# The Lie of Fiscal Responsibility **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 7, 2004, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lie-of-fiscal-responsibility/263532 "2004-09-07T20:25:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hambil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3be4f8/32.png) [@Hambil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hambil)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2004, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lie-of-fiscal-responsibility/263532/1 "2004-09-07T20:25:41Z")
[Record $422 Billion Deficit Predicted](http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/09/07/budget.deficit.ap/index.html) [Bush Promises to Cut Deficit in half by 2006](http://usgovinfo.about.com/b/a/008918.htm) [Deficit to hit $2.29 Trillion over next decade](http://www.cnn.com/money/2004/09/07/news/economy/congress_deficit.reut/index.htm?cnn=yes) How does he get away with saying things like this? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lie-of-fiscal-responsibility/263532/2 "2004-09-08T07:47:35Z")
Well, it sure isn’t because of that gosh-darned liberal media, which has been pounding away at the Bush Administration’s fiscally irresponsibie policies of the last four years. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lie-of-fiscal-responsibility/263532/3 "2004-09-08T14:30:16Z")
I think you may want to rephrase your question because Bush gets away with saying a lot of stuff. I wonder how long it will be until someone mentions the gold standard. Bring it on! ---
**Author:** ![Hambil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3be4f8/32.png) [@Hambil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hambil)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lie-of-fiscal-responsibility/263532/4 "2004-09-08T14:36:52Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > Well, it sure isn’t because of that gosh-darned liberal media The budget predictrions are from the nonpartisan CBO, and the other link is to a Bush quote. What on earth does this have to do with a liberal media? ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lie-of-fiscal-responsibility/263532/5 "2004-09-08T14:42:04Z")
I _think_ (although please don’t hold me responsible for what **rjung** said) that he’s being sarcastic, and his answer to your OP is that he gets away with it because the media doesn’t hold him accountable. He’s said things just as bad or worse and not gotten called on it. ---
**Author:** ![pantom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/34f0e0/32.png) [@pantom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantom)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lie-of-fiscal-responsibility/263532/6 "2004-09-10T03:30:06Z")
**Chairman Pow** : that would be me you’re talking about. I’ve said it to my friends in real life, and I’ll say it here: if The Unready One wins, buy gold. Accumulate it slowly and prudently and with a plan, but do it. If he gets away with half of what he says he wants to do, you’re going to need it as insurance against financial armageddon. It’s one thing I say with complete seriousness, and without reservation. There’s nothing about which I am more certain. ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lie-of-fiscal-responsibility/263532/7 "2004-09-10T03:40:21Z")
> [@pantom](#): > > **Chairman Pow** : that would be me you’re talking about. > I’ve said it to my friends in real life, and I’ll say it here: if The Unready One wins, buy gold. Accumulate it slowly and prudently and with a plan, but do it. If he gets away with half of what he says he wants to do, you’re going to need it as insurance against financial armageddon. It’s one thing I say with complete seriousness, and without reservation. There’s nothing about which I am more certain. Holy fuck. I’ve been trying to defend gold in other threads (although I suppose I tried to do it with reason and it probably doesn’t look like it), but I’m always glad to see someone else who feels the same way. ---
**Author:** ![pantom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/34f0e0/32.png) [@pantom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantom)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lie-of-fiscal-responsibility/263532/8 "2004-09-10T03:45:14Z")
As you well know, we’re the only ones who know the meaning of reason, down to our bones. 'Nuff said. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lie-of-fiscal-responsibility/263532/9 "2004-09-10T07:25:17Z")
> [@bup](#): > > I _think_ (although please don’t hold me responsible for what **rjung** said) that he’s being sarcastic, and his answer to your OP is that he gets away with it because the media doesn’t hold him accountable. A-yup. If we were getting these numbers during the Clinton years, every night’s news reports would be starting off with some variant of “Day 847 of Clinton’s economic screwup” or somesuch. But hey, Bush gives the media what they want (White House access and permission to merge into ever-bigger conglomerates), and they give him what Karl Rove wants.