More Random Thoughts On the Day's News

President Bush will announce today that this year's budget deficit will be about $200 billion, or almost $50 billion less than was thought. "We kept your taxes low, which cause the economy to grow, which yielded more tax revenues. And because we set priorities, the deficit is shrinking," he said.

There's so much material here I hardly know where to begin.

First of all, seven years ago we were running a surplus. Crowing about a 200 billion dollar deficit seems, well, unseemly. What are we supposed to tell our children? Gee, son, I'm sorry our generation saddled yours with this humongous pile of I.O.U.'s, but heck, Republicans kept stealing elections from us.

Second, the Iraq occupation is completely off the books. That's about $150 billion -- give or take a Haliburton contract -- that should be added to the bottom line. Plus they keep borrowing every red cent from the Social Security Trust Fund surplus and counting it as revenue. If my company's comptroller ran the books like this bunch, she'd be wearing a fancy new orange jump-suit.

Finally, this causal effect Republicans constantly try to claim -- that tax cuts miraculously create a growing economy and therefore more tax receipts -- just defies logic. Repeat after me, supply-siders: you can't cut taxes to raise more taxes. Particularly when almost all the tax cuts go to the richest 5% of Americans. Sorry, but these people don't consume enough goods and services to make that much of a difference. Did I miss something, or has there been a big run on Hummers and second vacation homes this year?

Senator Jim Webb's amendment to make sure troops are properly trained and to allow the them to spend more time at home was denied cloture by forty Republicans and our indomitable Joe Lieberman. The Dems need to bring this amendment up for vote every day until enough Republicans jump ship to pass it. Then let Bush veto it while claiming he "supports the troops."

Food for thought: more people know Nicolle Richey is pregnant than know Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9-11.