The Blamekeepers

  To those who insist on blaming Barack Obama for America's economic woes, here's a reminder:
   The Great Recession began in  2007, more than a year before he was nominated.
   The financial meltdown occurred in September 2008, two months before he was elected.
   President George W. Bush took office in January 2001, with the federal government showing a budget surplus. Eight years later, when he left office, that surplus was gone and the nation was mired in deficit. So much for the conservative principle of pay as you go government budgets.
   However, reality seldom, if ever, interferes with the aims and preconceived notions of the radical political opposition. And now, as the fiscal year nears its end on Sept. 30, the Republican Radical Righteous are gearing up to cancel universal health care, even if that means shutting down the government.

   By the way, governors and state leaders are still fond of touting their accomplishment of a balanced budget each year they have been in office. True enough, as far as it goes, but it doesn't go very far. In fact, it's a hot-air claim, since states have no choice but to balance their budgets every year.