"Determined to banish their image as shameless fearmongers who constantly raise the threat of terrrorism for political purposes, the Republicans are planning a new approach to foreign policy." Well, the Washington Post didn't write that sentence, instead the lead story in today's paper began "Determined to banish their old tax-and-spend image, Democrats want to shrink the federal deficit, preserve tax cuts for the middle class and challenge the president to raise money for the Iraq war when they take control of Congress next week." Sorry to bore people with the facts, but the ratio of debt to GDP has consistently fallen under Democratic administrations, while it has risen under the last three Republican administrations. Spending as a share of GDP fell sharply in the Clinton years, while rising sharply in the Bush years. The idea that the Democrats have been reckless spendthrifts is an invention of their political opponents. It should not be treated as an accurate characterization of their policy. (For the record, I am not an admirer of their fiscal conservatism, I personally think that they have carried it too far.)
--Dean Baker