Obama Blasts 'Casual Dishonesty' of Bush Budgets

By Harry Kimball, Newser Staff

Posted Feb 23, 2009 3:58 PM CST

(Newser) – At a White House “fiscal responsibility summit” today, President Obama opened fire on what he called the Bush administration’s “casual dishonesty” about the federal budget, Politico reports. “Contrary to the prevailing wisdom in Washington these past few years,” Obama said, “we cannot simply spend as we please and defer the consequences to the next budget, the next administration and the next generation.”

Obama, whose stimulus package is responsible for a good portion of the current $1.3 trillion deficit, tacitly acknowledged his own administration’s responsibility. “In order to address our fiscal crisis, we have to be candid about its scope,” he said, instead of “hiding irresponsible spending with clever accounting tricks.” Obama pledged to include war spending and disaster relief in the budget, which Bush did not do.

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (1)]

President Barack Obama addresses lawmakers today as he opens the Fiscal Responsibility Summit. (AP Photo)

President Barack Obama delivers remarks to open the Fiscal Responsibility Summit today. (AP Photo)

Former President George W. Bush. (AP Photo)

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This is exactly what the American people rejected when they went to the polls. They sent us here to usher in a new era of responsibility in Washington, to start living within our means again and being straight with them.
- President Barack Obama

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 21 comments

Guest

Feb 24, 2009 6:32 AM CST

Alas, it takes two to tango and neo-cons have two right feet.

Guest

Feb 24, 2009 6:31 AM CST

You losers cant get over the fact that this man is our leader and will be for the next 4 years at least and that you have drunk the Bush kool-aid until it had washed away any common sense you may have ever had. Bush was a disaster, yet you expect miracles after only 4 weeks in office. Go back down the cellar, put on your GOP cheerleading skirts and keep drinking the kool-aid.

BackAgain

Feb 24, 2009 5:51 AM CST

So based on the above definition the left's tactic of "making fun of" and then dismissing does not constitute discourse, intelligence or logic.

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Bush administration • accounting • economic stimulus package • federal budget • Iraq war spending • George W. Bush • Obama administration • disaster relief • President Obama • dishonesty

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