WhatFinger


Obama on Public Debt March, 2006

Hitting the ceiling



“The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies."

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Over the past 5 years, our federal debt has increased by $3.5 trillion top $8.6 trillion. That is “trillion” with a “T”. That is money that we have borrowed from the Social Security Trust Fund, borrowed from China and Japan, borrowed from the American taxpayers. And over the next 5 years, between now and 2011, the President’s budget will increase the debt by almost another $3.5 Trillion. Numbers that large are sometimes hard to understand. Some people may wonder why they matter. Here is why: this year, the Federal Government will spend $220 Billion on interest. That is more money to pay interest on our national debt than we’ll spend on Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. That is more money to pay interest on our debt this year than we will spend on education, homeland security, transportation and veterans’ benefits combined. It is more money in one year than we are likely to spend to rebuild the devastated gulf coast in a way that honors the best of America. And the cost of our debt is one of the fastest growing expenses in the Federal Budget. This rising debt is a hidden domestic enemy, robbing our cities and States of critical investments in infrastructure like bridges, ports and levees; robbing our families and our children of critical investments in education and health care reform; robbing our seniors of the retirement and health security they have counted on. Every dollar we pay in interest is a dollar that is not going to investment in America’s priorities.” -- Senator Barack Obama
Senate Floor Speech on Public Debt
March 16, 2006 This is a shot at a cheap column. I was surfing the net when I ran across this in an archive. It’s proven interesting for me because it’s so seldom I get my point proven by the individuals I try skewering the most often. We’re facing an economic “crisis”. If you don’t believe it tune into any TV news program. Some economics major drop-out will be happy to let you know how the nation faces potential world-wide repercussions if we don’t raise the debt ceiling. Democrats want it raised. Republicans are ready to sacrifice principles in controversy with the Tea Parties demands to NOT raise the ceiling. All of this to assure the world suffers NO meltdown or a general inflicting of flat feet, falling arches, extreme hair loss or some other major problem like Congressman Boehner not getting enough Hawaiian Tropic Tanning Butter to grease the wheels of political action more efficiently. So, when you read this tract above, you can be assured your Republican Representation is doing its best to keep us safe from financial dissolution and political dyspepsia. This hardball statement is crafted to get the point across and to assure the people the right people are thinking the right way to get the right thing done. We should all genuflect now and say words of praise to the great Republican mind extolling the virtues and pro-forma understanding that raising the Debt Ceiling is an ill-advised idea and “a sign of leadership failure”. Who else could have made such a malevolent and caustic statement concerning the misdirection of American fiscal responsibility? Is it not a statement of financial irresponsibility to demand this Debt Ceiling not be raised? I mean, really! But wait a minute. This wasn’t written and/or issued by a Republican. It fell from the mellifluous, mellow, soothing and honeyed throat of our own ever-lovin’ President Barack Hussein Obama when he was merely Senator Barack Hussein Obama on March 16, 2006. The questions arise: was it a lie then; or is it a lie now that he’s changed his tune. Answer: It doesn’t matter. Self-serving bombast is nothing more than bombast. I use that word because you can’t say bulls**t in a family newspaper. So go back to the questions and figure it out for yourself. Thanks for Listening


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Sarge -- Bio and Archives

Richard J. “Sarge” Garwood is a retired Law Enforcement Officer with 30 years service; a syndicated columnist in Louisiana. Married with 2 sons.


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