re: #205 Killgore Trout

Kinda unfair to pin blame on Clinton for the fiscal cliff when he and Congress managed to figure out a budget that was able to produce surpluses for a couple of fiscal years - a combination of higher taxes and a booming economy can do that.

BTW, the handwringing about the fiscal cliff is in part the realization that austerity is great when other countries are forced to do it (eg Greece), but not so much when you’re the one who’s put in place policy choices that result in austerity because Congressional leaders wont make tough decisions and lead.

After all, the fiscal “cliff” is the result of expiring tax cuts (a deal enacted by Congress and successive presidents to allow tax cuts to return to their pre-2001 rates) and budget cuts that would automatically take effect if Congress couldn’t come up with a deal to cut spending. Now, these same parties are complaining about the cliff?

Everyone needs to be reminded that this is what Congress enacted. This is what the President signed off on - especially vis a vis taxes. And now you’ve got GOPers concerned about spending? Or how cuts in defense spending will harm jobs? There’s plenty of jobs harmed when you cut spending in non-defense areas too - and there’s plenty of work to be had when you spend on infrastructure.