Originally Posted by jsled

The graph does not "turn upside down" when adjusted for inflation. The fact is that during this and Reagan's administration, deficit spending soared. Kind of like living large on a credit card. Remember, nothing becomes law without the POTUS signature (with the exception of a veto override). So this notion that it is congress' fault is a stretch. It is comical that you try to blame the congress of the last 2 years for this mess. I am really surprised you are not using the old...it's Clinton's fault. The truth is, if you look back to the bank deregulation bill of 1999, passed by a republican congress (Phil Gramm was the chief sponsor), and yes....signed by Clinton, you will find the culprit. Allowing wall street to police themselves and eliminating Great Depression era regulations was not a good idea. But hey, it was a good ride for 8 years. Now the bill is coming due.