The opinion of another shrill hysteric? Just David M. Walker, the Comptroller General of the United States and head of the GAO:

http://www.yubanet.com/artman/publis...le_72998.shtml

In a speech today at the National Press Club, he said, "If the federal government was a private corporation and the same report came out this morning, our stock would be dropping and there would be talk about whether the company's management and directors needed a major shake-up." Walker urged greater transparency and accountability over the federal government's operations, financial condition, and fiscal outlook...

"The federal government's fiscal exposures totaled approximately $53 trillion as of September 30, 2007, up more than $2 trillion from September 30, 2006, and an increase of more than $32 trillion from about $20 trillion as of September 30, 2000," Walker said. "This translates into a current burden of about $175,000 per American or approximately $455,000 per American household."

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... CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, CNN, NYT.
"They have redefined General news."

I'm no fan of some of his spending but that number you're tossing out includes largely the stuff you like, increases in Medicare, Social Security and other social programs. As costly as the war is, it's a small piece of the problem. I'm with you if you want to dig deep into the Medicare and Social Security expenditures though.

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Don't Give Me a Defensive Player Who Can't Tackle . . . What Am I Going to Do With Him ? --- Bill Belichick

Correct the VAST majority of our outstanding obligations are for the libs beloved social programs and retirement for government workers. Too bad Bush didn't try harder to privatize Social Security , the medicare drug benefit was a bad idea. If the dem presidental candidates get their way and nationalize health care these figures will double in short order.

Of course then some partisans would think it was a good idea.

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If the devil can keep you from asking the right questions he never has to worry about the answers.

give it a rest, ... or for once in your posting life, back up your assertions with links and facts... otherwise, forgive us for not trusting your goofy rhetoric based on partisan "feeling"....

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... CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, CNN, NYT.
"They have redefined General news."

What do you think the obligations are for? Jelly beans?

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If the devil can keep you from asking the right questions he never has to worry about the answers.

We had a thread here with the numbers although I can't say for sure they're accurate :

The Government spends WAY to much... yet nothing gets done.

$96.1 billion (+12%) - Total governmental bureaucracy
$621.4 billion (+7.4%) – Total military
$243.7 billion (+13.4%) - Interest on debt
$212.3 billion (+10.4%) Total infrastructure and R&D
$1.7143 trillion (+5.12) – Total purely social programs

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Don't Give Me a Defensive Player Who Can't Tackle . . . What Am I Going to Do With Him ? --- Bill Belichick

I agree, but on top of that, you have to figure in corporate welfare subsidies, payments to "war" profiteers, the value of the trade deficit, and the DEBT plus interest. If you're going to pick on entitlements for the poor, at least mention the ones for the mega-rich. Otherwise, you only reveal your own sense of entitlement and elitism. As long as the corporations are stealing money from taxpayers, the poor and disadvantaged have a right to the same amount...at least.

Listen, GW has increased spending like no lib could ever dream. He's a drunken sailor in a whore house when it comes to irresponsible spending. That being said, if people think that the financial predicament of this country was good before the arrival of GW, they're grossly mistaken. Remember, policy that is passed today, affects both this year, and every year thereafter, just as policies passed 30 years ago, affect what is paid today. This country had already put itself on an unsustainable path, many decades ago. GW simply poured some gasoline onto the inferno.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about, with respect to long term policies, and how the people that pass them do so because they know they won't be around when the music stops. This is from the site PC linked.

Pew Study Finds States Face $2.73 Trillion Bill for Retiree Benefits

By: The Pew Charitable Trusts
Published: Dec 18, 2007 at 07:56
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States have promised at least $2.73 trillion in pension, health care and other retirement benefits for public employees over the next three decades, according to a report released today by The Pew Charitable Trusts' Center on the States. Promises with a Price, the first 50-state analysis of its kind, finds that states have saved enough to cover about 85 percent of their long-term pension costs, but only 3 percent of the funds needed for promised retiree health care and other non-pension benefits. All told, states already have set aside about $2 trillion to meet their long-term obligations. But they still need to come up with about $731 billion -- a conservative figure that does not include all costs for teachers and local government employees.

"Now we know the magnitude of this bill -- and paying it will require an enormous investment of taxpayer dollars," said Susan Urahn, managing director of the Pew Center on the States. "For states that have dug themselves into a deep hole, there are no quick and easy solutions -- but there are fiscally responsible steps all states can take. These will require time, attention and, above all, political will."

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"A theory that explains everything, explains nothing"

Careful what you whish for some of us are aware of the facts and just don't blow smoke out our a** like people at thinkprogress.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washing...l-budget_N.htm



Notice the largest item, MEDICARE, again imagine what would be the unfunded liabilities IF the dems get theri wish and we nationalize healthcare???


Throwing gasoline on the fire.

As much as the republicans share blame for this disaster. We can note (as Patters does with pride) that Medicatre and SS are the brainchild of liberal dems. When Bush and repubs try to raise the issue in even the most timid way the dems go into demagogue mode, and shut down any sane conversation with scare stories of grandma eating dog food.

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If the devil can keep you from asking the right questions he never has to worry about the answers.

True to great extedn but ALL that is chump change compared to the entitlement programs. This problem is exacerbated by the demographics (fewer children/household) ironically the dems promotion of abortion has killed the taxpayers who could have funded their ponzi scheme.

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If the devil can keep you from asking the right questions he never has to worry about the answers.