Realistically, which Party is the most "fiscally conservative" ?

[kentuck]

By "fiscally conservative", we would assume that to be one that would spend less government funds. Some may consider it as someone that spends government revenues wisely. No matter how it might be defined, no one could consider the present Republican Party as "fiscally conservative". They have broken all records for government spending. In the process, they have run up the largest debt and the largest deficits of either Party in the history of our country.

In contrast, the Democrats since the days of LBJ, have been hesitant to spend any government money on any programs to any great extent. At least, not to the extent of the Republicans, for example, on the new Medicare Bill they rammed thru the Congress. Even on programs that could be argued were needed by many of our people, the Democrats when in power, did not pursue any large spending. Much of that was due to the fact that they believed the defiicit spending was bad for our country in the long run. So which Party do you think is the most "fiscally conservative"?

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

1. Oh, I LOVE to toss that around.

I tell long time, crusty hard-core Republicans that I'm a Democrat because I'm a fiscal conservative (even though I'm really not). Absolutely kills them. :rofl:

[Deep13]

2. Took Clinton 7 years to create surplus. Took W 6 months to put us in debt.

any questions?

[ReadTomPaine]

7. Bingo. It's as simple as that. n/t

[lvx35]

11. As soon as republicans learn the link between speding and taxation ...

...they will wake up. Right now, miraculously, they seem to think that Bush's 9 trillion dollar debt and lower taxes are basically can go on forever, and that the money to pay back Bush's record spending will come from somewhere other than their pockets.

Bush's fiscal policy resembles saving money but putting all purchases on the credit card.

[400Years]

3. Wasn't one of Al Gore's first efforts as VP to investigate cost cutting

Seems like I remember that.

[DUHandle]

8. Gore helped to produce smaller government

i.e., fewer employees.

Bush wanted and got the DHS, the largest bureaucracy in the history of America.

[NewJeffCT]

4. Depends who you talk to

To a Republician, fiscally conservative means cutting social programs meant to help the poor & middle class.

[marmar]

6. So true...

But they're absolute Marxists when it comes to helping corporations.

[benburch]

5. The Democrats, of course.

We spend and tax to cover it.

The GOP Crime Syndicate just spends and borrows money that can never be paid back.

[Sammy Pepys]

9. Depends on who you're talking about.

Are you talking about Presidents, or the Congress?

[kentuck]

10. The President has to sign whatever Congress passes....

for it to be law. And vice-versa... So how do you separate them?

[Sammy Pepys]

12. The President doesn't have to sign whatever Congress passes....

...for it to be law. Congress can override a veto and make it law.

But they are both easily seperated by party lines. Reagan had a Democratic Congress most of his 8 years, I believe. Clinton had a Dem Congress until 1994. So I think you can see where it gets fuzzy.

Frankly, the proper one to use is Congress, because they have more direct spending power than the President does. Presidents never get anything back from Congress that resembles their budget proposals, but they still sign off on them.

[ieoeja]

13. And the Republican congress tried ...

... to undo the budget cutting measures enacted by the Democratic congress during Clinton's first two years. This led to the gov't shutdown. The shutdown led to a Republican defeat which led to deficit reduction.

Of course, the Republican Congress tries to take credit for the deficit reduction. But facts are facts. The deficit reduction plan passed in 1993, that later Republican congresses were unable to overturn in the face of Clinton vetos, passed without a single House Republican voting for it.

So the answer would seem to be Democratic Congress with a Democratic President is the most fiscally responsible.

[Sammy Pepys]

16. You nailed it...

...this is EXACTLY why a distinction must be made...and why 2006 is so important. We can't just hope to get White House, but not the Congress (and vice versa).

[kentuck]

14. Well, that is true...

:) Those are exceptions. Vetos are absolutely permitted but are seldom over-ridden...

[unblock]

15. here's why republicans are more fiscally responsible:

when democrats are in office, they do the following:

- give 0.003% of the budget to the gay christ-bashing artists
- give 1.0% of the budget to welfare queens

when republicans are in office, they do the following:

- give 50% of the budget to their cronies dressed up as military contractors.


So there you have it, two items to one, so democrats are TWICE as fiscally irresponsible as republicans!

:sarcasm: