DNC: Bush lowers expectations so far that anything is good news.

[bigtree]

Something to Crow About

DNC blog
July 11, 2006 at 09:35 AM
http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/07/something_to_cr.php

When the Bush Administration doesn't have anything good to talk about they like to dress up and play pretend:


The release of the White House midsession budget review is an annual event normally marked by a few wonkish observations and the routine updating of various spreadsheets, not by a full-dress presidential dog-and-pony show. But President Bush plans to preside today, with members of Congress and invited guests in attendance. By all indications, including his own in his weekly radio address last Saturday, he plans to turn this into a celebration — just in time for the fall campaign.


Lesson Learned: Anything can be spun into something to be thrown to the base during campaign season, even pie charts...


This is proof, if anyone still needs it, that this administration is desperate for something to boast about. On Mr. Bush’s watch, triple-digit budget surpluses have turned into annual triple-digit budget deficits. There’s no information in the midsession report to alter that utterly dispiriting fact. Yes, the report is expected to project that this year’s deficit will be somewhat less gargantuan than last year’s — probably somewhere between $280 billion and $300 billion, versus a $318 billion shortfall in 2005. That’s not much to crow about.

But Mr. Bush is likely to gloat, anyway. Earlier this year, the administration conveniently projected a highly inflated deficit of $423 billion. With that as a starting point, the actual results can be spun to look as if they’re worth cheering.


Lesson Learned: In order to claim success, lower expectations so far that anything is good news.


If Mr. Bush looked behind his headline numbers, he, too, could see that the rich are getting richer while the rest are, at best, only holding ground. It would make sense to use some of the windfall revenue to enact policies and programs that tilt against growing inequality. Unfortunately, he’s flogging more tax cuts that will deepen the divide.


Lesson Learned: Catering to special interests and the richest of the rich is good for your campaign coffers, but bad for most everyone else.


What lessons have you learned from the Bush Administration?


http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/07/something_to_cr.php