As long as it is a bag of sliders I'm sure he won't care one bit !

Prentiss, have you looked at your tax bill lately, the only portion on your bill that has increased is from the town or because of the school budget. The property taxes in NJ have not gone up one the state level, only the town and schools and the county.

Paul,

Another lie! The fastest growing portion of my property tax bill are municipal taxes. School spending has been flat.

And by the way, property taxes are not collected at the state level, Einstein!

you guys realize that the high property taxes are caused to a high degree by the low State taxes?

The state started a downward spiral under Christie Whitman one of the most unqualified people to hold office.

LOL! And I'm sure I'll steal that "Chris Crisco" comment from you, too.

This just in to Cecelia Smith, who wrote the article: Lucky Lindy made it!

Well, it took Obama less than 4 yrs, that's for sure! And it will take Romney a lot longer than that to repair Obama's handiwork.

In response to Jennifer, LLB-you took the words right outta my mouth!

LLB,

If it took Bush 8 years to destroy the economy to a point where we were losing 860k jobs a month and a negative 6% GDP, why you expect President Obama to fix everything in 4 years?

Jenny, why don't you look at his record for the past 4 years and then look at what Christie has done, it a big difference.

What has Christie done Paul? NJ unemployment is higher now than when Christie took office. Property taxes are higher now than when Christie took office. What has has Christie done?

Yeah, christie blew it. Here he was front and center, on the big stage, the biggest moment in his political career and all he does is some me, me, me bully nonsense. Notice how he trashed Mitt's wife talk about love with his own bully crap about respect. He's done politically. Absolutely no one had anything to say about him nor his so-called Keynote Speech afterwards. Goes to show he's a real serious novice, and certainly not ready for the big times.

Yes, LLB, even Candidate Ron Paul was scorned by his own party.

As for the money, at least the convention provided temporary jobs in Tampa - hall rental, security, electricians, sound and lighting, food, local hotels, taxis/limos, cleanup, etc.

Anthony--I said it didn't even take four years for Obama to destroy the country. And I had no opinion about Christie. So WTF back at ya...

Anthony,

I don't want results immediately from my politicians. I just want results, period.

This country has become so damned polarized that it's sickening. And nothing is getting done while both sides point fingers. Democrats? Republicans? They're all to blame.

The solution is to eliminate political advertising. That'll end up cutting off the money supply from the politicians, which is their life blood and which is the currency, literally, that buys those politicians and makes them beholden to those who donate. Besides, advertising is mostly BS anyway.

Anthony, this guy has already had his time and we cannot afford another 4 years with him. The deficit stands at 16.5 Trillion now, where will it be if he had another 4 years, maybe somewhere around 21 or 22 Trillion or maybe even more. This is a debt that we will never get out of, just the interest payments alone is more than we can afford, it more than the country takes in. Would you like to make a check out each day for about $ 43 billion to try and pay this down. You don't pay down debt by spending more money anybody in finance will tell you that, even a 7 year old kid knows that.

Paul,

You don't pay down the debt by starting two unfunded wars; cutting taxes; and passing an unfunded expansion of Medicare. All this led to a 4.7 Trillion dollar expansion of the national debt under GWB. Please point to a single posting you made expressing your concern while this was happening,

Take a piss and go back to bed.

Danny boy, why don't you just admit that you are hurt because you never got to stand up there with these great people who did alot. Where did joining the democrap party really get you? All you did was join a party full of thieves, liers, cheaters and a bunch of crooked politicians who lie like hell just to get what they want, they can't win a seat anywhere without tell a bunch of lies and paying somebody off or stuffing the ballot boxes with names of dead people, dogs, cats and even farm animals just to get enough votes and then promise the illegal aliens and gays anything they want to get there votes. Yeah that sounds like a great bunch of people to be associated with in life!

Bush may have raise the deficit by 4 trillion, but that was in 8 years, this idiot has raised it by over 5 trillion in just 3 1/2 years, what will it be after another 4 yrs? And if K you had some brains and got off your butt and had some gut you would join the Army and find out what things were all about, if you didn't like the wars, maybe you would still like to see The Madass Hussein still in control in Iraq or maybe you would have just said after 9-11 " well I guess it sucks to have been in those buildings, to bad for them. Sorry, but our Army and Marines aren't cowards like you, you take a life from us, we fight for it. Maybe life doesn't mean anything to you, but it does to me. If you remember after 9-11, most of the country was crying to Pres. Bush to go after them and lets get them, well we did, and now all you can do is cry about it, he said it would not be an overnight thing, it would take years, but everybody said we don't care, yeah untill the going gets a little tuff, then cowards start running and crying for their mommy. Why don't you get a pair before you open your mouth.

Paul,

After attending the US Coast Guard Academy and serving as an officer, why would I need to join the Army? It certainly didn't do anything for your intelligence.

News Flash idiot...Saddam Hussein didn't attack the US on 9/11. After failing to kill OBL in Afghanistan, GWB elected to invade Iraq and more than 4700 of our fellow service men and women are dead because of it.

Save your "coward" comments for someone who respects your opinion and doesn't tell you to STFU!

Saving our auto industry is a lie, improved services for our veterans is a lie, getting our soldiers back home to their families safely is a lie, fighting for equal pay for women in the workplace is a lie, Maybe you think killing bin Laden was a lie too.

Same accomplishments as the last idiot nothing changed.

The same things they talk about in their current commercials, that attack, take cheap shots and have no substance.... Maybe one day they will talk about REAL issues instead of the pointing of blame, constant deflection and zero responsibilty for anything the have failed upon.

K, no kidding, Madass Hussein was a thorn in our sides for years and tormented the Iraqi people for many years, and they are all glad he is gone. War is hell little boy and people die in wars so shut up and get over it, maybe thats why you became someone to play with boats nice and safe back home because you didn't have the guts to put your life on the line for what you believe in, or maybe you just don't believe in much of anything except someone who is trying to bring this country to it financial knees and then hand us over to HIS friends in Iran. Can you say I love the islamic way of life. I served in a real war and it was hell, and I served two tours and I am proud of it and I was an officer as well. So go play with your tug boats in the tub.

Paul,

Pull your foot out of your mouth and take a moment to write a letter to the family of Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Nathan B. Bruckenthal, who paid the ultimate price in Iraq.

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/nbbruckenthal.htm

In that letter, make sure you tell his loved ones how he was "someone to play with boats nice and safe back home because you didn't have the guts to put your life on the line for what he believed in".

When you’re done mailing the letter to his widow, child, mother, father, and siblings, do everyone who has ever worn the uniform a big favor and STFU! You are a disgrace.

I am not talking about all cost guard idiot, if you read it again you'll see I'm talking to you, because no where did you say that you served anywhere. Don't put words in my mouth. You are just like a tipical democrap, change peoples words around to suit you self and your lack of intelligence. Get a life and quit being a burden on the world and stop with the profane language. Your not worth my time anymore.

Seems like Paul is mad. Typical of all those Republicans full of hate. Mitt Romney didn't serve anywhere. While people were out dying in Vietnam, he was busy being a Mormon missionary.

WOW- Lie based war that ALL the members of the house and congress had to sign off on. Don't understand how that was Bush's War when All the members had the information about what was going on and AGREED with the decision, including former President Clinton. Can we stop the BS and Bush bashing please.

Iraq is Bush's war becase he gave the command to execute it. It wasn't even self defense. We initiated it.

B@B Right on!
It was Bush's war..remember the WMDs (Weapons of Mass Delusions)?

Also remember that Congress voted on Bush's Iraq war based on fabricated "intelligence".

WOW - how quickly people forget (on can't do the Bush Google!) ALL the members of the House and Senate had to sign off on the Iraq Resolution? Afraid not! The vote was in this matter was:

House - Republicans: Yes = 215, No = 6
Democrats: Yes= 82, No = 126
Independent: No = 1

Senate: Republicans: Yes = 48, No = 1
Democrats: Yes = 29, No = 21
Independent: No = 1

Or as the Faux Noise Channel would report, 100% approval of Congress!

B@B - you could have saved valuable time and space had you just copied the link from the propaganda site alternet.org - being that you copied and pasted it directly from there. At least give them the credit for the propaganda since you lifted it verbatim.

26 months of consecutive private sector job growth equating to 4.5 million jobs.

Correction....29 straight months of private sector job growth equating to 4.5 million jobs.

Gene,So he copied and pasted it.
Do you dispute any of these facts

Good list B@B. I'm going to share it on my FB page!

Sure - I dont agree with the right wing stance on banning same sex marriage. If that ever gets to the supreme court, even a right wing supreme court would have to rule that its a civil right.

Gene needs to understand American liberalism has its roots in the founding of our country. Four years on, we still got plenty of conservatives still shell-shocked that a man of color can be their commander-in-chief.

Not even close. 21st century american liberalism is more Marx/Alinsky than Jefferson. And the race baiting strawman argument is obviously alive and well on the left - that's just more proof that our partners on the left would rather claim that the ideological difference between right and left can be boiled down to skin color, not ideology - the easy out.

Gene - I couldn't agree more. I mean - look what big deal the liberal media is making about this. Maybe she liked peanuts! .....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/28/republican-cnn-attack-animal-peanuts-racist_n_1838249.html

Way to be classy Steven. Just like those delegates.

Steven is just pissed that the Republicans have showed their true selves.

"21st century american liberalism is more Marx/Alinsky than Jefferson. "

No one specifically is named in that quote. I was generalizing as a response to a generalization.

However, everything the president has to move through the system is usually a bi-partisan effort, no? What would all those things look like if they were allowed to have been passed in their pure left wing form?

Obama gives himslef away when he slips in quotes like this:

"they cling to god and guns"
"you didn't build it"
"we gotta spread the wealth around"

Sorry, he hasn't exactly been the model of bipartisanship. He's stuck between a rock and a hard place with a congress that's split checking him - otherwise, who knows.

And yes, we may all be suckers, unfortunately!

Hey Wayne - I picked up on that "white noise" comment - enough with the race bating. Gene's noise is not a racial issue!

Of course Christie's track record is not even on a par with the President. He has shifted the tax burden to property tax payers, taken $6000 per year from public employees to give it to the health insurance companies and the pension administrators, (Wall St.) which would have been spent to boost the ecconomy and while he is playing around the Country we have a 9.8 percent unemployment rate. Are the Republicans just stupid for using him as their poster boy or do they just not know his real record.

@ KMN -- please refrain from being such an angry man, can we? Let's keep the rhetoric respectable. I have no dog in this fight -- I find the partisan bickering amusing (I'm way past the point of being dismayed or disillusioned). The fact is both parties, via their dogmatic adherence to the free trade gospel, have helped create the conditions where job creation sputters. Both parties blind faith in free trade/offshoring/outsourcing should make Obama worshiping personality cultist Dems and Evangelical GOPers BOTH blush. Sadly "KMN," a lion's share of any of the jobs created under Obama have been part-time jobs - http://www.zerohedge.com/news/full-time-jobs-197000-part-time-jobs-31000

Obama's "jobs" are as mythical and meaningless as the temporary "increase" in home ownership %s that W claimed credit for but which were quickly reversed after the housing crisis.

Abandon your false messiah, KMN. Obama isn't as bad as Bush. Yet. Just give it time.....

Cheers. GXR

Gary,

The source of the my job numbers is the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The source you provided clearly shows the number of full time jobs created over the past 29 months exceeding the number of part time jobs created. So your claim of "a lion's share of any of the jobs created under Obama have been part-time jobs" is false. Learn to read charts before you source them for backing up a bogus claim.

I love the fact that Mr. Nedd is on the Patch daily while he is in the most beautiful place on the planet. Makes no sense to me - but who am I to judge. I would be on the beach personally.

Jack,

I am at the beach. They have these things called mobile devices now.

Jack--A beach is a beach........I'm more concerned with the four "STFUs" he's used when someone disagrees with him. Where's our censor?!!

I don't see any dirty words. Acronyms can stand for anything.

Stop crying and justify your bogus opinions.

@ KMN - please re-read the graph. It's a simple and common 2 Y axis graph. I repeat: the declining black line shows a decrease in full time positions, while the upward sloping red lines shows an increase in part time positions. It's not that hard. It's no sin to have made a hasty reply, really. I freely admit to my mistakes (like engaging the commenting crazies!)

Unlike most of the commenters, I do not view either party through some manichean lens: "my party creates jobs! (YAYY)....the other party destroys them (BOO....<HISS>)!" Fact is, both parties are different cheeks of the same #ss. I'm equally unimpressed by leftists trolls like you or this lurking psycho (Billy Mays), or the folks in the GOP amen corner. I have to say, I do find your alternating citation of gov't sources and outright partisan sources (think progress, obama campaign) coupled with your feigned indignant attitude to others to be a hoot. Keep entertaining us!
Cheers KMN-GXR

PS -- enjoy the beach KMN, swim, relax, take a walk, anything but waste time commenting on the patch whilst a the God-given gift of an ocean vista beckons!!!.

I'm a lurking psycho? What leads you to this conclusion?

Gary,

Since November 2009 the overal slopes of both lines are positive. What does that tell you?

OMG....do I have to teach basic stats in here?

@ Billy (and all your aliases, or "avatars"). I'm heading out for the long weekend, I suggest you do the same. Go out, have fun, live life, enjoy the fresh air and this unbeatable weather. Escape to the Hamptons or Berkshires if you must to avoid all those republicans you despise and which you exert so much thought & energy to belittle, but waste not the precious gift of life my friend. Cheers! GXR

I don't have any other aliases. It may come to you as a surprise, but there are other smart people out there too. Btw, the Hamptons are mostly Republican.

@KMN -- "Since November 2009 the overal slopes of both lines are positive. What does that tell you?"

> It tells me you are self serving and biased in selectively choosing your data start points. Your Dear, Beloved Leader (aka The Messiah) assumed office in JANUARY 2009 (not November). Shall I get some sock puppets? A remedial class?

>"OMG....do I have to teach basic stats in here?"

Definitely not, at least to me. If you can refrain from undignified juvenilia and street slang (eg, I don't do stupid, OMG, STFU), that would be kindly appreciated.

I'll leave you with an interesting article from the leftist establishment Atlantic (i.e., a publication sympathetic to your side) -
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/08/our-low-wage-recovery-how-mcjobs-have-replaced-middle-class-jobs/261839/

The jobs situation is abysmal KMN. Partisan hacks and blind apologists like you who deny such are worse than the supposedly evil Evangelicals that deny evolution. I am done here with you and this topic! GXR

Gary,

So you expended the trends to magically change direction in the month the President took office? You really are an idiot.

Try correlating the data you presented with the jobs growth chart I provided. It should be clear to most the President's policies moved the country in the right direction. It's not that hard.

Wayne Parent,

Here is a source that pretty much proves your point with respect to public sector job losses.

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/06/01/493849/obama-bush-jobs-record/

To prove my partisan point, here's a link to a collection of self serving facts compiled by a highly partisan think tank that is filled with people who worked for the leaders of MY party! THERE - GOTCHA! **Oh snap!***

Brilliant KMN! (; GXR

Don't give me that both parties stuff Wayne, when your party (the Democratic party) has failed and is about to go down the tubes. Right now the Republican party has the best plan for the country with a plank in their platform to return to the gold standard ( a strong dollar), cheap oil, tax-cuts and growing GDP by removing gov. regulation on small businesses.
Wayne, keeping the Bush tax cuts might be the difference for a family of four making 5OK in keeping food n the table and heating their home.

Oldtimer--Don't you dare lump me in with your opinion that "most folks here won't bother to vote!" I vote in every primary, local, county, state and federal election and have since I reached voting age. If I'm out of the country I make sure my absentee vote is in! I consider it a privilege and take umbrage at your assumption.

Jerry,

I asked you a specific question to simply state where the BLS numbers were wrong. Your provided a typical GOP right wing answer. You blamed others and made it up. Just like Mitt's campaign strategy.

You just can't accept the truth, you're being spoon fed indirectly from the Obama admin through the news media.... step aside and let the big boys show you how to prosper the economy.

No Jerry,

You just can't back up your opinion's (which you certainly are entitled) with any verifiable facts.

Answer the question Jerry. Stop brushing it off. You Republicans are good at that.

Jerry,

You claim GM is not profitable:

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/is?s=GM

Now I realize you probably didn't go to business school, but what you are looking at is called an income statement. Look at the line near the bottom called "Net Income". If it's a positive number, meaning it is not in brackets, this means GM made a profit.

If you don't know what you are talking about, it's time to STFU!

GM is actually profitable now, and they make tons of cars that are fun to drive. Stop spouting your tea party BS that has absolutely no facts behind it. GM wouldn't have even been here today if it wasn't for Obama.

When did adding "STFU" to almost every post become acceptable language on the Patch?

It became "acceptable" when our founding fathers wrote the First Amendment.

STFU could stand for anything. 16 variations from the urban dictionary:

1.) Save The Freaking Unicorns
2.) Say, Thanks For Understanding
3.) Short Term Follow Up
4.) Special Task Force Union
5.) Stop Talking Find Username
6.) Slippery Teflon From Utah
7.) Stinky Telnet Fell Under
8.) Special Transitory Food Units
9.) Stealing Turkeys From Uncle
10.) Superior Tactical Fragging Unit
11.) Silence That Followed Us
12.) South Texas Farming University
13.) Southern Tenant Farmers Union
14.) Scrawny Two Faced Underling
15.) Samurai Training Finished Unsuccessfully
16.) Show Them Fury Unleashed

I am sure there are other definitions.

Stop crying and go back to bed.

GM may be profitable but the US Government will never make a profit on their bailout of the UAW.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39316448/ns/business-autos/t/governments-break-even-price-gm/#.UD9FwaPk0gQ

New Flash: The intent of the auto bailout wasn't to make a profit; it was to save an industry vital to America's manufacturing base. I think you have the President's motives confused with those of Mitt Romney's at Bain Capital.

The DNC has announced San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro as its "key note" speaker for the Democratic National Convention.

If you don't know what you are talking about, it's time to STFU!

That's because the DNC thought about it and now they're hiding him in a closet.

Jerry,

Wrong again.

President Clinton will be a featured speaker at the DNC. He just isn't the key note.

Your dislike of Clinton notwithstanding, at the end of his 2nd term, President Clinton's approval rating was 66%; almost double than that of his predecessor.

http://uspolitics.about.com/od/polls/l/bl_historical_approval.htm

Like I said earlier...if you don't know what you are talking about, it's time to STFU!

.What a disgrace to hold up a man of such low moral standing, have you know shame? Clinton was a rapist and a sexual predator of woman. Did you forget Paula Jones and Juanita Broaddrick and that Clinton lied about his actions with these woman and was impeached? But, that's typical of the low standards of the Democratic Party.

So if a woman came out and said that Mitt Romney raped her, would you believe her? Who he messes around with is only his, Hilary's, and Chelsea's business. Stop making accusations you can't back up. And he was acquitted BTW, and got higher approval ratings than before. Funny since one of the people creating all the fuss was your very own party's Newt Gingrich, who dumped his wife while she was in a hospital fighting cancer. Then theres also Mark Sanford, and the countless other Republicans who cheated on their wives. Most women would love to be with Bill, I think that your jealous.

Jerry,

So which of these morally upstanding GOP types should we all look up to?

David Vitter
John Ensign
Newt Gingrich
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Rudy Giuliani
Marc Souder
Larry Craig
Mark Foley

You really shouldn't make this so easy.

KMN, here's the difference, none of the political personalities you mentioned looked straight at the camera and lied when he tried redefine the meaning of the word "is'. Clinton perjured himself in a court of law and subsequently went on to having the details of his sordid affair with a young intern aired publicly, was impeached and lost his law license for life.

The Clinton presidency re-defined deviancy down, and when all of the people you mentioned are long forgotten. Bill Clinton's legacy will forever be a blue semen stained dress.

Clinton's legacy is more likely to be the 22 million jobs created on his watch and the surplus economy he handed GWB. This probably has a lot to due with his 60 percent plus approval rating. A rating GWB can only dream about. By the way where is GWB this week? Why haven't we seen him or Dick's face in Tampa. It must be embarrassing when a party has to hide its most recent occupiers of the White House in a closet when company comes to town.

KMN, keep changing the subject so you don't remind the public that your party, the Democratic party, is the party of murder, adultery, immorality, deficit spending welfare entitlements and a failed economy.

Who did the Democrats murder? I know that the Republicans have murdered countless people who they sent to war, and all of those people who they left waiting for emergency operations in the OR, with their refusal to pass health reform, prior to 2010. As to Clinton, the Republicans shouldn't have been asking him about his personal life anyway. He apologized for lying and he paid a price for it, get over it.

So let's talk about GOP adultery. Which one of these guys is your hero?

David Vitter
John Ensign
Newt Gingrich
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Rudy Giuliani
Mark Sanford
Ronald Reagan
John McCain
Bob Barr
Henry Hyde
Bob Livingston
Don Sherwood
Dan Burton

Sounds like a pelican Brief type situation !!!!

It does indeed, Jack! But non-fiction....

Scalia is too mean to die. LOL.

4th highest unemployment rate in the nation--we must keep our facts straight!

I didn't waste any time. It took less than 5 seconds to cut and paste the definitions from the Urban Dictionary.

Bogus means not genuine. Opinions are not immune especially if they are based on untruths and falsehoods.

I never said all Democrats were saints. I listed the GOP types to show Jerry he shouldn't cast stones when clearly some members of his beloved Republican Party live in glass houses.

You are entitled to your bogus opinion, which again is not genuine, as the President hasn't destroyed America. While we have problems, we are still the greatest nation on the face of the earth. Perhaps had you served the country in some capacity you would know this.

KMN-How the hell would you know if I served my country in some capacity or not? And one does not have to "serve" their country in any capacity to know this country is the greatest nation on earth! Despite you being in it. It is my opinion,which I am entitled to, that the idiot Obama has destroyed America. The only thing bogus here is you! You sit there with a giant chip on your shoulder waiting to pick fights with anyone who disagrees with you, and as it turns out, that seems to be everyone! I think you are a pompous ass and that is my genuine opinion! I am unsubscribing from this blog, so I won't see what ever idiot diatribe you answer with, but I will leave with this --STFU!

President Obama has destroyed America?? Now, there's a reach if I've ever seen one. Oh, wait. The reach happened last night during Ryan's speech/creative writing exercise at the Convention. I also think that the inexperienced shtick has to stop. Come up with something new.

I love it when someone claims America is being destroyed, yet when asked what they did to protect it, they admit they never served. Their response is so predictable:

1) they get mad
2) they blame the messenger
3) they take their ball and go home

Good riddance and God bless America!

You mean like the legacy of the last balanced budget that this nation has seen???

How is Clinton to blame for the "mess we are in"? Did Clinton cut taxes and start two wars? Was the US attacked by terrorists in the heart of our financial and defense centers on Clinton's watch? Did the country suffer a financial meltdown on Clinton's watch? What did GWB do for 8 long years?

@Hookerman - Clinton never balanced the budget.

Fact - the Federal Government spent more than it took in in taxes, duties, fines, etc every year Clinton was President.

It is a proven fact the US ran budget surpluses in 1999 and 2000:

http://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/ftpdocs/108xx/doc10871/historicaltables.pdf

Why on earth would you make such a STUPID claim?

This really is too easy!

Am I also going to hear that he had a surplus during his reign? Tee hee.
@KMN. The WTC was attacked during Clinton's reign. Also, let's not ignore the Cole bombing and our "response."
I am not discussing GWB or GHWB. I'm discussing Clinton.

The Cole was attacked in October 2000. Since Clinton was leaving office in just a few months, he decided to leave any major policy changes to his successor to make. GWB was in office 8 months before 9-11 and did nothing, in wake of the Cole attack, to prevent it.

I am discussing GWB. Was it not on his watch that America suffered its worst terrorist attack? Was it not on the current President's watch the US brought the mastermind to justice?

@Hookerman. Hogwash. But, OK.
Also, I am neither pro GWB nor Anti Clinton.
I sincerely believe that people do fuzzy math and history where Clinton's concerned.

Sorry, but a partisian hack analysis doesn't cut it. The CBO numbers are the standard.

@KMN - The US Treasury is "partisan hack analysis" now?

I guess anything that makes Clinton look bad is "partisan hack analysis"?

Steve, I don't think you understand the difference between "federal debt" and "federal deficit". A balanced budget does not mean zero debt... it means your revenues exceed your expenditures.

Hookerman, if the national debt is rising in absolute terms year after year then by default your revenues are not exceeding your expenses. The US Treasury site clearly shows debt rising each year under Clinton. The Clinton era surpluses were a myth. He borrowed money from the Social Security trust fund and several other sources off budget. Clinton is far from the only President to have done this. It has been standard practice for decades. And for decades, we have been lied to about the true size of the deficit.

I found this breakdown of where Clinton borrowed money to fund his $230bn Surplus and am cutting and pasting it below:
"$152.3B from Social Security
$30.9B from Civil Service Retirement Fund
$18.5B from Federal Supplementary Medical insurance Trust Fund
$15.0B from Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund
$9.0B from the Federal Unemployment Trust Fund
$8.2B from Military Retirement Fund
$3.8B from Transportation Trust Funds
$1.8B from Employee Life Insurance & Retirement fund
$7.0B from others

Total borrowed from off budget funds $246.5B, meaning that his $230B surplus is actually a $16.5B deficit.
($246.5B borrowed - $230B claimed surplus = $16.5B actual deficit). "

Steve,

The author claims to have used US Treasury figures. The analysis itself was not performed by the US Treasury. If you can't understand the difference, then we don't have much to talk about. I don't do stupid.

Hard to talk accounting or finance w/ a guy who understands neither.

Ojo, your sources are wrong.

The US Treasury is wrong? Fat chance. Sorry to burst your bubble but the deficit has been far larger than you want to admit for decades b/c for decades every administration has been raiding the Social Security Trust Fund and Clinton never ran a surplus. I will admit he got the closest to balancing a budget than just about anyone, but he still never ran a surplus. You have been lied to and what is worse is you continue to believe the lie even when shown the truth of the matter.

What truth??? You showed nothing to dispute the figures that KMN linked above, which I will link again;

http://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/ftpdocs/108xx/doc10871/historicaltables.pdf

Obviously, we ran a surplus from 1998-2001. Public debt is a whole different matter, and the fact that you talk about debt in the same sentence as balanced budget shows that you have no idea what you're talking about.

As KMN said, the author did the analysis himself. Leave it to the experts.

Yeah, go look at that table again buddy. It says DEBT HELD BY THE PUBLIC. Guess who the #1 entity the US Gvmnt owes money to in the entire world? I will give you a hint. When you turn 65 you start getting a check from that program and all the money owed to that program doesn't fall into the category titled DEBT HELD BY THE PUBLIC.

Stop looking at that table and go to the US Treasury Website as directed by Steve. That has the true debt figures and those figures include all the money owed to the public plus the money that is owed to all the various trust funds that the government has been raiding to fund their deficits including the Social Security Trust Fund.

Here is a sample copy of what the real debt picture of the US Gvmnt is as of 2012:
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/mspd/2012/opds042012.pdf

Notice that there is over $4.7 trillion if Intra-Government Holdings. That $4.7 trillion is money borrowed by Congress to pay for spending Congress authorized and borrowed from programs like Social Security. And every time the government borrowed a dollar from those trust funds, it reduced the size of the deficit by a dollar and the amount of money that had to be raised from the public to fund our deficit. Stop being blinded by your partisan hatred and face the fact that you have been lied to.

Read the GAO reports for whatever year you wish. You will notice that in the years that public debt went down, intragovernment debt went up by a larger amount and total debt rose. The GAO is as impartial as they get and even they say national debt rose.
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/feddebt/feddebt.htm

There you go, there is your proof, straight from the GAO

Ojo, I am not questioning your figures on federal debt, I am saying that it has nothing to do with whether or not we ran at a surplus. Simply put; if your yearly household income exceeds your yearly household expenses, then you’ve run at surplus. Whether you carry a mortgage on your house or not, or whether you have a car loan or not, does not change that fact. It is economically incorrect to say that debt held makes an annual surplus a lie. They are two totally separate indicators.

If you are generating a surplus by borrowing money, that isn't generating income. No household generates income by borrowing money on their credit cards or by taking out a loan for a new car. Sorry Charlie but your household analogy just doesn't work.

Who said anything about generating income??? You are all over the place with your terminology.

You brought the term income into the discussion at 4:18. Feel free to delete your post if you don't want to stand by it. Fact remains that in every year Clinton was in office the national debt increased. Fact remains that the surplus was an accounting gimmick that every President for decades has used to hide how bad the deficit has been over the years. Fact remains that Clinton never would have had any fake surplus if he hadn't raided off balance sheet programs like the Social Security Trust Fund like his successors and his predecessors. And since you seem to not dispute any of these facts, I have no idea WTF you are arguing w/ me for b/c this has consistently what I have been saying.

K, GWB kept your butt safe for those years, although I don't know why!

Paul,

Can the families of 3000 plus tri state residents say GWB kept their loved ones safe?

Nedd hits an All-Time LOW.

Are you denying the fact that the Bush administration ignored warnings that Bin Laden would strike?

Given we know the Romney campaign wants to blame the President for a GM plant that closed a month BEFORE he assumed office, once can only imagine the blame they would be laying at the President's feet if 9/11 had occured during his watch. Especially if it turned out the President had access to the same information that Bush did:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/30/AR2006093000282.html

The GOP's indictment of the Obama Administration would be without end. With that said, it is certainly justifiable to hold Bush accountable for a terrorist attack occurring on his watch for which he was forewarned, but chose to ignore.

So, Stig, take your new low and STFU!

The problem is the surplus was only achieved by raiding lock-boxes. It never should have been spent or given back to the taxpayers.

NOOOOOO, YOU JUST OPENED UP THE PORTAL ON THE REPUBLICAN DEBATE ON GLOBAL WARMING, NOW I HAVE TO SIT HERE AND READ ALL THESE REPUBLICANS DENYING SCIENCE!