Help me put the pieces together to destroy Gingrich's argument

He was on Russert talking about how the Republican takeover created the first 4 budget surpluses and how they cut taxes in the late nineties. Technically there were four straight surpluses but the trend analysis is obvious.

If you look at the deficit graph, and we should give GHW Bush some credit, deficits starting to trend down right after the tax increase by Bush Sr. Then in '93 Clinton imposed large increases on the wealthy that decreased the deficit even more. I forget the figure exactly but I recall that 40% of the deficit had been reduced by '95 when Republicans took over the congress.

What were the late nineties tax cuts? If there were some, I am betting they were not on the scale we have seen under W. I really don't even remember them.

I can't believe the republicans still get away with the "liberal big government:" label when Reagan, Bush I, and W all spent much more than Clinton as % of GDP.

you can use them to prove anything you want to prove.

Gingrich is a "fellow" at the right-wing Heritage Foundation. Most of their time is spent coming up with bullshit and reshaping it into any piece of garbage they think the American public will buy.

Although Gingrich is a prick of the first order, he is a very articulate one who can sound convincing even when he's telling you the earth is flat.

Too bad the Dems lack a mouthpiece as convincing as Gingrich.

The person who needs to be on the same show with him at the same time is Paul Krugman. Krugman is a columnist for the NY Times, teaches economy at Princeton, and could shred Gingrich in a second.

As you point out, the tax increases in the 90's put us on the path to budget surpluses. The Republican tax cuts, along with W's and the Republicans huge increases in spending have resulted in massive debt.

without a single Republican vote. It was that budget that led to a balanced budget. It certainly was not Gingrich.

Greenspan said that after the 92 election he and Clinton had many long conversations about the budget and the effects of the deficit on it. He said at one point that to Clinton's credit he got it. And it was Clinton who started the glide plane landing for fiscal recovery

Clinton and the Democrats had already cut the deficits by 40% before Newt and the Republicans took control in January 1995. And not one Repub had voted for the Democratic plan.

Yes, the biggest TEX ASS HOLE of them all said that Clinton's tax increases would trigger a GREATER depression than the 1930s.

It brought Peace and Prosperity, that Republicans have utterly destroyed for generations.

already obviously under control. Remember, in 95 the budget wasn't agreed to and was still being argued well into 96.

can all be attributed to Dems. Also, wasn't it Gingrich that said the Clinton budget of '93 was going to ruin our economy. How have they explained those statements today?