Mission accomplished, revisited: Analysts projected in March a federal budget deficit of $477 billion for fiscal 2004 ending this month. The good news is it is only a record four-hundred-twenty-two BILLION dollars. Good job, George. Shouldn't you strap on a bow tie, hold up a balance sheet, and salute America? Maybe in front of a MISSION ACCOMPLISHED, banner affixed to the front of the U.S. Treasury? We'll just hold this release until Halloween: (Remember, we anted up a few trillion dollars in surplus when you took over the White House.)
The Congressional Budget Office said the deficit outlook beyond 2006 was worsening. The agency now projects a total ten-year deficit of TWO-POINT-THREE TRILLION DOLLARS, up from TWO POINT ONE TRILLION. . .
The latest ten-year projection "is probably optimistic because it does not assume policy changes that are popular with members of both parties, such as the extension of expiring tax cuts or an adjustment to the alternative minimum tax.” (Robert Bixby, executive director for the Concord Coalition, a nonpartisan group opposing deficit spending.)
The reality is twice as bad: “Under more plausible political assumptions (That means if you vote for George Bush!) the ten-year outlook shows a deficit of roughly FIVE TRILLION FUCKING DOLLARS,” unquote, said Bixby. (not really, I threw in the FUCKING, and if you want to look it up, its’ a story by Mailyn Geewax today, Mgeewax@ajc.com.)
