A "Market Watch" feature by Rex Nutting in the May 22, 2012 issue of the Wall Street Journal is titled: "Obama Spending Binge Never Happened-Government Outlays Rising at the Slowest Rate Since 1950's." The article spells out all the facts contained in two recent reports from the Congressional Budget Office and the Office of Management and Budget respectively. Nutting says the reports come to this conclusion: "Over Obama's four budget years, federal spending is on track to rise from $3.52 trillion to $3.58 trillion, an annualized increase of just 0.4%".
Of course, the very opposite has been said so often and in so many places that few will believe the CBO and OMB on this issue. But the facts show that "there has been no huge increase in spending under the current president," regardless of what is said constantly by FOX News, conservative talk radio and in right wing blogs with their incessant drum-beat about "Obama, the Profligate Spender." I know, after all the misrepresentations, you too find it hard to believe. Check it out.
There have been countless untrue statements made and repeated ad nauseam about President Obama, but as Rex Nutting says, this one about Obama's spending spree has to be "the biggest whopper of them all."
During the campaign, count on Mitt Romney to use it everywhere and often. Count on FOX News and the conservative echo chamber to employ it as a constant talking point. And Count on Republicans, especially Tea Partiers, to continue clinging to the falsehood as a matter of faith regardless of the true facts.
Timothy Mannello
Williamsport
Submitted by E-Mail
