Bush Just Escapes Being $5-Trillion Man

By: Mark Knoller
Topics: Republicans

(White House/Eric Draper)

Twenty-four days saved George W. Bush from running up five trillion dollars of government debt.

The latest posting on the Department of the Treasury website shows the National Debt just hit $10.759-trillion dollars. And that $5-trillion and change more than it was on the day Pres. Bush took office on Jan. 20, 2001.

Even so, Mr. Bush ran up the biggest increase in the National Debt of any American president. The Debt was $5.727-trillion on his first day in the White House. And on the day he left, it was $10.626-trillion. That means the Debt increased by $4.899-trillion on his watch. Some would round it off to $5-trillion – but that wouldn't be fair. He was saved from five trillion dollar infamy by $101-billion.

But watch for the National Debt to start shooting up again once the $879-brillion economic stimulus bill is signed into law next week.

So far, the National Debt has increased $133-billion since the day Barack Obama became President. That averages out to $5.3-billion a day. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the federal deficit this year will hit an all-time high of $1.2-trillion – and that doesn't include the stimulus bill.

At the moment, the statutory ceiling on the National Debt is $11.3-trillion. It will clearly have to be raised soon.

It's certain the one sure-fire investment this year is red ink.

(CBS)

Mark Knoller is a CBS News White House correspondent. You can read more of his posts in Hotsheet here.

Mark Knoller
Mark Knoller is a CBS News White House correspondent.
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by georgepwebster April 20, 2009 12:54 AM EDT: Bush doubled the national debt. Almost $5.000,000,000,000.00 Thank God he took vacations.; Reply to this comment


by georgepwebster April 20, 2009 12:51 AM EDT: Think how bad it would be if Bush hadn't been on vacation for 1000 days.; Reply to this comment


by dixxson March 7, 2009 11:36 PM EST: But We knew he was going to do this!
I knew it!
Michael Moore knew it!
Ralph Nader, Phil Donahue knew it, But Facilitated It!
Just look at Reagan, Then Bush Sr and then Bush junior's
promises, proposals to Reinstitute TRICKLE DOWN, from the TRILLIONAIRE BILLIONAIRE MILLIONAIRES to the 20 yrs WAGE "FROZEN, MINIMUM WAGERS on top of his "Constituent Voter Power Base's OIL WARS, Reaganomics
bringing back the Reagan Era "SUPER THIEVES" on Wall St (with a vengeance) the results were inevitable ".; Reply to this comment


by chicagoguy49 March 7, 2009 5:54 PM EST: Al Capone would give money to poor families in Chicago. That one "good" act did nothing to change the fact he was a ,iserable human being and a gangster. Bush may have done a few good things but they are so insignificant relative to the monstrous harm he did to the American public. He certainly helped the uber rich become even more so... he however did his best to destroy the credibility of our country and set the stage for an economic meltdown of incredible proportions. Please don't try to paint this clown as anything other than one of our worst presidents ever!; Reply to this comment


by megawhy March 2, 2009 9:57 PM EST: You Liberals are so damn Cruel. Cruel I say!

Whaaaaaa Whaaaaaaa

Heeheehhheeeee; Reply to this comment


by spinproof February 16, 2009 5:38 PM EST: Hey sprinproof? None of these things come anwhere CLOSE to making up for all the BAD decisions and wasted opportunities that Bush is responsible for, not to mention the over 4,000 young American men and wommen he senteced to death by his horrible decision to invade Iraq. We can also talk about the thousands upon thousands of Iraqis he killed and maimed, as well as the billions and billions of dollars he spent.

Evey notice how the Democrats always have to come in to clean up the messes that the Republicans make of the country? It''s happened yet again.........

Posted by raflin0010 at 02:30 PM : Feb 16, 2009

It''s Presidents Day, I was only remembering some of the good things former Pres. Bush did for Blacks and pointing out that he wasn''t all bad. Pres. Bush didn''t call attention to things he did for Blacks like many politicians do trying to make sure they got credit, he just did them, and since he was of a religious persuasion he also did a lot for Faith based initiatives quietly. I couldn''t wait until Pres. Bush left office, like many Americans I had my fill of him, but he still did good things too.; Reply to this comment


by raflin0010 February 16, 2009 5:30 PM EST: Hey sprinproof? None of these things come anwhere CLOSE to making up for all the BAD decisions and wasted opportunities that Bush is responsible for, not to mention the over 4,000 young American men and wommen he senteced to death by his horrible decision to invade Iraq. We can also talk about the thousands upon thousands of Iraqis he killed and maimed, as well as the billions and billions of dollars he spent.

Evey notice how the Democrats always have to come in to clean up the messes that the Republicans make of the country? It''s happened yet again.........; Reply to this comment


by spinproof February 16, 2009 5:21 PM EST: Name THREE? I can''t think of even ONE "good" thing he did.

Posted by raflin0010 at 09:28 AM : Feb 16, 2009

George W. Bush appointed 4 Blacks to key Cabinet Post during his terms, only Bill Clinton appointed more, but in my view Bush was equal to Clinton since Rice was also National Security Adviser from 2001-2005, I count Rice twice! G.W. Bush''s Black Cabinet appointments; Rod Paige, Education 2001-2005; Alphonso Jackson, Housing Urban Dev, 2004-2008; Colin Powell, State, 2001-2005; Condoleezza Rice, National Security Adv., 2001-2005, and then State 2005-2009; These were all high level Cabinet Post, not low level positions!

In 2003 former Pres. G.W. Bush launched PEPFAR, the President''s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in Africa. The program was endowed with a huge budget: by the end of its first five-year phase it spent $18.8 billion in Africa, on preventing the spread of HIV and keeping those infected alive. The White House has called it the biggest ever donation by one country to fight a single disease. (And it is separate from American contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.) Africa openly admits President George W. Bush''s policies to help Africa have been some of the best of any American President in history. In fact, 15 African countries say they have cut their malaria rates in half thanks to this program started by former Pres. G.W. Bush.

That''s more than 3!; Reply to this comment


by raflin0010 February 16, 2009 12:28 PM EST: Former Pres. George W. Bush did some good things too,

Posted by spinproof
--------------------

Name THREE? I can''t think of even ONE "good" thing he did.; Reply to this comment


by spinproof February 16, 2009 3:00 AM EST: Former Pres. George W. Bush did some good things too, some of which were on the expensive side for my taste, but he wasn''t all bad, however the problem is, his bad was so bad it overshadowed his good. At present, he did more tangible things for Blacks and Africa than arguably former Pres. Clinton or Pres. Obama, but in fairness to Pres. Obama he is just getting started. Former Pres. Bush''s bad things stole the show and his good never got a chance to shine through or balance the scales like he hoped.; Reply to this comment