Bush Makes Progress in Halving Deficit

[Rose Siding]

*that's the published title

WASHINGTON - One guiding star in the $2.5 trillion budget that President Bush (news - web sites) ships Congress next month will be his goal of cutting the federal deficit in half by 2009.

Bush first proclaimed that objective in his spending plan last year. That was months before the 2004 federal budget shortfall came in at a record — but less than expected — $412 billion.
...
Last year's deficit was $35 billion worse than in 2003. Yet administration officials say they made big progress toward reaching their target.

That's because White House budget chief Joshua Bolten defined their starting point as the $521 billion deficit for 2004 that the administration projected a year ago.

Since the actual 2004 shortfall ended up at $412 billion, the White House claims it made progress to the tune of $109 billion. It also let them set a bigger deficit target for 2009: $260.5 billion, which is half of $521 billion.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20050113/ap_on_go_co/halving_the_deficit_q_a

[Massachusetts]

1. Smoke in Mirrors

[Tuttle]

2. There's no "L" in 'having'

n/t

Tut-tut

[flobee1kenobi]

5. This is just sad

The deficit isn't as bad as we thought it was going to be-so thats progress?
I call it luck and stupidity!

[jab105]

19. What they do is overestimate the deficit, and then when it is less than//

the over-estimate, they can say, ahh haa, we made progress...

:P

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

15. Except in English

Halve (v.) divide by two. divide into halves; "Halve the cake"

[Occulus]

17. I think he meant

we have the deficit; Bush* has no desire to half it. :)

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

23. Let's hope so...

[DemonFighterLives]

3. I'm sure the numbers will all be corrupt

When you shine a light on them. Miserable failure.

[marmadogg]

4. Shrub made progress if you ignore...

...the fact that they used the Social Security surplus to know down the deficit.

Buck Fush!

[Rose Siding]

6. They are claiming progress based on projections.

If this is accepted as a viable argument, why not make up some outrageous projection numbers for next year?

[sleepyhead]

7. You beat me to it.

This is disgusting. They are disgusting.

[tanyev]

8. So if I predict that I

am going to eat an entire banana cream pie tonight and I really only eat half a pie, have I made progress on my diet?

[Rose Siding]

9. I'm gonna try that!

[snippy]

10. So the deficit is going down if you ignore the actual deficit.

Pure Bushshit. If one assumes that the 2004 deficit could have been one trillion dollars, Bush already has reduced the deficit by almost 60%.

[Lucille]

11. AP has changed the headline to reflect the content of the article

The article shows how Josh Bolten changed the starting point of the deficit and based it on more pessimistic projections, thus allowing WH to claim "progress," when in fact there has been no progress.

AP lays the BS out for all to see, though it is buried in the middle of the article. Yet someone concoted a headline that's just as deceptive as the WH.

Now the headline reads:

Critics Call Bush's Deficit Efforts Feeble

Curious.

[Rose Siding]

14. Thanks- that really was the title when I posted it

They change them all the time- they should have to make a note of that.

[KansDem]

21. Changing the headline to reflect poorly on Bush means only one thing

A Paola Pundit wannabee didn't get the expected check from the White House...

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

22. Fire The Person Who Revised Title...For Telling The Truth n/t

[Supersedeas]

12. Joshua Bolten--another name to remember in the fleecing of 'Merica

[ernstbass]

13. Seems like fuzzy math to me!

[GOPBasher]

16. This is pathetic.

Hello? We're still adding to the NATIONAL DEBT (the real issue) at record rates. Halving the DEFICIT is not good enough; we need to balance the budget and start paying down the debt.

[underpants]

18. LOL it is-Guess outrageously high and then take credit for being so wrong

God people eat this crap up.

[GOPBasher]

20. Exactly!

It's like saying, "Hey mom, remember when I thought I was going to get a 16 in math? Well, I got that up to a whopping 25! Woohoo! Now I know one quarter of the material.

[ohtransplant]

24. Feeble isn't the word I'd use.

*'s deficits spin out of control, we spend untold billions on Iraq/Halliburton, and aspire to borrow $2 Trillion in startup costs to "privatize" SS.

As Rome burns, * fiddles...

The rest of the federal budget faces harsh cuts to trim *'s deficit. Good-bye to roads, schools, bridges and any infrastructure improvements we might have had. Also wave bye-bye to government services. Say Hello to user fees attached to everything.

The word is CRIMINAL

[radric]

25. Orwell would understand this administration...

completely.

[ohtransplant]

28. "Orwellian" is an apt description.

These are indeed evil people.

In addition, they are certain of their "rightness" and their right to imposed their will based on the incredible (read non-credible) mandate. Repeat after me...

Four more years? Simple. We must fight at every level.

[Cocoa]

26. cooking the books, Enron style

[louis-t]

27. This was reported here before..

but I'm glad you posted again in case someone missed it. Evil, evil people.