The last President with a balanced budget was Bill Clinton in 2001.

 

That was with smoke and mirrors and money taken out of SS. Looks good on paper but not much substance to it.

The last President with a balanced budget was Bill Clinton in 2001.

 

Bill did with a lot of Republican support. If you are using Clinton's balanced budget from 15 years ago to back up your point, you are actually making my point. There is NOT ONE prominent Dem NOW who gives a rip about balancing a budget. The only thing in which the Dems feel we have to control spending is the defense budget...the most important thing IMO...

 

And by the way, I don't think the R's are much better in trying to balance the budget. But to claim the D's care AT ALL about balancing the budget is frankly just comical...

Neither party cares they just tell you they do when the other party is in control.

The most overused word to describe one's self. Almost everyone thinks they are a realist. There are many who cannot see both sides to any issue thinks those who disagree are naive.

 

What poll shows any Republican winning enough Electoral votes to win the Presidency? There may be one, maybe I missed it.

 

Don't deflect from the real problems the Republicans have, not necessarily having a good candidate, but not being able to come close to agreeing on one.

 

Dems run on social justices, balanced budgeting, inclusive equality, taxes that are fairly implemented.

Careful, your fingers might fall off if you continue to type stuff like that......:laugh:

Keep telling yourself that.

 

A lot of you on the Left are ignoring the fact that most of America is fed up with the status quo and are looking for someone other than what we have had in the past.

 

 

Respectfully, you are delusional if you think Trump or Carson could EVER get elected President.

Carson took some time over the weekend to reflect on whether to stay in the GOP race or whether to bolt the party and run as an Independent. He was spotted over the weekend in southern England:

 

Respectfully, you are delusional if you think Trump or Carson could EVER get elected President.

 

Stranger things have happened. Obama was elected.

The last President with a balanced budget was Bill Clinton in 2001.

 

Enough with the facts, now.

 

The fact is the balanced budget was a Republican idea that they included in their Contract with America in 1994. Clinton and the Dem majorities in Congress didn't get much done in his first years as President so Gingrich and Republicans ran on this contract that said they would pass certain measures within 100 days of being elected. This included a balanced budget and fiscal responsibility. When many Dems were swept out during the midterm election Clinton suddenly changed his tune on a lot of things and had to play along. Balancing the budget wasn't his doing. Only Congress can actually do it. They set the budget. I am sure Clinton enjoys getting credit for it today, though.

 

Here's a brief explanation of just one of the 10 points from the Contract with America from Heritage.org:

 

Controlling the Growth of Government: The Fiscal Responsibility Act

 

A key ingredient, both explicit and implicit, in the Contract is a fundamental change in the character of government in the United States. The very first item in the Contract With America sought "to restore fiscal responsibility to an out-of-control Congress, requiring them to live under the same budget constraints as families and businesses." The key components of this act were a line-item veto and balanced budget/tax limitation amendment. The line-item veto would allow the President to strike specific spending provisions in bills without having to veto the entire bill, and thus eliminate unnecessary spending. This provision passed both the House and Senate in slightly different forms, and President Clinton promises to sign it into law. On the other hand, the balanced budget amendment, which required a two-thirds vote to change the Constitution, was defeated. Even though not succeeding in passing the amendment itself, the House did pass a balanced budget resolution, which in the short term would have the same effect. Thus, the concept of balancing the budget has remained a central theme in the U.S. Congress; the means of achieving this could only come from a drastic reduction in the size and scope of the federal government.

The fact is the balanced budget was a Republican idea that they included in their Contract with America in 1994. Clinton and the Dem majorities in Congress didn't get much done in his first years as President so Gingrich and Republicans ran on this contract that said they would pass certain measures within 100 days of being elected. This included a balanced budget and fiscal responsibility. When many Dems were swept out during the midterm election Clinton suddenly changed his tune on a lot of things and had to play along. Balancing the budget wasn't his doing. Only Congress can actually do it. They set the budget. I am sure Clinton enjoys getting credit for it today, though.

 

Here's a brief explanation of just one of the 10 points from the Contract with America from Heritage.org:

 

Controlling the Growth of Government: The Fiscal Responsibility Act

 

A key ingredient, both explicit and implicit, in the Contract is a fundamental change in the character of government in the United States. The very first item in the Contract With America sought "to restore fiscal responsibility to an out-of-control Congress, requiring them to live under the same budget constraints as families and businesses." The key components of this act were a line-item veto and balanced budget/tax limitation amendment. The line-item veto would allow the President to strike specific spending provisions in bills without having to veto the entire bill, and thus eliminate unnecessary spending. This provision passed both the House and Senate in slightly different forms, and President Clinton promises to sign it into law. On the other hand, the balanced budget amendment, which required a two-thirds vote to change the Constitution, was defeated. Even though not succeeding in passing the amendment itself, the House did pass a balanced budget resolution, which in the short term would have the same effect. Thus, the concept of balancing the budget has remained a central theme in the U.S. Congress; the means of achieving this could only come from a drastic reduction in the size and scope of the federal government.

 

Now, now, no facts.

So, was Clinton the last President with a balanced budget? Simple question.

Soooooo

 

Congress and not the president sucking it up these days.

 

Interesting

Keep telling yourself that.

 

A lot of you on the Left are ignoring the fact that most of America is fed up with the status quo and are looking for someone other than what we have had in the past.

 

We're not ignoring anything. We WANT you guys to elect Trump or Carson. I'm begging you to. Please!!!!! Do it!!!!! Pull the lever!!!!!!!!!

So, was Clinton the last President with a balanced budget? Simple question.

 

Simple question? I actually don't know that answer. But let's suppose he was the last President in office when the budget was balanced.

 

The answer to that question on the surface would be yes. But if the implication is that it was Clinton's idea and his doing because he was in office when it occurred, that would be wrong. It was the Republican Congress that promised the American people they would do this if elected and it was they who worked to get it done. Clinton was intimidated by the electorate when so many Dems were swept out of office at the midterm election. It was a backlash against his policies. Remember, this was when Hillary tried to introduce universal healthcare and this was rejected. Clinton's policies were not popular and the massive shift to Republicans at the midterm election was seen as a rejection of Clinton's policies. Thereafter, his Democrat colleagues tried to distance themselves from him at election time. Ever the master of spin, Clinton said after the election in his rasp, "The American people have spoken. They want a Republican Congress and a Democrat in the White House." But alas, the American electorate is fickle.

 

So when you ask me if Clinton was the last President when there was a balanced budget, it is not a simple question. It's like saying fuel costs went down during President Obama's term. That is a true statement but it had nothing to do with his energy policies. It occurred in spite of his policies. It was technology that spurred the reduction in costs. Obama did just about everything he could to discourage this from happening.

Soooooo

 

Congress and not the president sucking it up these days.

 

Interesting

 

It takes a while to undo the damage that was done before.

Simple question? I actually don't know that answer. But let's suppose he was the last President in office when the budget was balanced.

 

The answer to that question on the surface would be yes. But if the implication is that it was Clinton's idea and his doing because he was in office when it occurred, that would be wrong. It was the Republican Congress that promised the American people they would do this if elected and it was they who worked to get it done. Clinton was intimidated by the electorate when so many Dems were swept out of office at the midterm election. It was a backlash against his policies. Remember, this was when Hillary tried to introduce universal healthcare and this was rejected. Clinton's policies were not popular and the massive shift to Republicans at the midterm election was seen as a rejection of Clinton's policies. Thereafter, his Democrat colleagues tried to distance themselves from him at election time. Ever the master of spin, Clinton said after the election in his rasp, "The American people have spoken. They want a Republican Congress and a Democrat in the White House." But alas, the American electorate is fickle.

 

So when you ask me if Clinton was the last President when there was a balanced budget, it is not a simple question. It's like saying fuel costs went down during President Obama's term. That is a true statement but it had nothing to do with his energy policies. It occurred in spite of his policies. It was technology that spurred the reduction in costs. Obama did just about everything he could to discourage this from happening.

 

I'll take that as a yes.