Compared to all presidents, 1952-2008, here’s Bush II’s record:

Measure #1: Annual Change in Total Real Spending: 4.9% – second only to LBJ

Measure #2: Annual Change in Total Real Spending, not counting interest on the federal debt: 4.6% – second only to LBJ

Measure #3: Annual Change in Total Real Non-Defense Spending, not counting interest: 5.4% – fifth.

Fun fact: Republicans presided over both the largest and smallest changes in Measure #3: It grew at 9.8% under Nixon and 1.0% under Reagan.

Extra fun fact: Even by Measure #3, Clinton was second only to Reagan.

HT: Chris Edwards