Democrats must accept blame for economy

Democrats love to lament that they had no real appreciation for the mess of the economy George Bush left for President Obama to have to clean up, thus asking for more time and patience to rectify the disaster they inherited. OK, fine. None of these apologists seem to remember that both branches of Congress were firmly in Democratic control when the economy started tanking but that is an ‘inconvenient truth.’

“All politics is local,” former House Speaker Tip O’Neill once opined, so let us examine how that applies to the economy here in Illinois. Democrats didn’t inherit anything from anybody the past eight years as it relates to the state’s dead last or close to last ranking of the states in every aspect of economic activity. Who is to blame for the deplorable state of our state? George Bush? If George Bush is devil incarnate for the ills of the present day U.S. economy, pray tell who is Illinois’ “bogey man?” Look in the mirror, Democrats, and come to the realization that what’s staring back at you is the same thing that has imperiled our nation and our state’s economic viability — spending money we don’t have and wanting to spend more.

Steve Sarich

Grayslake