Hell in a Handbasket
Life Under a Democrat Congress
Democrats running for office this year complain a lot about America and the cost of living. What might surprise you is that most of the backsliding in the American way of life has happened while Democrats control the U.S. Congress.
Below are a few key examples:
|
Indicator
|
Inauguration Day 2001
(01-20-2001)
|
Election Night 2006
(11-07-2006)
|
New Dem Congress
(01-04-2007)
|
Latest Figure
(07-01-2008)
|
|
Gallon of Gas1
|
$1.46
|
$2.22
|
$2.30
|
$4.05
|
|
Loaf of Bread2
|
$0.98
|
$1.14
|
$1.15
|
$1.37
|
|
Gallon of Milk3
|
$2.85
|
$2.99
|
$3.07
|
$3.76
|
|
Dow Jones Average4
|
10,588
|
12,157
|
12,481
|
11,232
|
|
Stock Market Wealth5
|
$15.401 trillion
|
$16.919 trillion
|
$16.919 trillion
|
$16.866 trillion
|
|
Net Worth6
|
$39.551 tril
|
$55.626 tril
|
$56.532 tril
|
$55.970 tril
|
|
Per Capita GDP7
|
$33,403
|
$44,640
|
$45,173
|
$47,337
|
|
Inflation Rate8
|
3.7%
|
2.0%
|
2.1%
|
4.2%
|
|
Unemployment Rate9
|
4.2%
|
4.5%
|
4.6%
|
5.5%
|
|
Real GDP Growth10
|
-0.5%
|
2.1%
|
0.6%
|
1.0%
|
|
Average Wage11
|
$28,700
|
$33,980
|
$34,320
|
$35.960
|
1 Department of Energy
2 Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
3 Ibid.
4 Yahoo Finance
5 Federal Reserve Flow of Funds
6 Ibid.
Figures are in 2008 dollars.
7 Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
8 Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
9 Ibid.
10 Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
11 Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
