111th Congress ‘Most Productive Ever’ — In a ‘Termites Devouring a House’ Kind of Way

By Doug Powers  •  December 27, 2010 05:29 PM

**Written by Doug Powers

In the past month, story after story after story has been published mentioning how the 111th Congress is the “most productive in decades.”

What a nice spin on an absolute disaster. These people would have reported the Titanic sinking as “Ocean-going public bathing more than ever.”

To paraphrase Bill Clinton, it depends on what your definition “productive” is:

(CNSNews.com) – The federal government has accumulated more new debt–$3.22 trillion ($3,220,103,625,307.29)—during the tenure of the 111th Congress than it did during the first 100 Congresses combined, according to official debt figures published by the U.S. Treasury.

That equals $10,429.64 in new debt for each and every one of the 308,745,538 people counted in the United States by the 2010 Census.

The total national debt of $13,858,529,371,601.09 (or $13.859 trillion), as recorded by the U.S. Treasury at the close of business on Dec. 22, now equals $44,886.57 for every man, woman and child in the United States.

In fact, the 111th Congress not only has set the record as the most debt-accumulating Congress in U.S. history, but also has out-stripped its nearest competitor, the 110th, by an astounding $1.262 trillion in new debt.

Voters rewarded that kind of “productivity” with a drubbing last month. If anything about the last two years deserves to be referred to as “productive,” it was election day.

**Written by Doug Powers

Twitter @ThePowersThatBe

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Posted in: Democrats,Politics

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  1. #1
    On December 27th, 2010 at 6:04 pm, TooMuchTime said:

    So the socialists in the 111th Congress passed massive socialist laws and they lost 60+ seats in the House. Yeah, real productive.

    I guess the definition of productive doesn’t include doing anything that would make the economy better. Oh wait! Yes it does! Passing all that socialist legislation got them voted out of office. Hmmm. I guess they were productive!

  2. #2
    On December 27th, 2010 at 6:10 pm, Papa Louie said:

    the 111th Congress is the “most productive in decades

    Under Bush we had 50 straight months of job growth – the longest period of uninterrupted job growth on record. During that period there were also 8.31 Million Jobs Created and a 4.7 percent unemployment rate. Then Nancy Pelosi became Speaker and got busy. The economy quickly tanked and has yet to recover in over three years. If that’s what it means to have a “productive” Congress, then give me the “Party of No”!

  3. #3
    On December 27th, 2010 at 6:20 pm, Hangfire said:

    Productive” can also describe a cough, if it isn’t a dry cough.

    Perhaps an expectorant (guaifenesin) can help us get rid of Congress.

  4. #4
    On December 27th, 2010 at 6:25 pm, Ron said:

    Yeah, they were productive and now America as a whole is becoming less so…
    Too bad we couldn’t enforce a real gridlock that would have stopped Obamacare, the stimulus fiasco, taking over the private sector of the economy, etc.

  5. #5
    On December 27th, 2010 at 6:34 pm, On-my-soap-box said:

    It’s all Bu….

    Naw, that is too easy.

  6. #6
    On December 27th, 2010 at 6:57 pm, AlohaGuy said:

    Real after-tax per capita personal income has risen by 12.7 percent – an average of over $3,800 per person – since President Bush took office.[Nov, 2007]

    From Papa Louie’s link.

    I blame Bush.

  7. #7
    On December 27th, 2010 at 7:33 pm, Mister P said:

    111th Congress – must constructive destructive ever.

  8. #8
    On December 27th, 2010 at 7:54 pm, PhredE said:

    That equals $10,429.64 in new debt for each and every one of the 308,745,538 people counted in the United States by the 2010 Census.

    Census estimate today for the US: 310,536,671. Not to pick on Doug, but the estimate above is about 1.8 million short.

    We are the 3rd most populous country in the world, and are nearly unique amongst the industrialized/develop nations for having an increasing pop. growth rate. There are several measures which suggest the US is experiencing at least a temporary decline in std. of living, employment, education levels/standards, health care, etc., yet some people seem to think that importing large numbers of un and under-educated poor from the 2nd and 3rd worlds is somehow a key to our future prosperity? How so?

    We keep adding people — mostly from immigration and births to immigrants. But.. do we really NEED more people — especially given that job creation has not kept pace with population growth?
    The US Congress should take population dynamics into consideration in formulating future policy.

  9. #9
    On December 27th, 2010 at 8:00 pm, Rogue Cheddar said:

    111th Congress ‘Most Productive Ever’

    I suppose that’s true if you’re trying to elevate China to the detriment of the US.

  10. #10
    On December 27th, 2010 at 8:07 pm, Pasadena Phil said:

    He produces governs best who produces governs least.

  11. #11
    On December 27th, 2010 at 8:46 pm, bjc said:

    111th Congress ‘Most Productive Ever’

    *While sitting on a toilet maybe!

    *They have put us in a deep, deep hole economically; Lord willing, the 112th, especially the House, will begin to pull us out of it, and should start with this sampling:
    *Repeal Obamacare, whatever it takes
    *Defund the EPA now
    *Roll spending back to 2006 levels, not 2008 levels
    *10% across the board reduction in Federal workforce
    *Corporate tax at 15%

  12. #12
    On December 27th, 2010 at 10:27 pm, sbw999 said:

    the 111th Congress is the “most proddestructive in decades.”

    fixed it…

  13. #13
    On December 27th, 2010 at 11:22 pm, Romeo13 said:

    What Washington, and the pundits, do not understand is that WE know that not all “Change” is for the better…

    Change, for the sake of Change, is stupid.

  14. #14
    On December 27th, 2010 at 11:58 pm, RogerCfromSD said:

    Phlegmy coughs are “productive,” too.

    This Congress has been very nonconstructive. In fact, it has been very DEstructive.

  15. #15
    On December 28th, 2010 at 8:27 am, ArizonaNeanderthal said:

    Termites Devouring a House-exactly what they want to do; bring down this one great nation and make it part of the internationalist whole. And what their control of both Houses of Congress could not do the Obama administration is now doing by executive fiat.

    December 23, 1776
    THESE are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value

  16. #16
    On December 28th, 2010 at 8:55 am, RedDog said:

    This is a government at war with the country it is pledged to serve, thoroughly infested with collaborators and traitors. They are not stupid by any means, and their tactics and strategy clearly appear designed to cripple the economy and the social fabric so it can be remade into a Soviet model. This government must be brought to heel and reconstructed per the Constitution, piece by piece.

    Beyond the financial markets, the most glaring vulnerability is energy. If this Fox story on the coming energy crunch does not scare the hell out of you, nothing will. This could be OUR Waterloo.

    Former Oil Exec Predicts $5-a-Gallon Gas by 2012, Energy Shortages by Decade’s End

  17. #17
    On December 28th, 2010 at 9:03 am, RedDog said:

    Not even the vaunted stars of Hollywood, Madison Avenue, or the NY studios of NBC and CNN can sh*t-paper over the disaster the Communist Democrats are bringing on our nation. One way or another a tidal wave is coming. In the parlance of the US Marines, a hurt locker.

  18. #18
    On December 28th, 2010 at 9:32 am, TigerLady said:

    ArizonaNeanderthal said

    Excellent!

  19. #19
    On December 28th, 2010 at 9:35 am, Savage24 said:

    I heard that the 111th Congress spent more then the first 100 Congresses combined. That’s one Hell of record!

  20. #20
    On December 28th, 2010 at 10:06 am, cabrerski said:

    Now be fair…
    It was the most productive Congress if:
    - turning the US into a socialist state is the ultimate goal
    - expanding the number of highly-paid, bureaucrats was the outcome
    - chipping away at the foundation of personal rights was sought
    - twisting and/or ignoring the constitution and laws was the aim

  21. #21
    On December 28th, 2010 at 10:26 am, TooMuchTime said:

    Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered…

    Fight until hell freezes over…then fight them on the ice!

  22. #22
    On December 28th, 2010 at 11:38 am, NJ-Aviator said:

    “most productive in decades.”

    As has been said, from these point of view it’s been “productive”.

    - Driving up our debt

    - Empowering China

    - Socializing Amerika

    - Weakening our military

    - Restricting access to our natural resources

    - Putting power in the hands of Obama’s unelected, unaccountable “Czars”

    Yes, for the progressive-socialists, it’s been a busy couple of years. Their “War On America” is rolling right along.

  23. #23
    On December 28th, 2010 at 11:48 am, stoptheinvasion said:

    yes the Marxists and authoritarians have been very “productive” in ruining our nation and wrecking our society and putting people out of work and obliterating our property values.

    yes the Marxists have gotten a lot of their anti-American damage done in their “productive” time. now can we hang them all?

  24. #24
    On December 28th, 2010 at 12:04 pm, RedDog said:

    On December 28th, 2010 at 11:48 am, stoptheinvasion said:
    …yes the Marxists have gotten a lot of their anti-American damage done in their “productive” time. now can we hang them all?

    By their thumbs and feet first over a gator hole……

  25. #25
    On December 28th, 2010 at 12:59 pm, right_on said:

    This Congress gets my vote for the most
    “Anti-” Congress ever.

    Anti-American

    Anti-Capitalism

    Anti-Free Market Economy

    Anti-Common Sense

    Anti-Ethical

    Anti-Constitutional

    Anti-Truth

    Anti-Education

    Anti-Free Speech

    Anti-Transparency

    Anti-Conservative

    On the positive side, they are, positively, the most Progressive, most Marxist, most pro-socialist, pro-statist, pro-self-preservationist, and most meglomaniacal Congress, evah!

    …But, that’s just me.

  26. #26
    On December 28th, 2010 at 1:01 pm, FirstSkirt said:

    Right_on: You have said it wonderfully – great post!

  27. #27
    On December 28th, 2010 at 1:04 pm, GladzKravtz said:

    Doug, you didn’t need to write any more than what you put in your title. “Termites”, says it all. Brilliant.

  28. #28
    On December 28th, 2010 at 2:22 pm, in_awe said:

    @Phred:

    The US Congress should take population dynamics into consideration in formulating future policy.

    The Dems are – they know that importing more people who will be dependent on government assistance increases their voting constituency to the point where the Dems maintain a permanent majority in government at all levels.

    Oh, did you mean policy that benefits the nation? That is not the concern of the Dems as they roll this nation toward the failed socialist ideology. Make no mistake. This only about political power and control.

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