Bush wants to pad the billions he secured for Iraq while bashing Democrats for focusing on America

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Whose goddamn money is it anyway??!!



Bush may boost spending request for Iraq war

Reuters
Sep 21, 2007

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration may increase the amount of money it is seeking for the Iraq war for the 2008 fiscal year that begins October 1, the White House said on Friday.

The White House outlined a request for around $147 billion for fiscal 2008 for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But the administration is reviewing those figures and is considering giving Congress an updated request.

"I would expect it to be higher, I can't tell you what the number will be," White House spokesman Tony Fratto said.

The Washington Post has reported the administration may increase its request by up to $50 billion, which would bring the total request to nearly $200 billion.


article: http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN2128690120070921



In Shift, Bush Emerges as a Budget Warrior

The New York Times
September 22, 2007

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 — {snipped}

Mr. Bush is headed into a spending battle with Congressional Democrats with the two branches of government as divided on the issue as they have been since the federal shutdown of 1995. Bush has threatened to veto 10 of the 11 appropriations bills that have passed the House, as well as legislation expanding a popular children’s health care program. On Monday, he will step up the fight with a speech accusing Democrats of fiscal irresponsibility.

While there may be explanations for higher spending, including the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Brian M. Reidl of Heritage says the federal budget has nonetheless grown at a rate of 7 percent a year under Mr. Bush, about twice the 3.5 percent rate under Bill Clinton.

The economic expansion of the 1990s ended, reducing the growth of tax revenue at the very time that Mr. Bush was pushing a long-term tax cut through Congress. Then came the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, which imposed new spending demands on the government.

Military and domestic security spending shot up. Experts say those increases, coupled with Mr. Bush’s tax cuts, helped drive up the federal deficit, which peaked at $413 billion in 2004. It has since narrowed to a projected $170 billion for this year, the result of an improving economy and rising tax revenues.

article: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/22/washington/22memo.html?ei=5087%0A&em=&en=fff54846625b9eaa&ex=1190606400&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1190481681-Vdit+SbQWg+fnp0QbwYqTA&pagewanted=print

[orpupilofnature57]

1. Maybe Bandar could help? He's a descendant of Pierce ,Right?

[acmavm]

2. All the while he's saying he will veto the bill to expand insurance coverage

for kids.

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3. He wants $200 billion more for Iraq, and he complains the Dem budget is $22 billion more than his

"The White House explains the new veto threats by saying Republicans met the president’s spending limits, while the Democrats, whose proposed 2009 budget exceeds Mr. Bush’s by $22 billion, have not."

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4. Iraq Blank Checks And Fiscal Irresponsibility

from LeftCoaster: http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/011057.php

Today's question for Harry and Nancy: If you know that Bush is about to blast you Monday for being fiscally irresponsible, is it too much to ask that Democrats make him pay for that mistake? Can both of you at least be ready to point out the hypocrisy of a man who whines about fiscal irresponsibility over $22 billion in a $2 trillion budget, who wants to cut school transportation for disabled kids for the cost of one week of the Iraq war, and then demands two days later $200 billion for a war without accountability?

After spending September in an effort to regain the support of his base by scaring the little children on Iraq and terrorism, he now will go in hunt of more of the base in October by becoming a born again fiscal conservative. (We saw this coming a month ago.) This is coming from a man who gave us the budget busting, drug company and HMO corporate welfare known as the Medicare Part D drug program, and from a man who never vetoed a spending bill during the entire GOP congress. Yes, we are now in Year Seven of the Rovian playbook of attacking your opponents on your own weaknesses, yet the Democrats still are incapable of preempting these attacks by turning them against Bush before he uses them. The question is why aren't Democrats on the Sunday chatfests blasting the administration for its fiscal recklessness on Iraq while they cut funding for the needy and underfund our other needs here at home?

Is it too hard for Democrats to be ready to throw it back in his face Monday that a guy who wants to hurt disabled kids for chump change and wants $200 billion for Iraq without an endgame can’t be taken seriously when he whines about $22 billion out of $2 trillion?

If Bush really wants to argue fiscal irresponsibility now, shouldn't Democrats then insist that the Iraq supplemental funding bill have specific benchmarks and deadlines to justify that money? If fiscal responsibility is now all the rage for the GOP next week, can't Democrats demand to know how those same GOP senators and representatives support a $200 billion blank check?

http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/011057.php