Much to Bush's consternation, uttering the words "I take
responsibility" did not miraculously make everything better.

Eventually it became apparent that he would need to do more to help
the victims of the Hurricane, and to improve his flagging approval
ratings.

So on Thursday he held a televised address to the nation in which he
promised "one of the largest reconstruction efforts the world has ever
seen."

Some in the president's own party estimated that Bush's reconstruction
proposals would cost more than the war in Iraq, hundreds of billions
of dollars.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/16/national/nationalspecial/16bush.html?
pagewanted=2

There once was a time when a massive increase in spending such as this
would cause some killjoy, green-eyeshade, bean-counter types to ask,
sheepishly, "um, how, exactly, are you going to pay for that?"

As you well know, that time is long past.

Cough, cough.
http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/09/27/clinton.surplus/

Our country is now so ridiculously far beyond the point where
government revenues no longer cover our expenses, that it is laughable
to even bother worrying about it.

In 2004, the federal budget deficit was a record $412 billion.

Throw in the money for Hurricane Katrina reconstruction, and the
deficit might as well be "$800 gajillion" because actual numbers no
longer matter.

It's all just a massive pile of IOUs to foreign creditors, which we
will foist upon future generations of Americans without their consent.

So, what the heck, how about if we just go ahead and pass another
massive tax cut for the rich?

Now would be the perfect time!

In fact, let's just get rid of taxes altogether.

Instead, we'll keep on spending more and more, and we'll keep
borrowing more money from foreign banks.

And when those foreign banks ask us to pay the interest (or, God
forbid, the principal) on their loans, we'll just take out more loans
from more banks.

It'll be the world's greatest pyramid scheme!

If we're lucky, we will all be dead before anyone figures out that
someone has to actually pay for all this borrowing.

To my nieces and nephews and children and grandchildren and
great-grandchildren, all I have to say is, "Ha! In your face,
suckers!"


From The Democratic Underground
http://www.democraticunderground.com/

Harry

There once was a time when a massive increase in spending such as this
would cause some killjoy, green-eyeshade, bean-counter types to ask,
sheepishly, "um, how, exactly, are you going to pay for that?"

As you well know, that time is long past.

And when those foreign banks ask us to pay the interest (or, God
forbid, the principal) on their loans, we'll just take out more loans
from more banks.

It'll be the world's greatest pyramid scheme!