Here is the national debt by Treasury Direct from 2000 to 2012: Now the fiscal year ends 9/30 so it's necessary to realize the presidents take office in January but little changes the first 9 months anyway. But for comparison, you can see under President Bush the National debt went from $5.6 trillion to $11.9 trillion, for an increase of 112%.

 

The National Debt today is $17.5 trillion. Under Obama's watch the National Debt has gone up 47% in his 6 years.  Now, a large part of the increase was the stimulus package to stop the economic free fall, which Bush also agreed with by bailing out Citicorp, Shearson Lehman, AIG, General Motors among others. Both presidents recognized that the governments ability to pump money into the economy was a better option than to let companies fail which would put more people into unemployment lines which the government would have paid in benefits anyway.

 

Also make note, the Presidents can't do anything Congress doesn't agree to anyway. The President, being the chief of the executive branch, can initiate executive branch decisions, but cannot appropriate funds without Congressional approval.

 

http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/repor...histo5.htm

 

Regards.......................the Chiefjag

---