Jody, there is nothing new about this data, google "Government deficits, graphs" and see for yourself. It's just that Tom only posts stuff that favors his side. And his Republican blogger and right-wing think tank pals spend whole careers combing the stats looking for factoids that do.

Deficits go up when the Republicans are in power because they don't like to pay taxes. It really IS that simple. Oh sure, both sides are fiscally irresponsible, but it is the Right that has found a way to profit from it. Look at how since Reagan and the supply siders took over they have created deficits, for the last 30 years (except for when Clinton was in power).

Obama has created big deficits because he is trying to dig his way out of the Bush stock market crash and recession. Maybe that's not the right thing to do, and maybe he's going about it the wrong way, you can certainly debate that. But at least he isn't doing it to give his rich pals a tax break.

Here's the same data, from Wiki. Again.

Who won the 1980 election?

The "supply siders" believed cutting taxes for the rich would "trickle down" as jobs for the poor. They weren't just wrong, they lied. Remember, the first President Bush himself called it Voodoo Economics. But they got rich while the American working class lost real income (after correcting for inflation), ever since the Reaganites took power. They are trying the same lies now, with this "we are the job creators" crap. Bush II already gave them their tax cut. Where are the jobs?

Hell, I knew perfectly well what was happening, I worked for a living. It wasn't the blacks or the Mexicans or the Democrats that have nickled and dimed me during a time when my career should have been booming. All I had to do was look around and see who had benefitted while the middle class dwindled away.

Unfortunately, the "job creators" never got around to creating one for me, so I had to retire to feed my family. My survival depends on the welfare state lasting longer than I do.

Well, I know I'm in a tight spot, but I'm still in better shape than you working stiffs. Those jobs are never coming back, no matter who wins the next election, and you'd better get used to it.