Who was the last fiscal conservative?

But... but... but... Congress! Yeah, that's the ticket!

well Robert that's just not fair, you're comparing apples to apples.

Anybody with any knowledge of our countries deficits would know that the tax and spend liberals have done much better for our country than the fiscal "conservatives."

But none of them are fiscal conservatives.

How far back do we need to go to find them?

Good question; I'm pretty confused about the ballooning deficit created by George Bush and all the "conservatives" who tell themselves they are still conservatives in the manner of George Bush.

I don't think the last fiscal conservative was a person. It was a constellation called "gridlock" -- specifically, the gridlock between the Clinton administration and the Gingrich Congress. Balance in the budget emerged as the unwanted side effect of both sides of the gridlock pursuing their selfish interests.

I don't think the Clinton administration really wanted to restore fiscal sanity to the federal budget. But it was their second-best option, their best option being expanded government investment in projects like high speed rail, adult education, and the like. This option was thwarted by the Republican Congress.

Republican members of Congress, in turn, didn't prefer fiscal sanity either. For them, it was the second best option after tax cuts for the top of the income distribution. This option, the Clinton administration didn't go along with. So both sides settled on everyone's second best, which was fiscal sanity.

I hope the 2008 elections will restore a well-calibrated gridlock of the US government.

This is why Obama will be a disaster, if elected.

You're honestly pulling for McCain? Seriously?

There are many ramifications to the presidency besides who can lower the deficit by the most....

Cycloptichorn

Yeah, like who can repeal the tax cuts and completely bankrupt the middle class, while chasing any remaining employers offshore. Once completed, we'll confiscate all their guns in case the "bitter" ones left behind get mad. Wait, maybe we should do that first?

A question:

I get the gridlock thing.

Does that go for the Supreme Court, too?

What do you think of the possibility of 12 (or 16) straight years of Republican Supreme Court appointments?

So we should forego a 100% positive grid-locked congress/executive branch due to possible SC appointees, who may not even be conservative (see GHWB's appointments).

That's giving up the sure thing for a gamble. No thanks!

Oddly enough, you don't seem to realize that Obama is proposing much larger tax cuts for the middle class then McCain is.



Cycloptichorn

I don't think you know what middle class is. And, he's proposing huge hits on the prospective employers and handing it all to those most likely to create any jobs. I look at graphs very differently than you do. Even if I fell in to the $100K category where it might appear Obama might give me a few dollars more in tax breaks, if my job goes away, that number is meaningless.

Cj, can you f*cking read? Sometimes I wonder.

Anyone making less then 111 thousand per year is getting a bigger tax cut. that's the very definition of the 'middle class.'

Cycloptichorn

I disagree. The middle class makes far more than that. Two earner families in middle class jobs will earn closer to $200K/year. Too bad you are going to a university that teaches you otherwise. Enjoy harvesting the organic arugula for Alice.

If your family is pulling down $200K/yr, you shouldn't have any financial worries at all assuming you have any ability to manage money. That is well over the 95th percentile for household income. At that income level, you might not have a fancy boat or a mansion on the Intercoastal, but you should be able to buy what you want when you want it within reason. That's my definition of rich.