WP: After Bush Leaves Office, His Budget's Costs Balloon

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A21721-2005Feb13?language=printer

For President Bush, the budget sent to Congress last week outlines a painful path to meeting his promise to bring down the federal budget deficit by the time he leaves office in 2009. But for the senators and governors already jockeying to succeed him, the numbers released in recent days add up to a budgetary landmine that could blow up just as the next president moves into the Oval Office.

Congress and the White House have become adept at passing legislation with hidden long-term price tags, but those huge costs began coming into view in Bush's latest spending plan. Even if Bush succeeds in slashing the deficit in half in four years, as he has pledged, his major policy prescriptions would leave his successor with massive financial commitments that begin rising dramatically the year he relinquishes the White House, according to an analysis of new budget figures.

Bush's extensive tax cuts, the new Medicare prescription drug benefit and, if it passes, his plan to redesign Social Security all balloon in cost several years from now. His plan to partially privatize Social Security, for instance, would cost a total of $79.5 billion in the last two budgets that Bush will propose as president and an additional $675 billion in the five years that follow. New Medicare figures likewise show the cost almost twice as high as originally estimated, largely because it mushrooms long after the Bush presidency.

"It's almost like you've got a budget, and you've got a shadow budget coming in behind that's a whole lot more expensive," said Philip G. Joyce, professor of public policy at George Washington University.

By the time the next president comes along, some analysts said, not only will there be little if any flexibility for any new initiatives, but the entire four-year term could be spent figuring out how to accommodate the long-range cost of Bush's policies.

[PartyPooper]

1. When Bu$h vacates the "office", he will leave us nothing but excrement

to deal with for years to come!

[indepat]

25. What a blunt dose of reality that the American people aren't up to

accepting.

[Massachusetts]

29. "What a blunt dose of reality that the American people aren't up to

accepting".

Most Americans:

1- Don't Care.
2- Are to Ignorant/Stupid to Understand.
3- Think Gee Sus will Take Care of Everything.

Why do i feel like I'm on the Treadmill going No Where when it comes to politics in this country?

[indepat]

35. We truly then get the government we so richly deserve

[KansDem]

36. Yes, but at least the "Ws" will be left on the computer keyboards...

(/sarcasm)

[Boomer]

2. I'm voting for a Republican next time

Why should a Democrat have to deal with this mess and get all the blame? Let the Republicans stay in office until the bill comes due, and then some, so that there is NO mistake that they are the (ir)responsible party.

[Oversea Visitor]

3. Woah

You going to let Jeb bush in the WH in 2009.

[Itsthetruth]

7. Democrats Let Him

Perhaps the Democrats in Congress should have blocked Bush's tax cuts for the rich, war and military spending programs, etc., They could have. They didn't.

I don't even recall them using the filibuster during Bush's first four years in office to block Bush's tax and other legislation affecting the economy. I guess only the Republicans use that weapon now. Am I wrong on that?

Hell, you could only get 13 Democrats to vote against Rice and 1 against the Patriot Act! That's some kind of "opposition" party.

[Boomer]

8. Gotta hit bottom before you go up

I'm beyond fed up with the American sheeple. If a Dem gets in the White House following Bush, then Dems will be blamed as the entire system starts to fall to pieces. Doesn't matter that Bush created the chaos, the Dem will STILL get blamed for not cleaning up the mess.

The way I see it, we'll never see a true turnaround from Repuglican values until they've ground the working class and middle class of this country into dust. Then, and only then, will the grandchildren of Union organizers learn the hard truth of living in a capitalist society: don't trust management.

Jeb in 2008? Probably. Given the rigged elections, I doubt we'll have any other outcome. If he doesn't run for the next presidency, it'll only be because the Bush's have plundered all the country has to give up. That's when we should really start to worry.

[Oversea Visitor]

21. Well

I do agreed abot the plundering of the country. Looking at all the issue bush push, its really what it is all about. I think a term to use is the corporatization of the US goverment.

Immigration Act.... gives jobs to people who willing to accept lower pay even if they are not Americans. Big time gain by corporation.

Social Security.... Convert all those trillion into investment in stock market. Gee how many Enron around and what if the bubble bust 40 years only need 1 bad year to wipe out all the money. This versus the present system of insurance by SS. Where is the security. Big time gain by corporation. Trillions of new capital to steal haha.

Legal claim cap.... prevent massive pay out to consumer from corporation who sell flaw product.

Tax break for corporation ... gee what about all the Americans workers.

Medicare ..... woah major crisis with money going to pockets except the American people who need the aid.

Lots of budget cuts that are benefit for the people

In short what happen to for the people. I see very clearly for the corporation.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

4. I hope the disaster occurs in 2006! That will help us get back...

the Congress.

[Itsthetruth]

13. Depression?

You seem to think the only way the Democratic party can gain control of Congress and the White House is if a total economic collapse (depression) happens.

You're probably right. The Democratic Party under such conditions could run a conservative Republican like John McCain for President or Vice-President and he would win the Presidency in a landslide. Is that what you really want. Two Republicans running for President? Some thought it would have been great if the Democratic Party had run a Republican for Vice-President in this past election.

[paineinthearse]

34. We MUST win back the House, it is key.

The house has the power to initiate spending and impeach. It is critical we win it back.

[Kokonoe]

5. Even if they stay in office,

it will always be Clinton's fault or somebody else. MSM will never admit what we already know.

[Redstone]

6. Ha! You're right...

they'll ALWAYS find a way to make EVERYTHING Clinton's fault, won't they?

What a bunch of weenie whiners.

Redstone

[livinginphotographs]

26. Here you go re: Clinton's fault.

"Bush advisers argue that he is tackling problems long ducked by other presidents and that his solutions will pay off in the long run."

I'm sure when he says "other presidents" he's not referring to Daddy.

[kodi]

9. Poppy left Clinton with a similar budget time bomb.

In the fall of 1992, Poppy's crew cooked the books at Treasury to make the deficit look low, by the time Clinton got into the White House in January 1993, the US was facing an extra $60B in deficits.

Its one of the reasons Clinton could not live up to campaign promises for increased spending for programs for the poor and education.

[Skink]

11. The 2nd year of a 2nd Bush term....

:nuke:
Atleast according to Krugman. I'm looking forward to it.

[stopbush]

10. Here's the plan: Dems back the proposal floating out there

to do away with the two-term limit on president. Once that passes, Bill runs again - and wins - and cleans up the republican mess just like last time.

Maybe THEN the MSM and the sheeple will get it.

[aquart]

14. How about we don't?

We will not be saved by rallying around a single charismatic leader. We have many more good people than that.

[mazzarro]

20. Clinton's charisma is good for his own politics but not the

democratic party, it seems. We need to nourish other good or even better leaders than Clinton. The party is in this shitty situation because it failed to position itself for the future when Clinton was in office.

[aquart]

12. "Apres moi, le deluge"

Wow, he thinks just like a French despot.

[stopbush]

18. If only the same fate awaited bush as awaited the last

guy who said that...

[flordehinojos]

15. IS ANYBODY GOING TO STAND UP TO BUSH NOW AND SAY, 'hell no!"?

[Itsthetruth]

16. Yes

Yes. Perhaps one or two.

[burn the bush]

17. go email this article home or to someone

to show that we like this kind of reporting

[applegrove]

19. The Republican Senators should be targetted in their elections

if they do not speak up to Bush and demand accurate accounting and transparency. If they act like the little toy soldiers again, they should have to pay for it. Pleading they did not know in the years to come is not good enough. Republican Congressmen too!

Dems should put out a commercial (a generic one) to show what they will be airing in all re-election campaign: "GOP President George Bush put through 8 budgets full of lies and spending cuts while his fat cat friends payed less & less in taxes. George Bush went after the American Government and the American Way of life. Republican Senators and Congressmen did nothing to stop him. They rubberstamped it all. They didn't even raise objections or debate the policy. How could you ever trust them again?"

[Rainscents]

22. Dems have to hit hard on anyone who supported Bush's

policies if they want to win back the seats on 2006.

[cthrumatrix]

27. there ya go .... they have zero fiscal restraint. Dean is on the case.

[Maguzzi]

32. recharge the credit card for us

We will ram it up again in 2012 after we get all the abject middle class "morans" to vote us back in.

[applegrove]

37. The whole point is to Lock Hillary (or whoever) down with debt so

she will get booted out by 2012. Then they are back in power when things get solvent again. IMHO

[PROGRESSIVE1]

38. Yes they should be!

They are guilty of aiding Bushitler!!!

[Skinner]

23. I can't say this surprises me.

What a jerk.

[cthrumatrix]

24. and our lovely whore media still let him LIE with facts on Soc Sec

[UL_Approved]

28. Depression it is

This is the Neo-Con strategy.

They create horrible debts, and drive out any prosperity to line their own pockets.

They then blame the Democrats for failure.

They pick up where they left off when the Democrats are faced with an impossible battle.

This sound-byte culture we live in assures long-term failure. We aren't human beings in this nation anymore, as a whole. We only respond to present situations, but cannot and will not see how we got here.

These trends will lead to a depression. And they will lead to a Hitler-style leader. We may have the man now, we may not.

I really do wonder if everybody in this country has to starve before they see what is really going on.

[underpants]

30. With he and Dick's FABULOUS business history this is very surprising

not

[Maguzzi]

31. thats why they will rig the election for dems in 2008

In perfect Rovian form, they will hand you something you wanted all along. Heres your election., now u raise the taxes on everyone so we can rag on you while you clean up our mess. We will come back in when the house is clean.

[LinuxInsurgent]

33. hehe...

clean up his "legacy" in 4 years...leave the bill for the next one.

If Republicans go for this...they deserve all the problems their party will have in the future.

I say it's time for the Republicans to reign in the Chimp. Or is Bush the most important guy that he must be protected, even at the cost of their party?

[Califooyah Operative]

39. Now we're beginning to see the true budget....

and it looks like we're well on our way to the republican agenda of bankrupting America, so that social programs will soon be out of the question, as they won't be an option. That would be a dream come true for them, we have to call them on fiscal responsibility, giving back to the rich and dismantling social programs (even when they claim to be 'fixing them) before they completely bankrupt us.

[NNN0LHI]

40. After Bush Leaves Office, His Budget's Costs Balloon

http://www.yubanet.com/artman/publish/usa.shtml#18029

For President Bush, the budget sent to Congress last week outlines a painful path to meeting his promise to bring down the federal budget deficit by the time he leaves office in 2009. But for the senators and governors already jockeying to succeed him, the numbers released in recent days add up to a budgetary landmine that could blow up just as the next president moves into the Oval Office.

more

[fryguy]

41. typical GOP strategy

CHristie Todd Whitman did this while she was governor of New Jersey...cut taxes for the here and now and pass the bill off to following years when they're long gone from responsibility....