agree more, Mr. Bush. So let's take a look at your results, shall we?
We just found out today that this year's federal budget deficit will exceed $420 billion. That's the biggest deficit in American history. No president - not Carter, not Reagan, not Daddy Bush - ever ran up deficits this large. Ever. Between the war you started in Iraq and the tax cuts for the rich that you forced through upon the backs of the middle class, you've done real well for us, haven't you?
I always learned in school that if you subtract from what you are taking in, and add to what you expend out, you end up with zero in a hurry. Thanks for the bankruptcy, George.
Well... maybe deficits aren't so bad, you say? (Guess we have to forget about that whole Contract On -- I mean, Contract With America thing that Republicans swept to power on back in 1994, the first promise of which was a balanced budget amendment?) Well all right... let's take a look at how Americans have fared under your leadership.
Let's see... here it is, right here from the Internal Revenue Service, published in the New York Times. Whoops! Guess what?! It turns out that Americans' income has dropped for two years in a row in 2001 and 2002 -- the first time we've seen a two year drop since World War II. So in other words, the average American has done more poorly financially under George W. Bush's stewardship than under any president in 60 years.
"...before the recent drop the last decline posted for even one year was 1953."
In other words, even before the Iraq war, Bush is screwing up Americans' incomes at a level that hasn't been seen in 50 years. Hmmm... guess we'd better not use the economy as a talking point for you, should we, George?
Especially in light of this little tidbit: even as your incomes drop for two years running, the average pay raise for CEOs more than doubled in 2003.
"The CEOs at the nation's largest companies saw their raises more than doubled in 2003 as the median raise handed out by S&P 500 companies to their top executives was 22.18 percent, according to a study by The Corporate Library."So, just to recap... while your salary's gone down two years running under George W. Bush, CEOs are doubling their raises. Anyone still want to argue that Bush is looking out for the average worker, as opposed to the corporate elite?
I always hear conservatives saying that for any foibles Bush may have with Iraq, he'll still be better than Kerry for the economy. Wow... Bush has run up a record deficit, and has presided over the first two-years-consecutive drop in incomes in 60 years... and will be the first president to preside over an overall loss in jobs during his term since Herbert Hoover 75 years ago. So with Bush racking up the worst economic record in 60-75 years, is anyone really going to sit here and tell me that Bush's economic agenda is a good reason to vote for him?
Bush is right: results do matter. Don't forget that, ladies and gentlemen.
