WHAT WE OWE – AT 8:42 A.M. ET:  Andrew Malcolm at the L.A. Times's Top of the Ticket blog, has a stunning report on our national debt, and its history during the Obama administration.  How did we let things get this far? 

Swallow all liquids in your mouth before reading any further.

Updated numbers for the national debt are just out: It's now $14,639,000,000,000.

When Barack Obama took the oath of office twice on Jan. 20, 2009, CBS' amazing number cruncher Mark Knoller reports, the national debt was $10,626,000,000,000.

A gentle correction.  Obama didn't take the oath twice on January 20th.  He took the oath the second time on the evening of January 21st. 

That means the debt that our federal government owes a whole lot of somebodies including China has increased $4,247,000,000,000 in just 945 days. That's the fastest increase under any president ever.

Remember the day the Democrat promised to close the embarrassing Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility within one year? That day the national debt increased $4,247,000,000. And each day since that the facility hasn't been closed.

Same for the day in 2009 when Obama flew all the way out to Denver to sign the $787 billion stimulus bill that was going to hold national unemployment beneath 8% instead of the 9.1% we got today anyway? Another $4,247,000,000 that day. And every day since, even Obama golfing and vacation days.

Same sum for the day Obama flew Air Force One nearly four hours roundtrip to Columbus, Ohio for a 10-minute speech about how well the stimulus was working in the politically crucial Buckeye state. Ohio's unemployment rate just jumped to 9% from 8.8% anyway.

COMMENT:  And imagine, our children will have the honor of paying for this.  I hope they thank our political leaders and pay appropriate homage.  Perhaps a statue of Obama, eating an ice cream cone, outside the Treasury Department.

August 23, 2011