Notes: The surplus is shrinking. The surplus last year was a record $236 billion. The Congressional Budget Office had -- at the first of this year -- predicted a surplus of $281 billion. However, The White House budget office instead will show a surplus of about $160 billion for the current fiscal year, which will end September 30. Thus, the combination of the tax cut and slowing economy has cut about $120 billion from the surplus.

Democrats are portraying George W. Bush as being reckless with the economy. He, in turn, is saying the shrinking budget is due to heavy spending by Congressional Democrats. In a novel spin reported in Saturday's New York Times, Bush claims that the diminished surplus is a good thing as it will prevent excessive spending by Congress. And so, the blame game in Washington continues as usual. 08.25.01