Letter: Republicans are fixing problems left by Democrats

Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2003 | 9:09 a.m.

The Oct. 19 letter from Gilbert Eisner trying to blast President Bush over the economy by comparing it to California made me laugh at Mr. Eisner's sorry bowing to liberal talking points.

Gov. Gray Davis took California from a surplus of more than $10 billion to a deficit of more than $38 billion in one term and 11 months. The negative swing of $48 billion, and then the lies told by Davis to California voters before his re-election regarding the depth of the fiscal problems, represent behavior that is the same or worse than Enron's.

Being an entity that has to balance its books every year, the California surplus represented actual money in the bank, actual money that was lost. America's $3.2 trillion surplus (Eisner was inaccurate in saying $5 trillion) represented a "projection" from the Congressional Budget Office.

And the future deficit projections are $1 trillion to $1.2 trillion, according to CBO press releases -- not the $5 trillion as quoted by Mr. Eisner

The optimistic projected surplus attributed to the Clinton administration was based largely on the dot-com industry, which suffered a massive collapse soon after President Clinton left office. It was also based on corporate financial reports. We now know many of them were scandalously inaccurate.

Today's deficit is partly due to the great costs of the war on terrorism. President Clinton could have chosen to confront the risks and costs of terrorism at a much lower cost to us all, but chose not to.

Gray Davis and Bill Clinton are typical of the so-called "New Democrats." They undermine America's strength and greatness in any and all ways possible for their personal and political power only, and then fight like the dickens as Republicans try to clean up the messes they leave behind.

It's easy for Mr. Eisner to quote liberal talking points, instead of seeking what is true and correct.

MAX HEEMAN