Sobering thought on the two political parties and spending

When Lyndon Johnson was elected into office in 1964, federal spending was $118 billion. When he left office in 1968, federal spending was $178 billion, a 66 percent increase. Worse than the massive increase in federal spending, his administration and Democratically controlled Congress saddled us with two programs that have helped fuel today's fiscal disaster -- Medicare and Medicaid.


he 2000 election of George W. Bush as president gave Republicans what the Democrats have now, total control of the legislative and executive branches of government. When Bush came to office, federal spending was $1.788 trillion. When he left office, federal spending was $2.982 trillion. That is a 60 percent increase in federal spending, although it took twice the time as it did Johnson.

Of course, since Bush, government spending has been placed on steroids. In fact, the amount of deficit federal spending is already more than it was under Bush.