Re: "President Bush inherited a recession from Clinton."
Absolutely true!
Just as President Obama has *now* inherited a recession who's onset if now dated to a bit more then ONE YEAR prior to Obama's ascension to the Presidency....
However, the recession following Clinton is now recorded in the history books as one of the mildest and shortest American recessions of the post-war period....
While the recession which began just before Bush's last year began, and continued accelerating downwards into the Obama period... is a Big Bad Bear, and is already challenging for record of the worst post WW II recession (while, as of this moment, still continuing it's descent into the abyss.)
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Now, as far as the national debts (discussed in the previous editorial piece you remarked upon....), here are the records again:
Message 25423013
...The TRUTH, as we both know, was that deficits continued under President Clinton (in absolute dollar terms), although --- since the President began paying down more Treasury debt (early buy-backs of debt), when MEASURED AS A PERCENTAGE OF GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT, IN REAL INFLATION-ADJUSTED TERMS, official national debt declined significantly under Clinton ---- *certainly* when compared to the biggest budget busters of all time: Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II:
Up:
Increase in Real National Debt during George W. Bush two term Presidency, (final year's number not official yet): 2001 - 2009. National Debt went up big again under the younger Bush. Increased by an estimated 10.8%.
Down:
Decrease in National Debt during the two terms of the Clinton Presidency:
1993 - 2001. National Debt went down under Clinton. Decrease in debt was -8.8%.
Up:
Increase during H.W. Bush Presidency (single four year term):
1989 - 1993. National debt increased at an even faster annual rate (then the Reagan average...) under H.W. Bush's single four years. Increase was 13.1%.
Up:
Increase in National Debt during the eight years of the Reagan/Bush Presidency:
1981 - 1989. Real National Debt hugely increased during the Reagan/Bush two terms. Debt increased by 20.5%.
Down:
1977 - 1981. Carter (single term). Debt decrease was -3.2%.
Down:
1969 - 1977. Nixon/Ford (two terms). Decrease in national debt: -2.8%.
Down:
1961 - 1969. Kennedy and Johnson (two terms). Decrease was -16.5%.
Down:
1953 - 1961. Eisenhower (two terms). Decrease -16.2%.
Down:
1949 - 1953. Truman (one term). Decrease -21.9%.
Down:
1945 - 1949. Roosevelt/Truman (one term). Decrease -24.3%.
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DATA SOURCE: the official budget for the United States of America for 2009. The data is listed in the "historical tables" included in the U.S.'s fiscal year 2009 Budget.
Here it is (PDF):
whitehouse.gov
An encyclopedia article about this is here:
en.wikipedia.org
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