Clinton legacy - $127 billion U.S budget surplus in 2001
Just three years after Bush in office - $374 billion U.S budget deficit in the fiscal year 2003
Under Bush 43.6 million Number of U.S. citizens without health insurance
0 Number of WMD found in Iraq
$59,339 Amount the Bush campaign reimbursed Enron for 14 trips on its corporate jet during the 2000 campaign.
$44m Amount the Bush-Cheney 2000 campaign and the Republican National Committee received in contributions from the fossil fuel, chemical, timber, and mining industries.
31 Number of Bush administration appointees who are alumni of the energy industry (includes four cabinet secretaries, the six most powerful White House officials, and more than 20 other high-level appointees).
50 Percentage decline in Environmental Protection Agency enforcement actions against polluters under Bush's watch
62 Number of members of Cheney's 63-person Energy Task Force with ties to corporate energy interests.
U.S. Budget History
Jan'01: Bush Becomes President
$850 billion SURPLUS
Nov'04: Bush Re-Elected
$415 billion DEFICIT
Jan'09: Obama Becomes Pres.
$1.2 trillion DEFICIT
Republican Debt Legacy
Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)
Started: $1.6 trillion debt
Finished: $3.0 trillion debt
George H.W. Bush (1989-1993)
Started: $3.0 trillion debt
Finished: $4.3 trillion debt
George W. Bush (2001-2009)
Started: $5.8 trillion debt
Finished: $10.8 trillion debt
In October 2008 under Bush , the American economy shed 240,000 jobs, catapulting the losses for the year to 1.2 million. At 6.5%, the unemployment rate hit a 14-year high. The percentage of the adult population now working dropped to 61.8%, its lowest level in 15 years. The Philadelphia Fed survey forecast 222,000 more lost jobs per month through the end of the year. With some analysts now predicting unemployment will hit 8% by the middle of 2009.
Of course, the corollary to skyrocketing unemployment is an explosion of new jobless claims. The Labor Department -Nov. 2008- released figures showing new unemployment claims jumped to 542,000 last week, a 16-year high. First-time jobless claims have now remained above the 400,000 for 17 straight weeks.
Home Foreclosures under Bush as of 2008. While Congress and the Treasury Department debate whether and how to help American homeowners on the brink of foreclosure, the crisis only deepens. In the third quarter, 766,000 homeowners received a foreclosure notice, a staggering 71% increase from the same period in 2007. Overall, nearly a fifth of American homeowners - 7.5 million of them - may now be "under water" on their mortgages, with levels in Nevada (47.8%), Michigan (38.6%), Arizona (29.2%), Florida (29.2%) and California (27.4%) all topping 25%
Patriotic Americans will stop blaming Bush and his hateful malicious ignorant enablers when history stops being true.
