Kevin:

For your argument to make much more sense --- please stop using source material that comes from partisan religious-based conservative publications. Since I was talking numbers --- a likely rebuttal choice would be the OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET and not an op-ed piece, where the content has been published as someone's opinion --- and NOT ENDORSED by the publication itself as fact.

Here is the link for the Office of Management and Budget:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/

Here is the link for the US Federal Budget home page:

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/

Here is the link for the item you claim backs up your statements:

http://csmonitor.com/cgi-bin/durableRedirect.pl?/ durable/1997/12/18/opin/opin.2.html

December 18, 1997 --- see the OPIN not once but TWICE in the above link? That means that it was accepted by the editor as OPINION only --- otherwise it would have been in the front page section with the rest of the NEWS (and NOT opinion).

That is the first thing that takes away from your message and its' credibility.

Secondly, since I discussed some pretty heavy concepts with the numbers I threw at you which show the DAMAGE that Ray-Gun did to our country --- you might have tried to debate some of that material.

But since this is the article you picked --- let me point out some things you are not going to be happy I noticed:

01) The BUDGET DEFICIT under Ray-Gun DOUBLED --- from $74 BILLION in 1980 --- to $155 BILLION in 1988. In 2004, the BUDGET DEFICIT is now $521 BILLION.

02) The TRADE DEFICIT under Ray-Gun DOUBLED --- then it DOUBLED again --- then it DOUBLED again --- from $15 BILLION in 1980 --- to $129 BILLION in 1988. In 2004, the TRADE DEFICIT is $489 BILLION.

The damaging effect of these two things had a much greater effect on the Ray-Gun tax cuts --- of which 70% were for the richest 5% of this country anyway.

03) The CONSUMER PRICE INDEX --- a measurement of inflation --- rose by 43% during the Ray-Gun years --- and an additional 27% during the Bu$h Sr. four year term. The grand total of inflation in these twelve years was a whopping 70%! The 2003 CPI index rose by 1.9%.

http://www.bls.gov/cpi/home.htm

Here is the INFLATION CALCULATOR showing this:

What cost $100.00 in 1980 when Ray-Gun took over, cost $143.57 in 1988. If we extend this to 1992, that same $100.00 worth of goods then cost $170.27! If this is extended right to this year 2004, that same $100.00 now costs you $229.49!

Just these three things alone completely negate all the so- called positives that Ray-Gun supposedly did.

Currently, the US FEDERAL DEBT is increasing at a rate of $1.71 BILLION DOLLARS per day, since September 30, 2003.

Go to the following webpage:

http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/

At the very top of the list of news articles talks about how Ray- Gun's policies gave the go ahead to run the government bankrupt.

Finally Kevin, there is a book that would benefit you a great deal to read. It is called HOW TO LIE WITH STATISTICS --- here is the link to the book's page on Amazon.com:

http://tinylink.com/?OCRUULbgbD

You see Kevin, as with a lot of other things, these people LIE about numbers. They twist them to make them seem one way when they are really something else entirely. You should read the book above, it is only $10.00 and it will help you to see things differently.

KDB = Buffalo, NY USA