If the November election comes down to economics -- "It's still the economy, stupid" -- then John Kerry should beat Bush in a landslide. Here are some of the numbers:
-- When Bush took office on Jan. 20, 2001, the Dow Jones industrial average was at 10,587.59. It closed Tuesday at 9,944.67.Bush will continue to claim that the economy is "strong and getting stronger," despite evidence to the contrary, while simultaneously blaming 9/11 for the economic challenges he's faced as President. But most Americans can tell a bold-faced lie when they hear one, and this President has been lying to the American people since day one. What else should you expect from the worst president in US history?
-- When Bush took office, the unemployment rate was 4.2 percent. It's now 5.5 percent, according to the Labor Department.
-- When Bush took office, U.S. consumer debt totaled almost $1.7 trillion. It's now $2.038 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve.
-- When Bush took office, bankruptcy filings during the previous year totaled almost 1.3 million, down 5 percent from a year before. By Dec. 31, 2003, bankruptcies had hit a record of nearly 1.7 million, up 5.2 percent from 2002, according to the American Bankruptcy Institute.
-- When Bush took office, the federal budget had been balanced for three straight years and was, in the 2000 fiscal year, running a surplus of $236 billion -- the largest in U.S. history. The White House is projecting a record budget deficit this year of $445 billion.
