According to government budget, including obligations to the SS Trust Fund, the Federal Debt went down as a fraction of GDP under each president, with the exception of Ford (who was president just a couple of years), Reagan, and the two Bush's. The debt in '46, and the debt at the end of each subsequent presidency but Bush II, and the estimated debt as of '04 is given below.
'46 122% Truman 74% Eisenhower 56% Kennedy 52% Johnson 42% Nixon 34% Ford 36% Carter 33% Reagan 52% Bush I 64% Clinton 58% Bush II 65% I'll be happy to agree that from Truman on, real debt reduction was bipartisian. But, it is clear that Reagan and the two Bushes raised the debt tremendously. It will be somewhere between 70% and 75% of GDP by 2008. Dan M. _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
