Deficit

The next time you hear a Republican claim that Democrats are fiscally irresponsible, you are cordially invited to laugh in his face.

The U.S. budget deficit will reach $368 billion this year before any war costs are added in, the Congressional Budget Office said on Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the worse-than-expected numbers.

The previous CBO forecast called for a $348 billion shortfall for the 2005 fiscal year that began on Oct. 1.

Due to a technical quirk, the latest number does not include billions of dollars needed to fund military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and analysts said these must be added in to get a true picture of the red ink.

Hmmmm - "due to a technical quirk." What an interest way of saying "Due to trying to fudge the numbers so they don't look so bad."