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March 02, 2010 06:03 PM UTC

Mike Coffman admits Republican Party has not been fiscally responsible

  • 18 Comments
  • by: GregKing

(zOMG! – promoted by Colorado Pols)

I attended a town hall meeting that Representative Mike Coffman held last Saturday in Evergreen.

I was impressed with the fact that this Republican whom I voted for in the last election is finally out talking to his constituents. I was further impressed when Mike Coffman let the audience know that he is deeply disappointed with the lack of fiscal responsibility shown by the Republican Party over the years; yes, he actually made this statement out loud – um, in front of a mostly Republican/Tea Party audience.

As a background for you newly minted “deficit hawks” educated by Hannity, Beck, Limbaugh, O’Reilly and the rest of the crew at Fox entertainment:

1. The most costly increase in Medicare expense for the American taxpayer was enacted through reconciliation by a Republican controlled congress in 2003.

2. The Bush tax cuts passed using reconciliation increased our deficit by $188 billion or so every year (2001: EGTRRA, 2002: JCWA & 2003: JGTRRA).

3. The national debt grew $5.6 trillion from 2002 to 2009 under the Bush administration (IMPORTANT NOTE: the money spent during Obama’s first year in office was submitted by Bush and approved by congress in 2008 – so quit blaming Obama for the previous administrations’ spending – Obama will be spending enough on his own this year and doesn’t really need extra credit for spending by someone else thank you very much.

4. Just a reminder that Dick Cheney defended deficit spending in 2002 by stating “Reagan proved deficits don’t matter”. So, Dick Cheney thinks all you people concerned about national debt have a screw loose – just sayin’

However, I agree with all you new “deficit hawks”: spending in this country is out of control. My only question is why weren’t you concerned about the deficit problem back in 2002 when Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill was being fired by Dick Cheney for raising the alarm over the huge increase in national debt that the proposed Bush tax cuts were going to cause?

Why weren’t you “fiscally responsible conservatives” concerned when the national debt increased by $2.2 trillion dollars between 2001 and 2007? Why was national debt not on Beck or Hannity’s radar then?

Where were you “tax patriots” when US comptroller David Walker resigned his position February 2008 so he could travel the country warning Americans about the national debt crisis? I didn’t see any of you at the theaters in August 2008 watching the movie about our debt crisis entitled “I.O.U.S.A.”

I have talked to a lot of Democrats since 2008 that have seen the “I.O.U.S.A.”, but I just haven’t managed to stumble upon any Tea Party members, independents or Republicans yet that have seen the movie. I guess because back in 2008, a movie about the national debt problem was labeled as a left wing conspiracy theory that only liberal nut jobs would watch.

So, I’m suggesting that if you are going to suddenly start rallying over the national debt issue after years of blissful ignorance, please take a little time to understand the real issues on your own without the help of the entertainment geniuses at Fox.

I’m not happy about the national debt either, but please take some time to learn a little bit about how the government earns and spends money before you don a tri-cornered hat and start waving the Gadsden flag around.

Here’s a really valuable and easy-to-read book on the subject: “Where Does The Money Go?” by Bittle and Johnson.  A left wing liberal Democrat friend of mine actually talked me into reading the eye opening book in 2007 (a book based on fact and offering no opinions).

I’m really excited a lot of Tea Party members, Independents and Republicans have finally picked up the national deficit torch that the liberals have been carrying for 30 years.

So, turn off the cable TV misinformation frenzy for a few days (MSNBC, Fox, etc) and educate yourself the old fashioned way: read a book. Just please read a book with actual verifiable, peer reviewed sources of information.

The usual sources of information:

1. Surplus/Deficit & national debt figures obtained from Office of Management & Budget:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/…

Download “Table 1.1-Summary of Receipts, Outlays, and Surpluses or Deficits (-): 1789-2015”

Download “Table 7.1-Federal Debt at the End of Year: 1940-2015”

2. Bush tax cuts: http://www.taxfoundation.org/n…

3. Where does our money go: http://www.publicagenda.org/wh…

Did you know that the first fiscal year of every Presidents' administration is working off the spending budget proposed by the previous President (this includes the Clinton budget for Bush's first FY

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18 thoughts on “Mike Coffman admits Republican Party has not been fiscally responsible”

    1. but sailors get a bad rap.

      Most of the sailors I have gotten drunk with spent whatever they had on them – but not more. Even those with credit cards, rarely spend them to the limit- but there is in fact a limit.   (Call Navy Federal Credit union if you want to check)

      Meanwhile- Greg gets this all correct. It is NOT and should not be a R vs D thing. It’s a USA vs the ROTW thing.

    1. in front of the tea party crowd? Or any Republican crowd? Their standard answer when confronted anything done by Rs during the Bush administration that is the same as what they are criticizing now under Obama and the Dems has always been that they disagree with the past Bush administration and R congress on that point.  I’ve heard that one used on everything from bail-outs to trying terrorists in federal courts from every GOP talking head on TV.

      If they can’t figure out a way to get a history re-write accepted they just throw  the past administration under the bus and hope nobody remembers that they were in power and rubber stamped everything the administration asked for.  For newbies like Coffman it’s really, really easy as they weren’t there.  No  particular courage or even much chutzba required.

      In answer to your question, peacemonger, he probably voted for Coffman because he’s easy and gullible.

      1. Yes on all the stuff abuot Coffman taking the easy way.

        As for voting for Coffman – a lot of voters in CD6 voted for Obama and Coffman and they aren’t all easy and gullible.

        1. It amazes me how they just default to R for congress, even if they are willing to vote for someone like Obama and even when it’s a nut case like Tancredo. This is not a far right tea party style district by a long shot so the only explanation for Tancredo’s ability to keep getting re-elected as many times as he wanted is gullible voters with knee jerk voting habits. They could run a Republican rabbit here for congress, nobody would notice the difference and the rabbit would still win two to one.

    1. I use my real name as my screen name – I don’t believe in hiding behind a Nom de guerre – people tend to be much less civil when they can hide their bad manners behind a false name.

      But, I appreciate the comment; the solution is that one read the book I recommended so we all understand the real cause of the financial situation facing us as a nation.  A solution can then be created because we are all using informed opinion instead of regurgitating opinions from ill-informed rich guys on television trying to bilk the public into supporting their right to make a buck off the gullible.

      1. Don’t think that using your real name gives you any more credibility. The vast majority of the posters here use handles, and many of the people who use their real names are just as nasty as some of the people who don’t.

        That being said, I see you’ve been registered since last fall, but welcome aboard.

  4. Why change the subject to the federal budgets from before he was in office? Yes there’s a political element to what he’s saying (I’m shocked). But if he’s brining up good points – whats to dislike?

    1. Let’s cut back on the welfare state of El Pasokistan.  Maybe we don’t need the Star Wars research.  Ya think?

      When I hear a Republican suggesting closure of a military base or program in his district, I will be completely open to other suggestions.  Or maybe they should do like Colorado Legislators and have to fundraise to pay for assistants in their offices.  I look forward to seeing an iota of “putting their money where their mouths are.”  Until then, I suggest they get out there and hold some bake sales and stop bloviating.

  5. Coffman actually criticized both sides of the aisle recently for fiscal insanity in Washington — more pointedly to the liberals for using that as an excuse to go on a spending spree much worse than we’ve seen even by the Republicans.

    Still a Republican, and supporting only those Republicans who will help put a stop to the mess our country is in… and for that matter Colorado.  

    1. Repubs pretend govt is the problem, then spend and spend and spend some more when in power, generally rewarding their fat cat donors and wealthy friends–Enron (remember them?), Blackwater Xe, Halliburton/KBR, etc.

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