Three Charts Republicans Should Know

[Tupac Shakur]

I'm pretty sure this guy attributed all the ARRA stimulus spending in 2009 to "Bush"...

[giblets]

The numbers in the first two graphs are quite obviously incorrect, but it's impossible to say why since the process by which such obviously incorrect numbers were derived is not explained.

Did you see the part of the first two graphs that says "source: budget of the united states government: historical tables fiscal year 2012" followed by "http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy12/index.html"?

[Tupac Shakur]

What is the difference between the deficit and the increase in debt? Why wouldn't those numbers be the same?

Not all federal spending is included in the formal budget.

Differences between the annual total deficit and annual change in the national debt include the treatment of the surplus Social Security payroll tax revenues (which increase the debt but not the deficit), supplemental appropriations for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and earmarks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_federal_budget

[Tupac Shakur]

Did you see the part of the first two graphs that says "source: budget of the united states government: historical tables fiscal year 2012" followed by "http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy12/index.html"?

Yes. Knowing the source is completely unhelpful in figuring out how hundreds of billions of dollars in 2009 spending approved by Obama and a Democratic Congress got attributed to Bush, however.*

Spoiler:

* You ****ing ****.

[giblets]

Yes. Knowing the source is completely unhelpful in figuring out how hundreds of billions of dollars in 2009 spending approved by Obama and a Democratic Congress got attributed to Bush, however.*

Spoiler:

* You ****ing ****.

The point over "2009" is colored blue, ****.

[OzzyKP]

"treatment of the surplus Social Security payroll tax revenues"

This is confusing also. Is this saying that Social Security, at the moment, is collecting more in payroll taxes than its expenses? Is this listed as a decrease in the debt that is offsetted by the other increases? Or am I not understanding what "surplus SS payroll tax revenues" means?

[Tupac Shakur]

The point over "2009" is colored blue, ****.

The massive slope before it (much of which represents stimulus spending) is colored red, ****.

[Tupac Shakur]

This is confusing also. Is this saying that Social Security, at the moment, is collecting more in payroll taxes than its expenses? Is this listed as a decrease in the debt that is offsetted by the other increases? Or am I not understanding what "surplus SS payroll tax revenues" means?

Best not to think too hard about the vagaries of Social Security accounting. They purposefully make it difficult to understand how the Ponzi scheme actually operates.

[Tupac Shakur]

BTW, it's been too long since we saw this chart...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Recovery_and_Reinvestment_Act_of_2009

[Ben Kenobi]

Going by the increase in the national debt we get 4.4 trillion for the evil Bush and 3.6 trillion for Obama in just two years. Ouch.

So Obama's likely already surpassed Bush, and did so back in May.

Presidents prior to Bush - 5.6 trillion.
Bush 4.4 trillion
Obama 3.5 trillion in just two years.

Over the course of a four year Obama presidency at this rate, he would spend 7 trillion dollars. That would put him 3 trillion under the combined total of all previous presidents.

His goal should be to spend 10 trillion in deficit in 4 years or 2 and a quarter every year. Go Obama. You can do it!

Looks like he'll come in at 1.2 trillion this year too. So he's slowing down. That puts him at 4.7 trillion in 3 years. Another trillion to match every president prior to Bush in just 4 years.

[giblets]

The point over "2009" is colored blue, ****.

The massive slope before it (much of which represents stimulus spending) is colored red, ****.

Oh how dare they start the blue portion at the point in time when Obama actually took office. That is some sneaky sleight of hand.

[Kidlicious]

"treatment of the surplus Social Security payroll tax revenues"

This is confusing also. Is this saying that Social Security, at the moment, is collecting more in payroll taxes than its expenses? Is this listed as a decrease in the debt that is offsetted by the other increases? Or am I not understanding what "surplus SS payroll tax revenues" means?

Yes every year debt is accumulated for SS payroll that is not counted as budget deficit.

[Tupac Shakur]

Oh how dare they start the blue portion at the point in time when Obama actually took office. That is some sneaky sleight of hand.

Stop being a ****ing moron. The graph clearly makes it look like Bush was responsible for all of that spike in spending, when a very large portion of it happened under Obama.

[DaShi]

How could Obama be responsible for spending in 2008?

[giblets]

Stop being a ****ing moron. The graph clearly makes it look like Bush was responsible for all of that spike in spending, when a very large portion of it happened under Obama.

Is that really the best you can do to distract people from your bull**** claim that they didn't explain where the numbers came from?