TAMPA, Florida (AP) --President
Bush courted voters Monday in the state that decided the 2000 election,
arguing his tax cuts are helping the economy and suggesting Democrats
would endanger America's fiscal health by raising taxes.
This headline on the front page of the CNN website: "Bush says Democrats would threaten fiscal health."
The article's lede said Bush told a crowd in Florida that "Democrats would endanger America's fiscal health by raising taxes."
This is one of many reasons why President Bush is in trouble. On
fiscal policy, he has not simply lost all credibility. With claims like
these, he is right on his way to becoming the butt of jokes. And
laughter and derision are in many ways the deadliest bogies in
politics.
When the president came into office the budget surplus was over $200 billion. Now the deficit is over $500 billion.
Even my frail grasp of mathematics tells me that's a deterioration in the nation's fiscal health of roughly three-quarters of a trillion
dollars in the three years he's been in office. And for almost all of
that time the president's party controlled both houses of congress.
And he says the Democrats are a danger to the nation's fiscal health?
This is the arsonist in your house telling you that stranger outside with the hose can't be trusted.
UPDATE: Fuzzy math?
Bush spoke today about jobs at Nuair Manufacturing, located in Tampa Florida. Here's what he said:
...
there are thousands of entrepreneurs in America, all over the country,
making the same kind of decisions -- 40 workers here, five workers
there begin to add up to excitement and new jobs.
It sure adds up. 40 + 5 = 45 How long would it take to create 2 million jobs at that rate?
