Conservatives Claim Welfare Spending Will Explode Under Obama - But It Already Did Under Bush
Saturday, September 19, 2009 at 8:07PM 
Facts matter!I should know better than to expect intellectual honesty from a publication called the "American Thinker". Maybe these conservatives suffer from a disease where they have no memory of the Bush years. I've said it before - they act like history began on January 20, 2009. In any event, one blogger at the American Thinker is pushing the meme that Obama will explode welfare spending and thus ensuring greater poverty (don't ask me the causal connection). Here is the exact quote:
Thanks to stealth changes in welfare rules, the Obama administration is about to preside over the skyrocketing of welfare payments to the poor, the near poor, and the not poor at all.
Sounds bad and all. Let's just look at some facts. In 2000, the year before Bush became President, the Federal government spent approximately $171.38 billion in welfare programs. When he left in 2008, the amount was approximately $313.42 billion. Percentage increase: 82.9%. Now the projections for federal welfare payments in 2014 is projected to be $373.22 billion. Percentage increase: 19.1%. Now, I realize that my figures for Bush is for 8 years and Obama is for 6. Still, I doubt the extra two years will make that much of a difference.
Do these people real think that no one will check their figures? Probably not.
Bush, Government Spending, Welfare 
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Reader Comments (6)
You might want to check your so called, "facts". I don't know where you got your numbers, but I can guarantee that the welfare spending was in the BILLIONS, not MILLIONS. On top of that you claim the welfare payments in "2014 is projected to be $373.22 million". I didn't even bother looking up the projected figure for 6 years from now, but I can guarantee that "YOU LIE!" if you believe the spending is only going up by $60 million in 5+ years. You may be talking about something else b/c these numbers just aren't right.
I can't speak for the other blogger, but you can check out the source of the original article discussing his information here:
House Stimulus Bill Will Cost Taxpayers $787 Billion in New Welfare Spending
And for anyone who is interested in "FACTS", here is some info on welfare spending from 1929-2000 which sites sources (from the same site).
Means-Tested Welfare Spending: Past and Future Growth
We do agree on one point however, facts DO matter, we just haven't found many here...BTW, you might want to add that site to your "dunces" list (and you misspelled Drudge). ;)
Sorry I meant this one:
Obama to Spend $10.3 Trillion on Welfare
I hope you also know when articles claim increased spending like $10.3 trillion or $787 billion, it is always over a 10 year or other type of period. It is not in 1 year.
I meant billions and not millions, but the point remains the same. But thanks for catching the typos - I am still a little new to this and with the job sometimes typing errors slip through the crack, but the numbers do come from a legit site:
Link is here
Sorry about the multiple comments, I am also only considering federal spending not state and local spending. Heritage includes state spending also they also include Earned Income Tax Credit as welfare and related issues. I had another post going into the numbers and did use billons.
Let's not forget about the bush CORPORATE WELFARE.
"Socialize the expense, PRIVATIZE the profit."
Heh heh!
Signed, GWB