The Washington Post reports today, “Federal domestic spending increased a record 16 percent, to $3.2 trillion, in 2009, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday, largely because of a boost in aid to the unemployed and the huge economic stimulus package enacted to rescue the sinking economy. The rise in spending was the largest since the Census Bureau began compiling the data in 1983. The Washington region was among the biggest beneficiaries of the government’s spending.”

Of course, because so little of it has been paid for, this record spending has been accompanied by record debt and deficits. Back in May, the national debt surpassed $13 trillion for the first time, a staggering sum. It was boosted by the record deficits run up by the Obama administration, $1.4 trillion for 2009, and a projected $1.34 trillion for 2010. The Congressional Budget Office pointed out in August, “Relative to the size of the economy, this year’s deficit is expected to be the second largest shortfall in the past 65 years: At 9.1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), it is exceeded only by last year’s deficit of 9.9 percent of GDP.”

According to the CBO, “As was the case last year, this year’s deficit is attributable in large part to a combination of weak revenues and elevated spending associated with the economic downturn and the policies implemented in response to it.” Indeed, the $862 billion stimulus bill was financed entirely with borrowed money, and added right to the deficit. And yet after spending all this money, the bill still hasn’t lived up to the Obama administration promises that 3.5 million jobs would be created in 18 months (actually, 3.3 million were lost) and that unemployment wouldn’t exceed 8 percent (it remains at 9.5%).

Yet Democrats continue to push even more spending. President Obama has urged the Senate again and again to pass a bill that includes a $30 billion lending fund for small businesses. Earlier this year, Democrats repeatedly refused to pass unemployment benefit extensions that didn’t increase the deficit. In April, USA Today reported, “[U]nder Obama’s tax and spending proposals, annual deficits would push the public debt to 90% of the economy by 2020, a level unseen since the years after World War II.”

With all of this in mind, it shouldn’t be surprising that Americans are beginning to associate Democrats with ever more spending and debt. A new Gallup poll today finds that 50% of respondents think Republicans in Congress would do a better job than Democrats in Congress in dealing with the problem of federal spending. Only 35% think Democrats would handle it better.

Related:

Rasmussen Reports:

Partisan Trend: Democrats 35.0% Republicans 33.8% Gap Smallest in Five Years

75% Say Congress Should Cut Its Own Pay Until Budget is Balanced

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 45%, Democrats 39%

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