by Dick Morris
15 But when asked: “53% Say EPA Should Not Regulate Greenhouse Gases Without Congress’ OK,” RasmussenReports.com, December 9, 2009, http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/environment_energy/53_say_epa_should_not_regulate_greenhouse_gases_without_congress_ok.
16 About half…a week or more: Survey by Opinion Research, August 21, 2010.
17 Although he led: “Republican Presidential Primary,” RealClearPolitics.com, http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/us/republican_presidential_primary-1452.html.
18 “the former…of our time”: Grace-Marie Turner, “The Failure of RomneyCare,” Wall Street Journal, March 16, 2010, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703625304575115691871093652.html.
19 “ultimate conservative plan”: Ibid.
20 “Both have an individual”: Ibid.
21 “our plan is working”: Ibid.
22 While 97% of his: Ibid.
23 Like Obama…average: Ibid.
24 A study by the: Ibid.
25 “Many patients are insured”: Ibid.
26 “we didn’t do what”: Ibid.
27 But the requirement: Ibid.
28 “the disaster of”: Michael Graham, “Mitt’s Bad Medicine,” Boston Herald, November 18, 2010, http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/op_ed/view.bg?articleid=1297196&srvc=home&position=emailed.
29 “created under Romeycare”: Ibid.
30 “Before Romneycare, you”: Ibid.
31 36–51 unfavorable: “November 22, 2010—American Voters Could Deny Obama Reelection, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; President Tied with Romney, Huckabee but Leads Palin,” Quinnipiac.edu, November 22, 2010, http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1295.xml?ReleaseID=1538.
32 54–33 favorable: Ibid.
33 59% of likely voters: Dan Balz and Jon Cohen, “Post-ABC Poll: Sarah Palin Lags Obama in Theoretical 2012 Presidential Election,” The Washington Post, December 17, 2010, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/17/AR2010121701512.html
34 The realclearpolitics: “Republican Presidential Primary,” RealClearPolitics.org, http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/us/republican_presidential_primary-1452.html.
35 He runs second: Ibid.
36 41–25 in the November: “November 22, 2010—American Voters Could Deny Obama Reelection, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; President Tied with Romney, Huckabee but Leads Palin.”
37 “Oh no…of change”: Conversation between Dick Morris and Mike Huckabee in 1993.
38 “everyone makes…and 1970s”: “Gov. Huckabee Failed to Factor Cop Killer Clemmons’ Prison Violence,” Seattle Times, October 18, 2010, http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/10/18/1386375/gov-huckabee-failed-to-factor.html.
39 The former Speaker: “Republican Presidential Primary.”
40 The November 22: “November 22, 2010—American Voters Could Deny Obama Reelection, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; President Tied with Romney, Huckabee but Leads Palin.”
41 Who can forget: William M. Welch, “Democrats Seize on Gingrich’s Negatives,” USA Today, March 18, 1996, http://www.usatoday.com/news/index/budget/nbud026.htm.
42 “In February…end the NMMP”: “Minnesota Murabalitionists,” LinkedResources.com, http://blogs.linkedresources.com/blogview.php?blogger=act4mn&topic=murabalitionist.
43 “Imagine a program”: Dick Morris and Eileen McGann, Catastrophe (New York: HarperCollins, 2009).
44 “commitment to streamlining”: Michelle Millhollon, “State’s Bond Rating Upgraded Again,” 2theadvocate.com, October 10, 2009, http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/63908172.html.
45 “Are you under”: Robert Paul Reyes, “Funny Video: Michele Bachmann Makes Chris Matthews Look Like Jackass,” Newsblaze.com, November 3, 2010, http://newsblaze.com/story/20101103094810reye.nb/topstory.html.
46 “how’s that tingly”: Ibid.
PART TWO
1 According to them: “Cycle Dating Committee, National Bureau of Economic Research,” NBER.org, September 20, 2010, http://www.nber.org/cycles/sept2010.html.
2 “My husband…reality”: “The New Normal: What to Expect of Our Economy,” CBS News, September 26, 2010, http://celebrifi.com/gossip/The-New-Normal-What-to-Expect-of-Our-Economy-3567493.html.
3 Since Obama took: “A-1. Employment States of the Civilian Noninstitutional Population 16 years and over, 1970 to date,” BLS.gov, http://www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cpseea1.pdf.
4 Job Loss in the Recession: Phil Gramm, “Echoes of the Great Depression,” Wall Street Journal, October 1, 2010, p A-19.
5 GDP is still below: Ibid.
6 Many leading economists: “Gross Domestic Income Shows More Sluggish Recovery,” CalculatedRiskBlog.com, May 27, 2010, http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2010/05/gross-domestic-income-shows-more.html.
7 “is only 1.2%”: Ibid.
8 “suggests the recovery”: Ibid.
9 16% of our economy: “National Health Expenditures 2008 Highlights,” Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, http://www.cms.gov/NationalHealthExpendData/downloads/highlights.pdf.
10 11% of the economy: “Value Added by Industry as a Percentage of Gross Domestic Product,” BEA.gov, September 30, 2010, http://www.bea.gov/industry/gpotables/gpo_action.cfm.
11 The energy sector: “Gross Domestic Income Shows More Sluggish Recovery.”
12 21% of the economy: “Value Added by Industry as a Percentage of Gross Domestic Product.”
13 Cuts in Spending versus Cuts in Deficit: “Political Tracking Crosstabs,” Rasmussen Reports.com, December 8, 2010, http://www.rasmussenreports.com/platinum/political_tracking_crosstabs/december_2010/crosstabs_reducing_federal_deficit_december_7_8_2010.http://www.rasmussenreports.com/platinum/political_tracking_crosstabs/december_2010/crosstabs_reducing_federal_deficit_december_7_8_2010.
14 Government Spending as Percentage of GDP: http://www.usgovernmentspending.com. Specific government data sources used by this website: http://usgovernmentspending.blogspot.com/2009/03/table-of-data-sources-by-year.html.
15 In 2007, the United: “Factbook 2010: Economic, Environmental and Social Statistics,” OECD-iLibrary.org, http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/factbook-2010-en/10/01/01/index.html?contentType=&itemId=/content/chapter/factbook-2010-75-en&containerItemId=/content/serial/18147364&accessItemIds=&mimeType=text/html.
16 In 2007, the United: Ibid.
17 In the 219 years: 1. “Presidential Oaths of Office,” http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/pihtml/pioaths.html. 2. USGovernmentSpending.com, http://www.usgovernmentspending.com. 3. USDebtClock.org, http://www.usdebtclock.org/. 4. TreasuryDirect.gov, http://www.treasurydirect.gov.
18 Increase in National Debt: “Time Series Chart of US Government Spending,” USGovernmentSpending.com, http://www.usgovernmentdebt.us/downchart_gs.php?year=1792_2014&view=1&expand=&units=b&fy=fy11&chart=H0-fed&bar=0&stack=1&size=m&title=&state=US&color=c&local=s.
19 2008 2,983: “Historical Budget Data,” CBO.gov, http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/108xx/doc10871/AppendixF.shtml#1097333.
20 2009 3,519: “The Spending Outlook,” CBO.gov, http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/108xx/doc10871/Chapter3.shtml#1119832.
21 2010 3,524: Ibid.
22 2011 3,650: Ibid.
23 U.S. Government Spending by Function: “Historical Budget Data,” and “The Spending Outlook.”
24 First he said: Tara Weiss, “Obama’s Stimulus Plan Promises New Jobs,” MSNBC.com, January 16, 2009, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28695368/ns/business-careers/.
25 Then, he amended: “Obama Speaks at Energy Department,” Washington Post, February 5, 2009, http://projects.washingtonpost.com/obama-speeches/speech/36/.
26 Under Obama, our: “A-1. Employment Status of the Civilian Noninstitutional Population 16 Years and Over, 1970 to Date.”
27 Obama’s Stimulus Spending List: Susan Ferrechio, “After a Flurry of Stimulus Spending, Questionable Projects Pile Up,” Washington Examiner, November 3, 2009.
28 Fully 85% of the: h
ttp://www.recovery.gov/Pages/home.aspx.
29 The Fed Slashes Interest Rates: “Daily Treasury Yield Curve Rates,” Treasury.gov, http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=yieldAll.
30 Banks flocked…the economy: a. “Factors Affecting Reserve Balances, FederalReserve.gov, December 9, 2010, http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h41/Current/.b. “Factors Affecting Reserve Balances, FederalReserve.gov, July 5, 2010, http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h41/20070705/.c. “Aggregate Reserves of Depository Institutions and the Monetary Base,” FederalReserve.gov, December 9, 2010, http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h3/current/h3.htm.d. “Money Stock Measures,” FederalReserve.gov, December 9, 2010, http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/h6.htm.e. “St. Louis Adjusted Monetary Base,” StLouisFed.org, December 10, 2010, http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/data/AMBNS.txt.
31 The money supply: Ibid.
32 “to take away the”: N. Gregory Mankiw, “How to Avoid Recession? Let the Fed Work,” New York Times, December 23, 2007, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/23/business/23view.html?ex=1356066000&en=3337604c8708710a&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss.
33 According to the: Sara Murray, “Middle Class Slams Breaks On Spending,” Wall Street Journal, October 6, 2010, p A4.
34 Cuts in Consumer Spending, 2007–09: Ibid.
35 The only increases: Ibid.
36 The savings rate rose: “Flow of Funds Accounts of the United States,” Federal Reserve, December 9, 2010, http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/z1/Current/z1.pdf.
37 Since the middle: “Vital Signs,” Wall Street Journal, October 8, 2010, A1.
38 “nonfinancial companies”: Justin Lahart, “U.S. Firms Build Up Record Cash Piles,” Wall Street Journal, June 10, 2010, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704312104575298652567988246.html.
39 “Consumers are unsettled”: Justin Lahart, “Layoffs Ease But Hiring Sluggish” Wall Street Journal, October 8, 2010, p A2.
40 “the problem…is that”: Ibid.
41 “If taxpayers get refunds”: Dick Morris and Eileen McGann, Catastrophe (New York: HarperCollins, 2009).
42 Massive stimulus spending: “Barack Obama-San,” Wall Street Journal, December 16, 2008, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122938932478509075.html.
43 He sent out $100: Martin Feldstein, “The Tax Rebate Was a Flop. Obama’s Stimulus Plan Won’t Work Either,” Wall Street Journal, August 6, 2008.
44 When he…going down: “Civilian Unemployment Rate,” StLouisFed.org, December 3, 2010, http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/data/UNRATE.txt.
45 When you add: “Table A-15. Alternative Measures of Labor Underutilization,” BLS.gov, December 3, 2010, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t15.htm.
46 U.S. Growth Rate Compared: Gramm, “Echoes of the Great Depression.”
47 “You never want”: Gerald F. Seib, “In Crisis, opportunity for Obama,” Wall Street Journal, November 21, 2008, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122721278056345271.html.
48 While, by definition: Robert Frank, “U.S. Economy is Increasingly Tied to the Rich,” Wall Street Journal, August 5, 2010, http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2010/08/05/us-economy-is-increasingly-tied-to-the-rich/.
49 consumer spending generates: “Table 1.1.5. Gross Domestic Product,” BEA.gov, December 22, 2010, http://www.bea.gov/national/nipaweb/TableView.asp?SelectedTable=5&Freq=Qtr&FirstYear=2008&LastYear=2010.
50 A Rasmussen Reports poll: “51% Favor Extending Bush Tax Cuts for the Wealthy,” RasmussenReports.com, September 13, 2010, http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/business/taxes/september_2010/51_favor_extending_bush_tax_cuts_for_the_wealthy.
51 10% of our GDP: “US Federal Deficit as Percent of GDP,” USGovernmentSpending.com, http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/federal_deficit_chart.html.
52 Obama’s defenders say: Brian Riedl, “Achieve a Balanced Federal Budget Through Spending Restraint,” Heritage.org, November 8, 2010, http://www.heritage.org/Research/Com mentary/2010/11/Achieve-a-Balanced-Federal-Budget-Through-Spending-Restraint.
53 $713 billion by the time: “Time Series Chart of US Government Spending,” USGovernmentSpending.com, http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/downchart_gs.php?chart=&year=2008_2012&units=b.
54 The budget deficit: Ibid.
55 $150 billion per month: “Quarterly Data Release,” Treasury.gov, http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/quarterly-refunding/Documents/Quarterlydatarelease.xls.
56 $60 trillion of goods: “Gross Domestic Product,” World Bank, World Development Indicators, http://www.google.com/publicdata?ds=wb-wdi&met=ny_gdp_mktp_cd&tdim=true&dl=en&hl=en&q=global+gdp.
57 $58.9 trillion: Mike Hewitt, “Growth of Global Money Supply,” MonetaryCurrent.com, January 12, 2009, http://www.monetarycurrent.com/commentaries/52-analysis/256-growth-of-global-money-supply.html.
58 $40 trillion: “The Global Debt Clock,” Economist.com, http://www.economist.com/content/global_debt_clock.
59 Private companies, banks: Ibid.
60 How Much We Would Have to Pay: “Average Interest Rates,” October 31, 2010, Treasury Direct.gov, http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/rates/pd/avg/2010/2010_10.htm.
61 The Commission would only: Mike Sorohan, “Panel Report Recommends Cutting Mortgage Interest Deduction,” MortgageBankers.org, http://www.mortgagebankers.org/tools/FullStory.aspx?ArticleId=18707.
62 The most important: “2005–2009 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates,” Census.gov, http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_submenuId=factsheet_1&_sse=on.
63 In 2010, it saved: Stephen Clark, “Proposal to Limit or Eliminate Tax Deduction for Homes is Unpopular, Could Raise Billions,” FoxNews.com, November 11, 2010, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/11/11/proposal-limit-eliminate-tax-deduction-homes-unpopular-raise-trillions/.
64 4.6% for a thirty-year fixed: “Today’s Rates,” WellsFargo.com, December 24, 2010, https://www.wellsfargo.com/mortgage/rates/.
65 Home ownership has fallen: Hubble Smith, “Brookings Fellow Calls to Cut, or Kill, Mortgage Interest Tax Deduction,” November 28, 2010, http://www.lvrj.com/business/brookings-fellow-calls-to-cut-or-kill-mortgage-interest-tax-deduction-110930674.html.
66 “A rollback of the mortgage”: Sorohan, “Panel Report Recommends Cutting Mortgage Interest Deduction.”
67 The construction of 100 homes: Caroline Sutton, “Makes No Sense to Target Mortgage Interest Deduction,” Citizen-Times.com, December 8, 2010, http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20101208/OPINION02/101207036/1007/COLUMNISTS.
68 “could critically erode home”: “End to the American Dream,” MemphisDailyNews.com, December 7, 2010, http://blog.memphisdailynews.com/?p=1325.
69 “housing prices…their mortgage”: Linda Chavez, “Scandalous Suggestion from Debt Commission,” PostChronicle.com, December 7, 2010, http://www.postchronicle.com/commentary/article_212336879.shtml.
70 “This would…tax policy”: Ibid.
71 $304 billion a year: http://www.givingusa.org/press_releases/gusa/gusa060910.pdf.
72 $35 billion a year: Ibid.
73 The Commission would: Stephanie Strom, “Nonprofits Fear Losing Tax Benefit,” New York Times, December 2, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/03/business/03charity.html?src=busln.
74 “wealthy givers are more”: Sandra Block, “Tax Uncertainty Could Hurt Charitable Giving,” USA Today, November 12, 2010, http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/basics/2010-11-11-charitable-contributions-taxes_N.htm.
75 “People give because they”: Ibid.
76 Obama’s Commission also recommended: “Ten Facts About Claiming the Child Tax Credit,” IRS.gov, http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=106182,00.html.
77 Right now, employers: “Social Security,” NYC.gov, http://www.nyc.gov/html/opa/html/taxes/socialsecurity.shtml.
78 Now, Obama’s deficit: Justin Bryan, “Individual Income Tax Returns, 2008,” IRS.gov, http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/08inreturnsbul.pdf.
> 79 From 1983 to 1988: Jeremy Weltmer, “Grover Norquist Outlines Recommendations to the Obama Debt Commission,” ATR.gov, July 27, 2010, http://www.atr.org/grover-norquist-outlines-recommendations-obama-debt-a5252.
80 In fact, spending rose: Ibid.
81 When President Ronald: Ibid.
82 And when Reagan: Ibid.
83 And when Clinton: Ibid.
84 The Americans for Tax Reform: Ibid.
PART THREE
1 “America decided to put”: “Election Night in America; Republicans Win House; Democrats Keep Senate,” CNN.com, November 2, 2010, http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1011/02/se.05.html.
2 In the New York: Matt Bai, “Debt-Busting Issue May Force Obama Off Fence,” New York Times, December 1, 2010, p A22.
3 “Mr. Obama…plan”: Ibid.
4 “A rising tide”: “400—Remarks in Heber Springs, Arkansas, at the Dedication of Greers Ferry Dam,” October 3, 1963, http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=9455.
5 “The best social”: QuoteDB.com, http://www.quotedb.com/quotes/3253.
6 Budget Deficits Under Reagan: “Time Series Chart of US Government Spending,” US GovernmentSpending.com, http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/downchart_gs.php?chart=G0-total&year=1900_2014&units=p.
7 Three-quarters of the money: Michael Ettlinger and Michael Linden, “A Thousand Cuts,” AmericanProgress.org, September 21, 2010, http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/09/thousand_cuts.html.
8 We spend $2 billion: Ibid.
9 We could save $3.6 billion: Ibid.
10 Cut their grants by 10%: Ibid.
11 We should sell off: Ibid.
12 Roll back the cost: Ibid.
13 Cut spending for the: Ibid.
14 15% cut in Army: Ibid.
15 20% cut in our: Ibid.
16 The National Infrastructure: Ibid.
17 Build America Bonds: Ibid.
18 We now spend about: Ibid.
19 Federal pensions are all: Ibid.
20 We should cut: Ibid.
21 Grants to states: Ibid.
22 Cut it by $1.2: Ibid.
23 Eliminate this left-wing: Ibid.
24 If we kill Obama’s: Ibid.
25 Cut out Obama’s: Ibid.