Bush: Don’t Ask Me About The Economy, I Got A ‘B In Econ 101′
Bush: Don’t Ask Me About The Economy, I Got A ‘B In Econ 101′
Today in his press conference, a reporter asked President Bush whether there was a “risk of a recession.” Bush declined to answer, pointing out that he’s never been very good at “Econ 101″:
QUESTION: Do you think there’s a risk of a recession? How do you rate that?
BUSH: You know, you need to talk to economists. I think I got a B in Econ 101. I got an A, however, in keeping taxes low and being fiscally responsible with the people’s money.
Watch it:
Bush is the one who needs to spend a little more time talking to economists. Many of them have been predicting that the administration’s loose regulatory policies may soon lead to a recession:
Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said the odds of a recession remain ’somewhat more’ than one in three even after this week’s cut in interest rates, with home prices likely to drop further and hurt consumer spending. [9/20/07]
Yale University economist Robert Shiller, an “economist who has long predicted this decade’s housing market bubble would deflate said the residential real estate downturn could spiral into ‘the most severe since the Great Depression’ and could lead to a recession.” [9/19/07]
CBO Director Peter Orszag notes that “the housing issues and problems in the subprime mortgage markets have created a yellow level of concern. ‘The risk of a recession is clearly elevated,’ he says.” [9/18/07]
As for fiscal responsibility, Bush’s tax cuts have “been the single largest contributor to the reemergence of substantial budget deficits.” “Between 2001 and 2006, the passage of the Bush tax cuts without the offsetting savings have cost $1.2 trillion in lost revenues, or more than 80 percent of the cumulative deficit during this period.”
UPDATE: Michael Roston takes a look back at Bush’s college transcripts. Bush received grades of 71 and 72 in Economics — a grade that “would correspond with a C-.”
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89 Responses to “Bush: Don’t Ask Me About The Economy, I Got A ‘B In Econ 101′”
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Geez, did I just see his nose grow a couple of inches?
September 20th, 2007 at 11:31 amTRoS, Yah, you did and so did I….Blessings
September 20th, 2007 at 11:33 amGeorge is getting goofier by the day without Karl writing his scripts for him anymore.
September 20th, 2007 at 11:34 am· 2003: -$378 billion (2nd largest deficit in U.S.
history)
· 2004: -$413 billion (largest deficit in U.S. history)
· 2005: -$318 billion (3rd largest deficit in U.S.
history)
Yeah Chimpy , you retarded simian , the above clearly shows how ‘fiscally responsible’ you’ve been……..What a stupid , grinning , braying jackass………..
September 20th, 2007 at 11:35 amWhen things are going as bad as they are for the GOOP, the only choice he has is to tell bigger and bigger lies.
September 20th, 2007 at 11:35 amLest we forget 6 years of Republican pork that would make any “liberal spender” look like a selfish miser. Jeez it’s no wonder this idiot doesn’t put himself in positions to take ACTUAL questions from reporters very often. What an embarassment to the nation. Go back to the Oval Office and play with your matchbox cars, douchebag. Fiscal conservatism my ass!
September 20th, 2007 at 11:36 amI spit my drink out when i saw that. Hilarious. Chimpy thinks hes relevant.
September 20th, 2007 at 11:36 amFunny that bush is happy to discuss the economy when it is going good, and the tax cuts are “working”. But doesn’t know anything about it now. What a buffoon.
September 20th, 2007 at 11:37 amHow frickin delusional does this guy need to be before someone does something?!?!?!
September 20th, 2007 at 11:37 amI got an A, however, in keeping taxes low and being fiscally responsible with the people’s money.
I didn’t know they offered that class at Yale. What the class number?
Who was your prof? Were the exams hard?
September 20th, 2007 at 11:37 amWasn’t his school time at Yale blurred by coke and alcohol? No wonder hes a douche.
September 20th, 2007 at 11:38 amUm, could we hear from the guy who got an “A?”
September 20th, 2007 at 11:38 amBush always says the exact oposite of the truth, and he’s proud to do it.
Judging by the amount of investigations being blocked into accounting of Iraq war funds and other agencies in our government, we know that looting of our treasury has been going on in unprecidented terms - billions of overcharges, phony charges, ilegal payments… the list is endless.
The solution? Block every investigation and have the liar in chief say he’s “being fiscally responsible with the people’s money”.
The Bush party got where they are by the power of lying and Bush is so proud about his ability to lie that he probably thinks of it as great leadership.
September 20th, 2007 at 11:39 amFunny how the trolls disappear whenever the discussion turns to the economy….
September 20th, 2007 at 11:41 amGDumbya is the ultimate narcissist. Who really cares about what grades he may or may not have gotten in classes that he did or did not take?
All one really has to do is listen to him fumble around at a presser for about three minutes in order to assign his final grade for lifetime achievement — F-minus.
September 20th, 2007 at 11:41 amWell, THAT inspires confidence…
September 20th, 2007 at 11:42 amTheToonGuy sez:
I’d love to, but Al Gore still says he won’t run.
Damnit, Al, your country needs you.
September 20th, 2007 at 11:43 amBush has been playing with and losing other people’s money his entire life. Probably the only man who COULDN’T make a profit off oil in Texas. Life is like a game of Monopoly for this dillusional halfwit. Win some, lose some. Who cares, it’s not George’s money.
September 20th, 2007 at 11:43 amYep, there’s real leadership for you:
“Um, I’m not really good at this stuff. So, um, go out there and try not to get killed.”
Way to rally folks to your cause, W…
September 20th, 2007 at 11:44 amThere’s that noise again…
September 20th, 2007 at 11:46 amFunny how the trolls disappear whenever the discussion turns to the economy….
Comment by raynman — September 20, 2007 @ 11:41 am
That’s ’cause they don’t get to brag about how brave, tough, and patriotic they are for sending someone else off to die for their sense of honor…
September 20th, 2007 at 11:47 amGawdammit - Why is he even there?
If it’s a question about the war, we have to talk to the generals.
If it’s a question about health care, we have to talk to the doctors.
If it’s a queation about science, we have to talk to the clergy.
Now, it’s a question about the ecomomy and we have to talk to economists.
What a useless waste of space he is. He doesn’t know a damn thing about anything. Is it any wonder he’s screwed up so monumentally?
September 20th, 2007 at 11:48 amWhat an embarrassment of ignorance and irresponsibility. I’m old enough to remember the day when a president was expected to have serious informed answers to legitimate questions that affected all Americans. Not only is Bush an incompetent and dishonest charlatan, he is also the most shamelessly uniformed, unknowledgeable and unconcerned president American has ever had to suffer. The man is a blithering clown with no intellectual or moral accountability for anything he or anyone he appoints does. Why should he have to know what’s going on? He’s only the decider/commander guy whose intelligence, knowledge and judgement ALL of America’s citizens rely on. The unbelievable reality that there are still American’s who tolerate the pathetic buffoonery of Georgie Bush saddens me greatly. America’s standards have hit absolute solid rock bottom!
September 20th, 2007 at 11:49 amBush is sounding stupider by the minute, as is his diminishing base of supporters.
September 20th, 2007 at 11:50 amI give Bush an “A†for keeping taxes low.
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Comment by Jake D. — September 20, 2007 @ 11:45 am
Hehe… but that’s not what he said. He said, “I got an A, however, in keeping taxes low and being fiscally responsible with the people’s money.”
I take it you’re not endorsing his whole statement.
September 20th, 2007 at 11:50 amNope, we just get some senseless, selfish drivel about how at least they got a few bucks back on their tax retruns while everything around them costs more and the infrastructure crumbles.
September 20th, 2007 at 11:50 amGeorge had no incentive to learn anything about economics.
September 20th, 2007 at 11:52 amDaddy always paid for everything.
“And by ‘B’, I mean ‘D’”
September 20th, 2007 at 11:52 amI am wondering, did anyone besides me find his demeanor a bit off, even for him?
September 20th, 2007 at 11:52 amI give Bush an “A†for keeping taxes low.
Comment by Jake D. — September 20, 2007 @ 11:45 am
Bow and scrape loyalist…the monarchys end is nigh.
September 20th, 2007 at 11:53 amCollege Transcript Reveals He Got A ‘C Minus’
September 20th, 2007 at 11:54 amIn a Thursday morning morning press conference at the White House, the President engaged in a little bit of grade inflation about his academic record.
“You need to talk to economists,” he answered when asked if there was a risk of recession in the US economy. “I think I got a B in Econ 101. I got an A however in keeping taxes low, and being fiscally responsible with the people’s money.”
President Bush as an undergraduate at Yale did not in fact receive a grade of B in his economics course. Bush received a grade that would correspond with a C-.
A copy of Bush’s Yale transcript posted at the humorous website GeorgeWBush.org states that the president received grades of 71 and 72 in Economics. The president took the course during successive semesters of his sophomore year, 1965-66.
President Bush, who earned a Bachelor’s degree with a major in History at Yale, has long described himself as a ‘C student.’ He also has a Masters of Business Administration from Harvard.
September 20th, 2007 at 11:55 amApologies to Sam Cook:
Don’t know much about history
Don’t know much biology
Don’t know much about a science book
Don’t know much about the French I took
But I do know that I decide for you
And I know that if you let me rule
What a wonderful world this would be
Don’t know much about geography
Don’t know much trigonometry
Don’t know much about algebra
Don’t know what a slide rule is for.
But I do know that one and one is two (right?),
And if this one could foo-oool you,
What a wonderful world this would be.
Now i don’t claim to be an “A” student,
September 20th, 2007 at 11:55 amBut I’m trying to be.
So maybe by being an “A” student baby
I can win your love for me (and the OBGYNs).
I give Bush an “A†for keeping taxes low.
Comment by Jake D. — September 20, 2007 @ 11:45 am
Who cares ?
September 20th, 2007 at 11:55 amAren’t you someone that flunked kindergarten anyway ?
I give Bush an “A†for keeping taxes low -Shakey Jake
I’ll give him an ‘F’ for totally f*cking up our country.
I’ll give Jake a ‘D’ for just being flat out Dumb.
September 20th, 2007 at 11:56 amNo, jake earned a degree in b.s. after stint in the royal marines during the war of 1812.
September 20th, 2007 at 11:56 amfrom comments at huffpost:
September 20th, 2007 at 11:57 amA “C” at an Ivy League school is called a “gentleman’s C”. In schools of mostly excellent students who earned their way there, it is reserved for the children of our ruling class and atheletes who would have otherwised failed the course.
And Dubya had to use the stolen tests from the Skull and Boners files to get any passing grade. Or maybe he sent someone else to take his tests …… just like he’s doing now with Iraq.
Dubya, at least you are a consistent MoFo.
September 20th, 2007 at 11:57 amJake: “I give Bush an “A†for keeping taxes low.”
Of course you do, because you’re a stupid a-hole. The tax bite for the vast majority of Americans, when new state fees, more expensive college tuition has actually gone up. But, you wouldn’t know that because you’re a stupid a-hole.
September 20th, 2007 at 11:58 am“fiscally responsible with the people’s money” = $2 Billion every week down the Iraqi sandbox.
September 20th, 2007 at 11:59 ammy side hurts….his comments about grades just make me laugh….must stop the pain of laughing so hard.
September 20th, 2007 at 12:00 pmIf we’re lucky, we’re paying marginally less in the income tax column. But, our healthcare bill has tripled and states have had to raise fees and taxes to make up for lost federal revenue. For the American working class, it’s a net loss… but Bush cultists don’t care or even think about what’s good for the working classes.
September 20th, 2007 at 12:00 pm“…I think I got a B…”
“No George, that’s the first letter of your last name.
September 20th, 2007 at 12:01 pmNow, try again, and concentrate this time.”
I believe bush was lying when he said “I think”.
September 20th, 2007 at 12:03 pmHey Jakey, I got a question for you:
Would you hire Dubya to manage your finances and do your taxes?
Be honest here. We all want to know.
September 20th, 2007 at 12:03 pmafter stint in the royal marines during the war of 1812.
Comment by bob h — September 20, 2007 @ 11:56 am
The 1st Gulf War? (Gulf of Mexico???)
Oh… you meant the first Golf War… got’cha!
September 20th, 2007 at 12:03 pmThe real pathetic failing grade is in ‘Poli Sci 101′.
No Diplomacy.
No Political plan.
No Economic plan, other than lowering taxes for the rich.
No Disaster Recovery planning.
No Health Care reform plan.
No Honesty.
No Shit.
America is being force fed BS daily by a silver spoon syndrome psycho.
September 20th, 2007 at 12:03 pmif theyd just hire dave chapelle to run on stage and smack bush when hes such a dipshit…..it would be worth watching
September 20th, 2007 at 12:03 pmAny idiot can keep taxes low if nobody cares about debt. Heck, if I am permitted to get into unlimited debt I can survive without any income at all.
Bush is racking up the national debt at a rate faster than any president before him. Check out this graph:
http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/history.gif
Please notice how it really took off during the Reagan/Bush41 era, slowed down somewhat during Clinton, and then went into the steepest rise of all during the current administration.
And this is being fiscally responsible with the people’s money?
September 20th, 2007 at 12:06 pm10 will get you 20 bush ends up eating his own shotgun like curt kobain
September 20th, 2007 at 12:06 pmdown on the ranch things will get depressing…and no one will call him preznit anymore…willingly
September 20th, 2007 at 12:07 pmthen cheney will visit and ‘forget’ his loaded gun next to ex-preznits thinking chair
September 20th, 2007 at 12:07 pmWhat a joke. Why do people even bother asking him questions anyways? His stupidity has worn out it’s charm.
~Sean
September 20th, 2007 at 12:10 pmSpeaking to reporters at a White House news conference, Bush threatened to veto the bill, which he said Democrats in Congress have come up with to “score political points in Washington.” He said it would “raise taxes on poor people and raise spending.”
The president said he supports reauthorizing the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, at $5 billion above its current funding.
Democratic congressional aides say their party wants to expand the program to cover an additional 4 million children and pay for it by raising the tax on cigarettes by 61 cents per pack. Bush opposes that, and has threatened to veto the bill.
“The legislation would raise taxes on working people,” Bush said, and would include children who could receive health care elsewhere.
so the kids will not like the tax on their cigs mr. preznit?
September 20th, 2007 at 12:10 pmDemocrats emphasize that Bush is reneging on his campaign promise during his 2004 convention speech to cover children’s health care.
yet another lie by bush - need we act suprised?
September 20th, 2007 at 12:11 pmSomeone should book him on “The View” so Whoopie can ask him if the world is flat…………….
September 20th, 2007 at 12:24 pmGuess Jakey has left the building. Even he couldn’t take the embarrassment of his HERO, Dubya.
September 20th, 2007 at 12:26 pmBush gets an A for Asswipe.
September 20th, 2007 at 12:39 pmHe got an F in understanding “responsible”?
September 20th, 2007 at 12:40 pmWhy didn’t someone ask Bush if the world was flat?
September 20th, 2007 at 12:51 pmIf it’s a question about the war, we have to talk to the generals.
If it’s a question about health care, we have to talk to the doctors.
If it’s a queation about science, we have to talk to the clergy.
Now, it’s a question about the ecomomy and we have to talk to economists.
Comment by Mark @ News Corpse — September 20, 2007 @ 11:48 am
Actually… if he got himself GOOD generals for dealing with the war, GOOD doctors for health issues, GOOD scientists for science-related questions, and so on… then he would be a better President. Be a great manager and all that.
But when he appoints his yes-men, lackeys and brown-kissing friends for those spots… THAT’s one of the marks of being a lousy President.
September 20th, 2007 at 1:01 pmJews don’t “enforce” their laws. If you’re looking for strong-armed religious belief, I’d check out the “Christians.” Start with “the Inquisition.”
September 20th, 2007 at 1:04 pmJake: “For the record, I’m still here.”
As if anyone cares. Could this guy get any more pathetic?
September 20th, 2007 at 1:06 pmFor the record, I’m still here.
“I don’t make the ancient Jewish laws. I just enforce them.â€
Comment by Jake D. — September 20, 2007 @ 12:51 pm
When the US is known as Israel-West , you’ll be all set ………..Until then , I really don’t give a crap about those that wear undersized berets as “religious hats’ , and what they have to say……..
September 20th, 2007 at 1:10 pmBush’s forehead is sloping a little bit more each and every day and his brow ridge is growing. Soon he will be devolving to a species of hominid that predates speech and crawls around using arms and legs.
September 20th, 2007 at 1:14 pmJake D. sez:
God, how pathetically needy. Shakey reminds me of the drunk, homely girl who would hang off your arm all through the evening, clinging with the tenacity of a zebra mussel.
You can try to be polite to her, but eventually, you’re just going to have to suck it up, peel her clammy fingers off your arm, and say “look…I have to go…somewhere…without you.”.
Shakey, if you’re crying out for attention, you have only yourself to blame. By consigning everyone who can best you in an argument (which seems to be everybody) to your infantile “ignore list”, you’ve only succeeded in isolating yourself.
September 20th, 2007 at 1:16 pmLiar, liar, pants on fire! But that’s SOP.
September 20th, 2007 at 1:30 pmHey, Dumbya, I can explain it to you but I can’t understand it for you…..
What a boob.
September 20th, 2007 at 1:38 pmSeeing as though Social Secuirty and Mediaid push us roughly 10% trillion more into debt every single year, Bush’s tiny tax cut doesn’t really matter either way. We are basically bankrupt due to Social Secuirty anyways. At this point the government doesn’t even have a choice but to renig on it oblilgations since they are an impossible burden.
September 20th, 2007 at 1:45 pmThere is no way that numb nuts got a B in economics! C- or D is more like it.
What a moron! He didn’t remember disbanding the Iraqi army was his policy. Now he thinks he got a B in economics! I understand why he believes history will vindicate his asinine administration. He thinks we’ll remember the past like he does!
September 20th, 2007 at 1:48 pmLast time I checked Roger, if the Bush admin wouldn’t raid the money that SS brings in, then it wouldn’t be an issue.
September 20th, 2007 at 1:49 pmI got an A, however, in keeping taxes low and being fiscally responsible with the people’s money.
Excuse me, he things running up billions of dollars of “off the books” debt is being responsible with people’s money.
God, that man is such an idiot.
September 20th, 2007 at 1:53 pmBryon, everytime a dem says we need to slow down spending the republicans accuse them of being soft on defense, etc. Way to much finger pointing, and obstruction from the republicans. Time to admit they are in the minority, and work with the American people, not against them. The programs that are costing us the most money are the wars in Iraq, and Afghanistan, and the creation of the department of Homeland Security. Yet if the dems tried to block any of these they would be castigated for being unamerican, and for not defending the country. A no win situation.
September 20th, 2007 at 2:05 pmWe must arrest and try this man for crimes against humanity; not provide him with a podium as a respected member of the international community.
Comment by ron — September 20, 2007 @ 1:56 pm
Agreed, Bush and crew need to head to Nuremberg.
September 20th, 2007 at 2:06 pmron: “The liberal notion of hearing our enemy out is exactly what terrorists like Ahmedenijad count on from politically correct Americans. It is upon this which they rely when they believe that they can beat the weak-willed West.”
So, at the height of the Cold War, when Nixon proposed talks with the Soviet Union rather than nuclear war, would you have called this “weak willed?” How about when JFK had secret talks with the Soviets during the Cuban Missle crisis - weak-willed?
ron: “I am still waiting for some liberal congresswoman to propose we print more money the get rid of the debt.”
That’s simply an absurd comment. Three-quarters of our national debt has been run up by just three republican presidents, the current one, his father and Ronald Reagan. The repub congress raised the debt limit for Bush I think 5 times. During Clinton’s administration, Clinton asked for a raise in limit once and Repubs went crazy.
Our debt problems are the result of modern conservative philosophy and agenda. Liberals had very little to do with it.
September 20th, 2007 at 2:09 pmYes it is an ‘A ‘if you reduce taxes…but if you refund taxes collected from Treasury to wealthy people,while in the same time the country and the Treasury borrows money and pay interest on the debt borrowed.. then it is called ‘bad economics’..
September 20th, 2007 at 2:14 pmIf we reduce the taxes and raise the ‘Debt Ceiling’ the day after,so we can print more dollars..then this is not called a good economics ,specially when we leave our budget balancing ,and our dollar at the mercy of foreign lenders money who buy our Treaury papers.
September 20th, 2007 at 2:22 pmRon: “I am still waiting for some liberal congresswoman to propose we print more money the get rid of the debt.â€
Im waiting for some dress wearing Republican to propose we borrow more from China.
September 20th, 2007 at 2:29 pmThe fact is government spending has increased some 60% under Bush, the very same people who cried about their tax money being stolen form then are now applauding such unfiscal responsibility.
George talks about tax cuts but thats not true, if the tax receipts have increased then there was no tax cut but a tax shift of the burden unto the financially strapped purchasers of American goods.
September 20th, 2007 at 2:32 pmI give Bush an “A†for keeping taxes low.
Comment by Jake D. — September 20, 2007 @ 11:45 am
Even though the cost of his keeping taxes low to the very rich in this country (middle class hardly felt his “tax cuts”) is a burgeoning national debt that will be left for our children and grandchildren to pay.
You are a very stupid and selfish human being if you think that is a good idea.
September 20th, 2007 at 2:39 pmDid he actually combine “Bush” and “Fiscally Responsible” in the same sentence ???????????????????????????????????????????????
September 20th, 2007 at 3:28 pmTHIS MAN IS TRUELY MENTALLY ILL AND UNFIT TO BE THE LEADER OF A CUB SCOUT TROOP, YET ALONE THE LEADER? OF A NATION. HE NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT BY SEVERAL MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.
September 20th, 2007 at 3:43 pmgrumble
September 20th, 2007 at 4:11 pmRon, stop being so tribal. We’re in this together, okay?
Nobody wants higher taxes. But we should all be willing to agree that cutting taxes and increasing spending at the same time is a very bad idea. And that is precisely what GW has done. Democrat or Republican, this administration is just awful. You know it, and I for one won’t make fun of you if you admit it.
To note: I think there’s a 90% chance that the next president will perform about as poorly on this, regardless of their affiliation. Clinton did well at balancing the budget, and regardless of your affiliation one has to admit that is true. It’s just numbers.
Cheers.
September 20th, 2007 at 5:44 pmcheck it.
September 20th, 2007 at 9:50 pmOddly, when they quoted Bush at The Corner they left out the last part.
“I got a B in econ 101, but I got an A in keeping taxes low.”
http://tinyurl.com/2g2srj
Go figure.
September 20th, 2007 at 10:23 pmHe’s right. Ask George if you want to know about coke snorting, binge drinking, knocking up girlfriends and escaping military duty.
September 20th, 2007 at 10:58 pmI can’t see any reason why, except for American exceptionalist stupidity, some Republicans (Liberals in some European countries and Australia) are still justifyint the war in Iraq. It’s all a game of words against “terrorists”: “they either kill us or we kill them”; how irrational can you get? Who’s going to do the killing necessary to keep on occupying the country? Blackwater mercenaries?
September 20th, 2007 at 11:21 pmCompare and contrast!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeHWW5gbc0w
September 20th, 2007 at 11:36 pm