Out of Control Spending

When Republicans bandy about the idea that Obama's administration has "out of control spending", the following graph is a helpful reminder. From the TPM blog:

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The truly "out of control" item is money spent on Bush's wars (and the fact that Obama tried a Bush-like "surge" in Afghanistan). The truth is that revenues dropped 24% and mandatory programs grew by 32% and Bush's leftover war costs rose by 74%. What I see is loss of revenue because of a recession and the refusal of Republicans to require the rich to step up to the plate and give up their Bush tax cuts for the benefit of the nation. Instead, Republicans have stepped up to the plate and offered that the poor should take cuts to social programs! How generous of the rich.