Changes in Federal Spending, Annually, By President

I've been watching the partisans battle it out over the debt ceiling, and marveling at the way numbers are thrown around without particular regard for things like accuracy. I've had so many different articles and posts come up that caused immediate cognitive dissonance. When I get that sensation, I go for references.

So, here's a nice list that I've reduced from a wikipedia table with figures about the rates of increased spending. Yes, only increases. Since 1994, federal spending has only increased. The last time it actually decreased was 1993, under George HW Bush.

1994 Clinton 1.7%
1995 Clinton 1.2%
1996 Clinton 0.7%
1997 Clinton 0.7%
1998 Clinton 2.2%
1999 Clinton 1.9%
2000 Clinton 2.5%
2001 Clinton 1.8%
2002 Bush 6.0%
2003 Bush 4.6%
2004 Bush 3.2%
2005 Bush 4.0%
2006 Bush 3.9%
2007 Bush 0.6%
2008 Bush 4.6%
2009 Bush 3.6%
2010 Obama 1.4%

Seems like the magic formula is Democratic President, Republican Congress- not that any of them reduced the size of government in this time. They all grew it. But nothing grew it like Republican President, Republican Congress.

So, the rhetoric about the size of government not growing is bullshit. Likewise, the rhetoric about spending not growing is bullshit. And the rhetoric about Republicans being the party of smaller government is the biggest steaming pile of the purest, pungent, unmitigated bullshit ever foisted upon a gullible public.

Great Barr Poll Numbers

(Big Sky, MT)- Libertarian Bob Barr is now consistently polling 6-7% when included in presidential polls among likely voters. I can't for the life of me recall Libertarian candidates being regularly included, let alone polling as highly as this, with this being the fourth presidential election cycle I've been supporting watching for such things. From the Barr Campaign:

In the first comprehensive general election poll (a sample of over 46,000 likely voters), Bob Barr is now at six percent nationally!

David (Beiler) was there in 1992 when Ross Perot, then polling at seven percent nationally, was included in the debates with Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush.

Four percentage points are all that we need to get into the Google/YouTube presidential debate that is scheduled for September 18th.

According to the debate rules we need ten percent in at least three polls before the debate starts in New Orleans.

These polling numbers are being achieved without benefit of huge TV ad spending, or constant media coverage. I have great hope that the media will increase with these numbers. From there, the campaign needs to ramp up the fundraising and get some ads on TV to boost Barr's name recognition. 

Inclusion in the debates would be phenomenal. I recall how Perot's numbers soared after inclusion in the debates.