Sixteen Trillion in National Debt: That did not take long

The U.S. Department of Treasury has announced the national debt has surpassed $16 trillion dollars sometime last week. Wow, I can remember $15 trillion like it was yesterday and $14 trillion before that. Seems like under the Obama Administration, the trillion dollar hits just keep on coming.

 

In case you do not follow these things, Mr. Obama has presided over four straight years of trillion dollar-plus deficits. Also, in case you do not follow these things, Mr. Obama does not care nor has he made any realistic effort to address this dangerous build-up of debt, particularly in the past two years. I mean a real effort, not some campaign fingerpointing, blame game. 

This week is the Democrat National Convention. Deficit reduction, or even slowing the growth of government spending will not be on the list of topics to discuss. Neither will the jobless rate. What will be on the speaker's podium is talk about gay marriage, abortion, immigration amensty, teacher's unions, tax increases, Bain Capital, and about any matter of character assassination one could dream up. Hard to believe Mitt Romney started WW I and WW II. 

That is not to imply the Republican Convention was much better. Stale slogans, short on specifics, and lots of rhetoric.  Most conservatives blame Mr. Obama if their newspaper is late. However, there is a difference and it is this. The Obama Administation has a record for all of us to judge. We all deserve some answers to the most important questions. Some explanation, not excuses. This would include the deficit, debt limit and the explosive growth of government. Do not expect much.

Which brings me back to the deficit. Almost $ 4 billion a day, day after day, day after day. Sixteen trillion and before next year sets, on to $17 trillion. Hard to imagine how it got this way, easier to imagine the eventual consequences.