A Conversation with a Liberal

Liberal: This economic mess is all President Bush’s fault.

Conservative: How is it President Bush’s fault? He’s been out of office for over two and a half years?

Liberal: Well…President Obama inherited an economic mess from President Bush and we’re still trying to recover from his disastrous policies.

Conservative: What exactly did President Bush do that caused the economic mess?

Liberal: He gave tax breaks to the rich.

Conservative: True. So, President Obama raised taxes on the rich?

Liberal: Uh….no.

Conservative: True. In 2010, when President Obama and the Democrats had complete control of both the Executive and Legislative branches of the government, they could have raised taxes on the rich. Instead, they chose to extend the Bush tax cuts.

Liberal: Well…President Bush got us into two wars, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Conservative: True. So, President Obama got us out of those two wars?

Liberal: Uh…no.

Conservative: True. In fact, President Obama doubled down in Afghanistan (which I supported whole hardheartedly). But in addition, he also got us into two more wars in Libya and Yemen, without Congressional approval I might add.

Liberal: Well…President Bush spent too much money and he increased our national debt.

Conservative: That is so true. He never should have spent as much money as he did. Under President Bush, the national debt increased from $5.73 trillion on January 20, 2001 (the day he was sworn into office) to $10.63 trillion on January 20, 2009 (the day he left office). That’s an increase of $4.9 trillion over his eight years in office.

Liberal (with a smug I told you so grin on his face): Ha…see I told you he created this mess.

Conservative: Not so fast. So, President Obama decreased spending and our national debt?

Liberal: Uh…no.

Conservative: True again. On August 2, 2011; the national debt was $14.5 trillion (that’s an increase of $3.87 trillion in just two and a half years) and by the end of 2012, it is projected to be $17 trillion, thanks to the additional spending given to President Obama in the debt increase deal. That means in just the first four years of President Obama’s administration he will add another $6.37 trillion to the national debt. That’s almost one and a half times the amount of money President Bush added over his eight years in office.

Liberal: Well…he and the rest of the Republicans want old people to die, children to go hungry and they hate black people.

Conservative (shaking head in disgust): Yeah…that’s got to be it.